#99

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Some were surprised when the Baltimore Ravens took Utah defensive end Paul Kruger in the second round. But Kruger's game tape and interviews caught the Ravens' eye this offseason, and the team feels he has the potential to be another good rusher in their complicated scheme.


AP Photo/Gail Burton

Paul Kruger is looking forward to working with a veteran defense.
Kruger took some time during minicamp to talk to the AFC North blog about, among other things, moving cross country and playing with future Hall of Famers.
You're a young guy (23) moving from one end of the country to another. How is that transition going?
Paul Kruger: You know it's all been so fast and so abrupt that I really don't have time to feel the effects yet. But I think once I have a couple days to let everything sink in and see the city a little bit, it will be more apparent to me how different the situation is.
Did the Ravens show a lot of interest in you during the pre-draft process?
PK: I was definitely surprised. They didn't bring me out here for a visit. They didn't come to Utah [for a workout]. So, yeah, I was definitely surprised.
What are your thoughts on playing in the Mountain West Conference just several months ago to sharing the same huddle with Pro Bowlers like Ray Lewis and Ed Reed?
PK: It gives me something to aspire to. It's somebody you can learn from. These are great guys. Everybody is real welcoming and real nice. So I think for me it's something to work towards. I'm not walking in like I'm the man or anything. I just want work hard and learn from them as much as I can.
How aware are you of the physicality of the AFC North?
PK: Being on this team in it and of itself is just enough to blow you away. But when you realize you're going to be playing teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and other top-notch teams, you really understand that week to week it's going to be a fight. So I think it's something the coaches are going to keep preparing us for.