Pluto: Ravens Had Barkevious Mingo High on Their Draft Board

In his weekly Sunday column, Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer cited a "top executive who would know" regarding the Baltimore Ravens' stance on linebacker Barkevious Mingo heading into the draft:

2. Baltimore had Barkevious Mingo "high" on its draft board, according to a top executive who'd know. The Ravens really like Mingo's speed and considered the Browns' top pick the type of player who would fit in well with their aggressive defense. That's promising, because the aggressive Ravens/Steelers style is what defensive coordinator Ray Horton wants to play here.

When you pick a player at No. 6 overall, you'd hope that almost every team in the NFL had the guy ranked fairly high on their draft board. Even the Cowboys had Mingo ranked at No. 9 overall on their draft board. There can still be some players who teams have a "stay away from" attitude toward, though. Since the Ravens have drafted very well on the defensive side of the ball over the years, it can't hurt to know that the Ravens saw the same type of value in Mingo that Cleveland did.