On Thursday morning we took an in depth look at cornerback Jimmy Smith’s red flags and character issues that could concern the Ravens going into the NFL Draft. Among those include two alcohol-related arrests and a third-degree assault in a restaurant. As we pointed out in that post, Baltimore took a chance on a guy last season with a similar history, Sergio Kindle, who since he was drafted had a season ending injury and was arrested for for DUI.
Despite the issues, several Ravens reporters are reporting that the Ravens are willing to overlook the baggage and pick Jimmy Smith at number 26 if he’s still available.
Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post confirmed Baltimore’s interest in Smith. Tony Lombardi of Ravens24x7.com said that Eric DeCosta, Ravens Director of Player Personnel, said that there’s nothing in Smith’s profile that’s “much different than others they will consider.”
It’s all speculation, we’ll find out how concerned the Ravens are when the draft gets underway in a few hours.
