Baltimore Ravens Select Alabama Linebacker/End Courtney Upshaw

There were reports leading up to the NFL draft regarding Marvin Lewis' overall interest with outside linebacker/defensive end hybrid Courtney Upshaw. Most of the reports came from Tony Pauline with Sports Illustrated and DraftInsider.net in what many instantly suggested as a smoke-screen. And it's entirely possible that this was one of those examples.

However we also suspect that if the Bengals didn't identify obvious needs at cornerback and offensive guard, he could have been a favorite in the first round -- and we suspected that he would have been the second-round pick if he made it to No. 53.

But he didn't.

Using their first pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the Baltimore Ravens selected Upshaw at No. 35 (3rd pick in the second round). Upshaw becomes the second player that another team in the AFC North drafted that's been a projected target, following the Steelers selection of guard David DeCastro. And let's not forget that the top running back prospect, Trent Richardson, is heading north to Cleveland.