BALTIMORE (Map, News) - The Ravens need a quarterback, a cornerback and a left tackle more than anything else. And if history is an indication of how wisely they will augment their roster in this weekend’s NFL Draft, it’s hard to envision them leaving a stain on their strong track record.

As you try to figure out what the Ravens will do with their No. 8 pick — grab a gift known as quarterback Matt Ryan, select Boise State offensive tackle Ryan Clady to replace soon-to-be-retired Jonathan Ogden, or take a stab at one of several promising cornerbacks — remember this.

It all comes down to how the Ravens’ board is arranged. It all comes down to who among the possible choices at No. 8 is sitting highest on the player ratings list the Ravens have compiled after months of exhaustive scouting work.

One thing general manager Ozzie Newsome has established since the team’s first draft in 1996 is consistency. Newsome worships “the board.” He is wedded to the theory that you take the best player available, regardless of how the selection fits the urgency of a need.

In other words, if USC defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis or USC linebacker Keith Rivers is the highest-rated player in the Baltimore war room when the Ravens are on the clock, a Trojan most likely will become a Raven on Saturday.

That approach has failed the Ravens only twice.

In 2000, after trusting their stuff and not getting caught up in his injury history before taking running back Jamal Lewis at No. 5, the Ravens selected wide receiver Travis Taylor at No. 10. Taylor turned out to be a pretty boy with an ugly game.

Then, in an infamous move that appeased former coach Brian Billick in 2003, the Ravens traded up to grab franchise quarterback Kyle Boller at No. 19. Oops. Well, somebody has to be the most damaging first-round pick in team history.

The only way I can see the Ravens moving out of the eighth spot is by trading down, and that’s unlikely. Still, let’s say Ryan is available, after slipping past Atlanta (No. 3), Kansas City (5) and the New York Jets (6). And let’s say the phone starts ringing with the Ravens on the clock, and Carolina wants to move up from No. 13 to get the 6-feet-4 passer from Boston College.

The Panthers could offer a tempting package, say, by including their early, second-round choice. That conceivably could set the Ravens up for a field day by filling three primary needs in the first two rounds. Hey, it’s fun to dream this time of the year.

I think the Ravens should nab Ryan if given the chance. He’s a smart, efficient passer who showed tons of poise in the defensive-minded Atlantic Coast Conference for several years. He didn’t dazzle much of the time. He does not possess a rocket arm. But he made game-changing plays and avoided lots of game-turning mistakes.

That’s what the NFL wants, and it’s what the Ravens need in their endless quest for a quarterback of the future.

Yet, if the Ravens have rated an intriguing player and superb athlete such as Clady above Ryan, it would be tough to argue with the Boise State tackle at No. 8. A good pass protector on the quarterback’s blind side is among the highest commodities. If you’re not convinced, see how much the Ravens miss Ogden in 2008.

The cornerback spot is among the deepest in this year’s draft, which makes you wonder if the Ravens covet Kansas’ Aqib Talib, Troy’s Leodis McKelvin or Tennessee State’s Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie so much they would spend the No. 8 pick on one of them. Probably not.

In the perfect world of this draft “expert,” the Ravens would slide down to No. 13 and add a much-needed cornerback, then do what it takes to get a quarterback such as Joe Flacco, Brian Brohm or Chad Henne in the second round, before adding an excellent left tackle prospect such as Duane Brown (Virginia Tech).

But above all, the Ravens would do well to trust their board.

Gary Lambrecht writes about the NFL, Major League Baseball and college sports. He can be reached at glambrecht@baltimoreexaminer.com.