Final NFL Draft Preview: Part III

Nine days. We are nine days away. 

In a little over a week, we will have finally made it to the 2024 NFL Draft. Shortly thereafter will follow minicamps, the schedule release, franchise tags, and training camp. If we can just get to next Thursday night, we will be in good shape. 

So much of the anticipation of the draft is rooted in the hope that your favorite team could make decisions that catapult it to perennial playoff success. The significance of the draft comes from the very real chance that one player could help your team win a Super Bowl. 

As for the Ravens, they’re one of a select few franchises that are already on the Super Bowl short list, even before the draft begins. Looking back at recent history (the last five years), the average position of the Ravens’ first picks has been 23rd overall. Any spot from 21 and beyond means that you’ve made the playoffs the previous season (except of course if a trade occurred). 

For Eric DeCosta to know he’s routinely operating from a foundation that has playoff-caliber talent is both gratifying and liberating. General managers that have enjoyed such consistent success are all the more able to stick to their preferred plan, as opposed to having to reach and hyper-extend their draft capital to compensate for shortfalls. 

This year, Ravens hold the 30th overall draft choice. Many expect them to select an offensive lineman or a wide receiver, with an edge defender, running back, and cornerback to follow in the middle rounds. By sheer averages, Baltimore could trade at some point during the draft, but there’s no way to accurately predict those. So, for now, let’s take a look at a first round mock draft, followed by a full 7-round mock draft only for the Ravens. 

1. Caleb Williams, QB, USC (Bears) 
2. **TRADE** Drake Maye, QB, UNC (Vikings via Commanders) 
3. Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU (Patriots) 
4. **TRADE** Marvin Harrison, Jr., WR, Ohio State (Chargers via Cardinals) 
5. Malik Nabers, WR, LSU (Cardinals via Chargers) 
6. Rome Odunze, WR, Washington (Giants) 
7. Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame (Titans) 
8. Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama (Falcons) 
9. Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State (Bears) 
10. Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia (Jets) 
11. Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA (Commanders via Vikings) 
12. Bo Nix, QB, Oregon (Broncos) 
13. J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan (Raiders) 
14. Brian Thomas, Jr., WR, LSU (Saints) 
15. Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama (Colts) 
16. Troy Fautanu, OL, Washington (Seahawks) 
17. Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo (Jaguars) 
18. Jer’Zhan Newton, IDL, Illinois (Bengals) 
19. Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State (Rams) 
20. Cooper DeJean, DB, Iowa (Steelers) 
21. Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State (Dolphins) 
22. Jackson Powers-Johnson, C, Oregon (Eagles) 
23. Graham Barton, OL, Duke (Commanders via Vikings) 
24. Byron Murphy II, IDL, Texas (Cowboys) 
25. JC Latham, OT, Alabama (Packers) 
26. Zach Frazier, C, West Virginia (Buccaneers) 
27. Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson (Cardinals) 
28. Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma (Bills) 
29. Mike Sainristil, CB, Michigan (Lions) 
30. Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas (Ravens) 
31. Jordan Morgan, OT, Arizona (49ers) 
32. Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia (Chiefs) 

Quarterbacks will go early and often. We know this. Trades, though, are hard to predict. We don’t know if a team really likes a player or is leaking false information to skew perception for the rest of the teams to increase their chances of getting the guy they really want. If this scenario unfolds, I’d think the winners would be the Chargers, Jets, Colts, Seahawks, Steelers, and the Dolphins. Those teams would get highly-rated prospects at a position of need. 

Another benefit of having a successful season: picking in the bottom half of the first round where top prospects remain because of over-reaching selections by teams in the top half of the first round. 

The more I think about Baltimore’s draft approach, the more I think their first round pick will feel unsatisfying in the moment. When your only selection of the night could very well be an offensive lineman, that feels less exciting than taking a wide receiver or a quarterback. Due to how highlights are shown at scale, we as a public aren’t as familiar with offensive lineman play, and therefore aren’t as excited when our team drafts one—even if they’re a very good player. For the record, if quarterback is the most important position in football, the offensive line is 1A. If I’m a new head coach, the first person I’m looking to hire is an offensive line coach. If your offensive line lacks talent and cohesion, your team as a whole will never get out of first gear. I say all this to underscore how important it is the Ravens to draft an offensive lineman early in this draft, because of how well most other positions are already set up. 

What will the team do in nine days’ time? No one really knows, including the people in Baltimore’s draft room. But as a final piece to this final draft preview series, I give you my best guess for who the newest Ravens will be. 

Round 1, pick 30 overall 

Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas 

Round 2, pick 62 overall 

Kingsley Suamataia, OT, BYU 

Round 3, pick 93 overall 

Jaylen Wright, RB, Tennessee 

Round 4, pick 113 overall 

Kiren Amegadjie, OT, Yale 

Roud 4, pick 130 overall 

Austin Booker, EDGE, Kansas 

Round 5, pick 165 overall 

Dominique Hampton, S, Washington 

Round 6, pick 218 overall 

Josh Wallace, CB, Michigan 

Round 7, pick 228 overall 

Frank Gore, Jr., RB, Southern Mississippi 

Round 7, pick 250 overall 

Davon Ferguson, CB, Bowling Green