The following is a roundup of national media coverage on the Ravens. Since there's so much draft coverage out there, I'm going to split this into two separate posts so check back later for another installment.

Also, in case you missed them, I put together shorter media roundups for several of the Ravens' draft picks. Click here for those.

Now, on to the links:

ESPN.com's James Walker says the Ravens had to work hard to land Delaware quarterback Joe Flacco, but they made all the right moves:

It's hard to pick a bone with what the Ravens did today. They didn't overreact to try to get Ryan, and didn't panic when he was taken off the board. Instead, they were smart, swift and organized. Much of the team's success could rest on the shoulders of Flacco next season. The Ravens are a veteran-laden team, but based on the production of previous signal-callers, Flacco has as good a chance as any rookie to win a starting quarterback job in 2008. 

ESPN.com's Mel Kiper Jr. gives the Ravens a B+ for the '08 draft:

The Ravens wanted Matt Ryan, but Joe Flacco was the next-best quarterback in this draft. The Ravens made a great deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars that got them three additional picks. They also traded down and still were able to get running back Ray Rice in the second round. The Ravens need to start bringing in young linebackers and Miami's Tavares Gooden had a very good 2007 season. Tom Zbikowski is a good third-round choice, but only if his play resembles what he did in 2006 as opposed to 2007. Oniel Cousins is a versatile offensive lineman and WR Marcus Smith will help on special teams in kick coverage and as a returner. Safety Haruki Nakamura and RB Allen Patrick might have to make this roster by performing on special teams.

SI.com's Peter King says the Ravens offered their first-, second- and fourth-round picks for '08 and a third-rounder in '09 to the Rams for the No. 2 pick, but St. Louis declined. The Ravens would have been making the trade to select Boston College's Matt Ryan. King says the Ravens could have got the deal done had they sweetened the pot, but it didn't happen for two reasons:

One: New offensive coordinator Cam Cameron loves Ryan, but he also likes Flacco and [Chad] Henne, and he thinks Flacco might have the traits and the arm to be special. Two: New coach John Harbaugh wanted picks. He wanted an influx of talent for this first-year coaching staff to coach, and if they had to spend a mint to get Ryan, three or four of those bright prospects -- like second-round back Ray Rice -- would never have been Ravens today.

Last week, King wrote that the Ravens were targeting Chad Henne. He explains what he thinks might have happened:

I think the Ravens' draft, obviously, will ultimately be judged on whether Joe Flacco can play or not. And if you've been reading this site, you know I thought the Ravens' guy was Chad Henne, not Flacco. Someday, maybe I'll get the truth on that one, but I think it came down to the Ravens having an internal debate on whether to pick Henne or Flacco, and the offensive coordinator thought Flacco's upside was significantly better. I think he might struggle. The edge Henne had was that he played quarterback for four years as a starter at a big program, Michigan, and Baltimore is a team that needs a quarterback to play now. How will Flacco be more pro-ready than Henne? He won't be. It'll be an interesting experiment.

ESPN.com's Walker breaks down the draft for AFC North teams and says the Ravens had the most surprising move in the division by trading twice in the first round:

It was a good yet surprising series of moves by the Ravens, who were organized enough to pull it all off. "We had a game plan,'' Ravens director of college scouting Eric DeCosta told reporters in Baltimore. "We thought about this scenario for a long time. Joe was a player that we've had a chance to spend a lot of time around.''

ESPN.com's John Clayton names the Ravens one of his winners:

If you believe in Joe Flacco, the Ravens are winners. If you don't, well, they go in a different category. Steve McNair's retirement blindsided the Ravens, so they had to get a quarterback in the first two rounds. They feverishly tried to trade up for Matt Ryan, but he went to the Atlanta Falcons at No. 3. To get Flacco, the Ravens traded back with Jacksonville from No. 8 and then traded up with Houston to No. 18. Most people thought Henne was the Ravens' No. 2 quarterback option because general manager Ozzie Newsome doesn't draft small-college players (Flacco is only the second small-college player taken by Newsome in the first day of a draft). Flacco has a great arm, and the Ravens are a solid organization. They won't rush him onto the field.

