The Ravens added a top-flight talent in Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith, but it wasn’t at the 26th position where they originally entered the first round of the NFL Draft.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Ravens had a trade working with the Chicago Bears to move back to No. 29, but the Bears never talked to the league and time ran out on Baltimore.





Draft Profile: Jimmy Smith

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That allowed the Kansas City Chiefs to leapfrog the Ravens to the 26th position and select Pittsburgh wideout Jonathan Baldwin, pushing Baltimore down one spot.

The Ravens had a player ready to pick as the clock wound down – Smith – but the Chiefs just slid theirs in first.

Still, Smith was one of the most-coveted cornerbacks in the draft, probably the third-best at his position talent-wise, but with some character concerns that might have caused him to drop.

At 6-foot-2, 211 pounds, Smith has incredible size for a corner, especially one that ran a 4.37-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. Smith also benched 225 pounds 24 times and posted a 36-inch vertical leap.

And Smith’s playmaking ability is undeniable.

The former Buffalo logged 183 tackles and 16 pass deflections through his four-year career. As a junior and senior, Smith only allowed 11 completions in man-to-man coverage, according to NFLDraftScout.com.

The issues surrounding Smith revolve around admitted minor-in-possession tickets and a positive marijuana test while at CU.

If any team could set Smith on the straight and narrow, however, it would be the Ravens, who boast a locker room filled with respected leaders like Ray Lewis and Ed Reed.

Smith should help bolster a Ravens cornerback group that only logged five interceptions last season, led by Josh Wilson’s three.