NFL Draft: Re-drafting the star-studded 2014 NFL Draft
By Cory Kinnan
26. . LB. Florida State Seminoles. Telvin Smith. 17. player
Original Pick: C.J. Mosley, LB, Alabama Crimson Tide
The Baltimore Ravens miss out on C.J. Mosley at the No. 17 pick in the re-draft, as he went a bit earlier to the New York Giants five picks prior at No. 12. Here, Baltimore is able to get the next best linebacker to come out of the 2014 NFL Draft in the former fifth-rounder Telvin Smith.
How Smith managed to slip all the way to the fifth round remains a mystery, but the middle linebacker for the Jacksonville Jaguars is a major piece in their elite defense that was a part of their run to the 2017 AFC Championship game. Smith has been to one Pro Bowl in 2017, and has started in the middle of the Jacksonville defense ever since Week 8 of his rookie season.
In five years in the league, Smith has picked off a total of nine passes, returned three to the house, forced five fumbles and recovered an additional six. To say that Smith has a nose for the football may be a bit of an understatement. He has also recorded over 100 tackles in every year of his career, with an average of 10 behind the line of scrimmage per season.
The Ravens can cope with the loss of Mosley by adding Smith to the fold instead. With the No. 17 overall pick in the re-draft, Smith jumps four rounds and hears his name called in the first round by Baltimore.