SI.com's Dr. Z offers his take on the Ravens' draft:

They wanted Ryan. Falcons got him. So we'll take our ball and go home, said Ozzie Newsome, and he packed up and pulled out of the pick. And there he was heading for the second round, when hello there, Joe Flacco, the big guy with the laser arm, was still aboard. So at 18 he became a Raven. I don't think Kyle Boller's in trouble -- yet. The kid is still too raw, and wild. And at the draft room in New York a great cheer went up when the Ravens, with their second-round pick, selected Rutgers star halfback Ray Rice, the greatest player to wear the scarlet since the great Paul Robeson.

ESPN.com's Walker says Fabian Washington, who the Ravens acquired via trade from the Oakland Raiders, could improve in Baltimore:

Washington was an athletic former first-round pick in 2005 with blazing speed and will add depth to an aging secondary that includes Chris McAlister (30) and Samari Rolle (31). Washington, 24, struggled in Oakland and has some off-the-field problems he's dealing with as well. A change of scenery could help.

SI.com's Don Banks examines how likely each rookie quarterback is to play in 2008. Here's what he says about Flacco:

The Ravens will play Kyle Boller and/or Troy Smith early because they've said all along this spring that Flacco might need some time to acclimate to the NFL game. But a lot will depend on how comfortable Flacco looks in training camp. If he's solid and smooth in his execution, he's going to get a shot at some point in his rookie season.

Banks says the Ravens have had their eyes on Flacco for quite some time:

Though I bought some of the buzz surrounding Michigan quarterback Chad Henne and the Ravens in recent weeks, I knew that Baltimore has been high on Flacco since late last fall, when the Blue Hen quarterback started elevating himself into first-round consideration. Ravens scouts who saw Flacco play against nearby Towson State and Navy gushed about the kid's potential. New Baltimore offensive coordinator Cam Cameron "loves'' Flacco, a league source said Saturday, and thinks he has a chance to be special in the NFL. With a new head coach, a new offensive coordinator and a new quarterback in Baltimore, the Ravens have the kind of fresh start that's going to generate some positive vibes the remainder of this offseason.

Banks says Notre Dame safety Tom Zbikowski will be a perfect fit in Baltimore:

Notre Dame safety Tom Zbikowski is a tough, hard-hitting player with a name that sounds just as tough and hard-hitting. So it's perfect that he wound up going to Baltimore in the third round, 86th overall. The Ravens defense is as physical as any in the league, and that swagger that they're known for is a big part of their persona. Zbikowski, who is also a boxer in his spare time, is going to fit right in with the mindset in Baltimore.

ESPN.com's Matt Mosley says Flacco has been compared to another AFC North quarterback:

As I've said before, Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome and college scouting director Eric DeCosta see Flacco as a more athletic and accurate version of Derek Anderson. The organization drafted Anderson in the sixth round in 2005, but released him to make room for the great Kordell Stewart.

SI.com's King questions one part of Brian Billick's role during NFL Network's draft coverage:

I did see where the Network had Brian Billick talk about the "art of evaluating quarterbacks.'' Uh, isn't that the reason Billick is not the coach of the Ravens anymore? Because he didn't do a very good job of evaluating quarterbacks?

Michael Lombardi said Flacco is lucky to end up in Baltimore in an SI.com article:

Flacco is one lucky guy. He joins a team dominated by defense and gets an offensive coordinator in Cam Cameron who has a history of developing quarterbacks. Cameron will try and speed up Flacco's game, getting him to make quicker decisions and get the ball out of his hands. The Ravens are already used to winning games with a running game and their defense, so Flacco won't be rushed along.

That's it for this post, but there are plenty more opinions out there. Check back for the rest in the next 24 hours.