Ben Bredeson Feels Like A Sure-Fire NFL Veteran
The Baltimore Ravens selected Ben Bredeson with pick No. 143 in the fourth round and may have landed a future veteran in the 6-5, 315-pounder. Todd Karpovich of Raven Country gave his thoughts on the pick out of the gate and really likes the immediate value as well.
"They need depth on the line because of Marshal Yanda’s retirement. Bredeson is a guy they need right now," Karpovich said. "The Ravens obviously have the connection to Michigan with the Harbaughs, so they obviously had a pretty good scouting report on him. They went offensive line in the third round with Tyre Phillips and then again in the fourth round with Ben, so they got some depth right away.
"They’ll move Phillips from tackle to guard and he’ll compete for the starting job at right guard with Ben Powers with Yanda gone. Bredeson might get some reps and maybe he even competes for that job. He could be in the mix for that starting right guard spot. It’s wide open. But if nothing else, he's going to provide depth right away."
Before being prompted, Karpovich mentioned the Harbaugh connection between Jim and John and really sees that being a big part of why the Ravens picked Bredeson.
"I do think it played a big role," Karpovich said. "They picked Michigan’s brain for sure. I know the Harbaughs talk a lot. I’m sure Jim gives John a list of guys to look closely at. I was actually surprised the Ravens didn’t go for Josh Uche. I thought that was a no-brainer, but they didn’t pick him. Instead, they get Bredeson.
"They definitely targeted him and had a great scouting report on him. He’s got a great pedigree. He started as a freshman and played ever year. He’s got that great leadership quality, which is huge for the Ravens. He’s a character guy. He’ll fit in great in that locker room and I think the Harbaughs talked about all of that."
Drafting interior linemen after the first three rounds doesn't necessarily move the needle among a fanbase but Karpovich sees the pick as a pretty big development. He explained how it was received by the people in the Baltimore area and it's about as good as it gets for a fourth-round guard.
"The feel was that it’s just a solid pick," he said. "The Ravens were able to get a guy that was high on the draft board. He can come in and maybe play right away. He’s got the pedigree and has played a lot of football. The Ravens definitely needed depth on the offensive line and that’s exactly what Bredeson brings, so he filled a need. There are some moving pieces on the offensive line and they wanted to get younger there. This is a guy that can be a part of the line for a long time. He’s been healthy for pretty much his entire career so they see a future with him."
Bredeson provides immediate depth, could compete for a spot early and is going to be a rock in the locker room. On top of that, the long-term outlook for his career is a good one according to Karpovich.
"I think they see him as a guy who will be in the league for 10 years," he said. "Ronnie Stanley is in a contract year and he’s going to want a lot of money. After this year maybe they move Tyre Phillips or Orlando Brown Jr. over to left tackle then Bredeson would step right in there as a starter at guard."