Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — The Baltimore Ravens addressed their deficient pass rush and garnered a couple extra picks during a busy night at the NFL draft.
General manager Ozzie Newsome pulled off a pair of trades in the second round Friday night before finally taking Boise State linebacker Kamalei Correa with the 42nd overall selection.
Newsome followed that up by choosing 6-foot-6, 285-pound defensive end Bronson Kaufusi out of BYU in the third round with the 70th overall pick.
Correa had 12 sacks as a sophomore and seven as a junior before entering the draft. Kaufusi had 11 sacks as a senior and 26 ½ over his four-year college career.
The Ravens hope they will improve a defense that had difficulty getting to the quarterback last season.
"They both have pass-rush ability, they both get sacks, they're both high-motor players, and these two guys are going to run to the ball at 100 mph every single play," coach John Harbaugh said.
The Ravens went 5-11 in 2015, in part because they registered only 37 sacks — tied for 17th in the NFL. Elvis Dumervil led the team with six sacks, down from 17 one year earlier, and franchise career sack leader Terrell Suggs was lost after tearing his Achilles tendon in the opening game.
Correa hopes to learn from the two veteran linebackers.
"I'm extremely excited. I've been watching these guys since I was in middle school," Correa said.
The selection came after Baltimore twice moved back in the second round. The Ravens were slotted 36th overall, but Newsome made deals with Jacksonville and Miami for additional picks.
First, Newsome swapped places in the second round with Jacksonville and gained a fifth-round pick. Then he traded second-round picks with Miami and secured a fourth-round choice from the Dolphins.
"We think we really helped the defense and really helped our football team by making all the trades," Newsome said.
It's shaping up to be a busy Saturday for Newsome, who has five fourth-round picks, one fifth-rounder and two sixth-round selections.
He hoped to swap some of those picks for another second-rounder, but no deal could be made.
So the Ravens will just have to make do with what they've got left.
"The pressure's on," assistant GM Eric DeCosta said. "We still have a lot of needs, and there are a lot of good players out there still. It's a great opportunity for this team to get better."
Correa never missed a game during his three-year college career.
"I know one day that I will be a great one," Correa said. "I am just going to keep working until I am."
Earlier Friday, the Ravens introduced their top draft pick, Notre Dame offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley, taken sixth overall.
The 6-6, 315-pound Stanley said he wants to follow in the footsteps of Hall of Fame tackle Jonathan Ogden, who was taken in the first round by Baltimore in 1996.
"I definitely look at that and say that's what I want to be," he said.
___
Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP\_NFL
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
