10 prospects for Ravens fans to watch at the 2012 NFL combine

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College: Wisconsin Position: Offensive guard Skinny: His college teammate -- Peter Konz -- is graded by most pundits slightly higher than he is, but there is plenty to like about Zeitler. At 6-4, 315 pounds, Zeitler combines good size with solid mobility and a nice mean streak that teams crave. He's viewed more as an early-to-middle second-round pick, but if the Ravens are dead set on getting a guard, Zeitler may not be a bad consolation prize. However, the Ravens aren't known to reach to fill positional needs early in the draft.

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College: Ohio State Position: Offensive tackle Skinny: Most draft pundits expect that if the Ravens opt to use their first pick on an offensive lineman, it will be either a guard or center to make up for the potential departures of Matt Birk and Ben Grubbs. However, the Ravens obviously place a lot of importance on protecting quarterback Joe Flacco's blindside, and their current left tackle -- Bryant McKinnie -- is 32 years old and has only one year remaining on his contract. Adams, who is 6-8, 320 pounds and has all the tools to be a standout tackle in the league, could be long gone by the time the Ravens pick. But in the unlikelihood he or Stanford tackle Jonathan Martin are still on the board at 29, it will give the team a lot to think about.

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College: North Carolina Position: Outside linebacker Skinny: Brown may not be a good fit for the Ravens because many evaluators project him as a weak-side linebacker in a 4-3 defense, but it was too hard to resist including the Columbia native and former Wilde Lake standout -- who does possess several tools that are attractive to the Ravens. He's not overly big or strong, but Brown has tremendous quickness and athleticism. Those traits allow him to be a strong pursuer in the run game and very good in coverage out of the backfield, an area where Ravens linebackers have struggled. Because Jarret Johnson could leave in free agency and Sergio Kindle has yet to establish himself as a pro, the Ravens will almost certainly look to add a linebacker in the draft. Brown is viewed as a late first-round, early second-round pick, but his athletic attributes could open some eyes at the combine.

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College: Stanford Position: Offensive guard Skinny: In a draft that is loaded with quality interior offensive lineman, DeCastro has emerged as the top-ranked guard on most lists. Even though guards aren't as highly sought after as tackles, DeCastro still appears to be a long shot to last until the Ravens make their first selection. At 6-5, 310 pounds, DeCastro is considered both solid in run and pass blocking, and his athleticism would fit in well with the Ravens' zone-blocking scheme. If All-Pro left guard Ben Grubbs leaves in free agency -- and there is a very good chance of that -- DeCastro could step in and start immediately.

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College: Notre Dame Position: Safety Skinny: The safety position hasn't been mentioned as a priority this offseason, so it would be a surprise if the Ravens went in this direction. Smith is considered the second-best safety in the draft behind Alabama's Mark Barron, who is expected to go in the middle of the first round despite missing the combines after having hernia surgery. The Ravens expect Ed Reed to return for at least one more season, but the reality is that they need to prepare for life without him. They also could lose their top two reserve safeties (Haruki Nakamura and Tom Zbikowski) to free agency. At some point, they'll probably grab a safety in the draft, though Round One might be a little early for that.

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College: Georgia Position: Offensive guard Skinny: The mammoth guard is ranked just behind DeCastro on most draft lists, but there is a chance that he could go even higher in the first round because there are some evaluators that feel that Glenn can move outside and play right tackle. While he may not be as sound as DeCastro with his technique, Glenn is a little bigger and he has very good feet. He's another guy that should start immediately, which may be a necessity with the Ravens, who could lose three (Ben Grubbs, Matt Birk and Andre Gurode) of their top six offensive lineman from last year's team.

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College: Alabama Position: Middle linebacker Skinny: Hightower has some question marks, most coming from a knee injury that sidelined him in 2010. However, he is big (6-4, 260 pounds), strong and experienced, and he also brings great leadership skills. It's expected that he'll be the third inside linebacker off the board, behind Boston College's Luke Kuechly and possibly Arizona State's Vontaze Burfict. The Ravens need to increase their linebacker depth, and you can also bet that general manager Ozzie Newsome, who has extensive ties to the Alabama program, has all the information that he needs to make a good decision on Hightower.

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College: LSU Position: Wide receiver Skinny: The Ravens used second-round (Torrey Smith) and fourth-round (Tandon Doss) picks on receivers in last year's draft, so it would be somewhat surprising if they used a first-rounder this year on another wide-out. However, general manager Ozzie Newsome listed upgrading the team's receiving corps as one of the offseason priorities. It's expected that as many as five receivers could go in the first round, and Randle, who may have been held back at LSU because of inconsistent quarterback play, certainly appears likely to be available late in the first round.

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College: Wisconsin Position: Center / guard Skinny: More and more mock drafts have Konz going to the Ravens at No. 29, and for good reason. The former Badger is a solid and smart center who could start immediately. With Matt Birk possibly retiring and Andre Gurode facing free agency, the only center on the Ravens' roster is Justin Boren, who spent much of this past season on the practice squad. Konz, whose leadership and football intelligence has been widely praised, also could play guard. Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said earlier this month that the team will add another center, and Konz would be a safe -- albeit not sexy -- pick.

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College: Arizona State Position: Middle linebacker Skinny: Few players will be as scrutinized this week as much as Burfict, whose status has taken a beating to the point where there are now significant questions on whether he'll go in the first round. Burfict, who idolizes Ray Lewis and has been linked to the Ravens in several mock drafts, has been plagued by penalties and maturity questions. And beyond those, NFL Network draft guru Mike Mayock has been highly critical of his instincts and says that he runs around blocks and can get dominated at the point of attack. Still, he's big and fast and plays an attacking style that has defined the Ravens' defense. The Ravens, who know they'll have to confront life after Lewis sooner or later, have the type of leadership that will make it easier for team officials to take a chance on a player with some character concerns.