Ravens position-by-position preview: ‘D’ line

Current defensive linemen under contract: Ends: Brent Urban, Bronson Kaufusi, Chris Wormley; Tackles: Brandon Williams, Michael Pierce, Carl Davis, Willie Henry Chances that the Ravens will draft a defensive lineman in first three rounds: Low. When it comes to drafting Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas Thursday-Saturday TV: NFL Network, ESPN, chs. 45, 5 defensive linemen, the Ravens should never be counted out. They’ve taken at least one in nine consecutive drafts with general manager Ozzie Newsome adhering to the philosophy of building the roster from the inside out. If there was a year for that streak to end, this would be it. The Ravens are loaded with veterans along the defensive line. Along with cornerback, the defensive line is probably the position where the team has the most depth. The Ravens could use an interior pass rusher, but those players are tough to find after the first round and the Ravens just have far bigger needs. Possibly on Ravens’ radar: Da’Shawn Hand (Alabama), Maurice Hurst (Michigan), Da’Ron Payne (Alabama), Harrison Phillips (Stanford) Outlook: At his annual offseason news conference, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti jokingly predicted that his team wouldn’t be taking a defensive tackle in the first round, given his team’s myriad offensive needs. It also was a nod to what the Ravens already have at the position. The Ravens are two or three deep at every spot along the defensive line. The Ravens have Williams and Pierce at the two tackle spots with Davis and Henry behind them. Urban is the likely starter at the five-technique spot with Kaufusi and Wormley potentially backing him up. The Ravens have done a great job developing defensive linemen, so they like to add one or two to the mix every year. However, they’ve also shown the ability to find quality undrafted defensive linemen. They’ll likely add at least one defensive lineman, but that move figures to be made either late on day three of the draft or in the undrafted free-agent period that follows. Some mock drafts have connected the Ravens with Payne, who is a nice prospect. However, it would be a tough sell to use a precious early-round pick on one of your deepest positions.