By Joe Platania, Press Box Staff

David Pittman is facing several challenges.

The Ravens' third-round draft pick (87th overall) will be asked to fill the team's sometime-troublesome nickel back position, covering many of the NFL's fastest receivers as they come streaking out of the slot or wideout positions.

"Nickel is a huge, huge priority for any team," defensive coordinator Rex Ryan said. "It used to be that if you had two corners, you were set, but now, everybody's playing with three- and four-wides.

"If you don't have a nickelback, you can't line up and play defense, as we found out in Cincinnati last year when we had injuries (to Ed Reed and Chris McAlister)."

The Ravens took David Pittman with the 87th overall pick. (Photo Courtesy of Northwestern State)

At 5-foot-11 and 182 pounds, Pittman's size is not seen as being that of the prototypical, modern-day coverage ace. But he certainly had enough speed to run a 4.4 40-yard dash, star in his conference's track meet as a sprinter and member of several relay teams and post a 36-inch vertical leap and 10'8" broad jump.

"A prototype is basically what people want it to be," Pittman said. "It really doesn't decide what the person can do as far as making plays."

Perhaps most striking of all is the fact Pittman attended Northwestern (La.) State, a Division I-AA school. Pittman was the only defensive back from that competitive level to get a Senior Bowl invitation, where he was easily spotted by scouts from all 32 NFL teams.

Conventional wisdom usually states that to play at football's top level, it helps if a draft pick has played against the NCAA's best as well.

For the most part, the Ravens have stuck to that philosophy; their often-stellar drafts have featured players from the biggest and best-known Bowl Championship Series schools.

The team's love affair with Oklahoma and Miami products is well-known, but they have also hit paydirt with players from UCLA, Arizona, Tennessee, Florida, Florida State and Maryland.

The Ravens' secondary has served as a microcosm of this philosophy, with Miami's Reed, Arizona's McAlister and Miami's Duane Starks.

But that didn't stop the team from ultimately deciding that Pittman's credentials were more relevant than his opposition.

"I think he's been tested," Ryan said. "He can't help who he goes against. Did he cover them? Absolutely."

Pittman covered the honor board as well, taking pre- and post-season Division I-AA All-America honors and making the All-Southland Conference first team in both his junior and senior seasons.

With six pass breakups and an interception return for a score in 2002, teams obviously figured out it would be a mistake to throw in the quick-footed Pittman's direction, so his career totals of 11 interceptions and three touchdowns may sound low.

However, Northwestern's base 4-2-5 defense meant that Pittman was working in what amounted to a nickel package most of the time, a perfect prelude for the role he will be asked to fill in Baltimore.

"Athletically, it doesn't matter where you went to school," Ryan said. "Obviously, it's going to be a huge step up for anybody. It doesn't matter. I know he's going to get some outstanding coaching here."

That would include 11-year NFL veteran and three-time Pro Bowl selectee Mark Carrier, hired this year to be the Ravens' new secondary coach.
 
"He's a very nice young man, very coachable," Carrier said. "He's got good character, you can see him looking at you to learn. He knows where he's at, he knows what he wants to do and he wants to be better.

"The Ravens' defense has that lore. People know it as a high-level, highly-respected group.

If you take a guy out of Northwestern Louisiana and suddenly he's the nickel back for the Baltimore Ravens, he's expected to do the job."

Armed with the team's faith, Pittman knows he can meet all of the challenges.

"I don't have to prove anything anymore," he believes. "I know my role, and that's to run the system they've designed for me."

Issue 1.6: June 1, 2006