In less than a week, some lucky young man will join an esteemed group of first round draft choices made by the Baltimore Ravens. It’s a group that includes one Hall of Famer, Jonathan Ogden, two future Hall of Famers, Ed Reed and Ray Lewis, 10 Pro Bowlers and two Super Bowl MVPs, Lewis and Joe Flacco.

(You can discuss this on the BSL Board here.)

With so many needs, this may be the most unpredictable draft the Ravens have faced in years. When Roger Goodell steps up to the podium, we will probably have no idea what name he is set to announce.

To make sense of what to expect, here is a look at all possibilities, from the most likely to the least.

Most Likely: Marcus Peters

Despite his unfinished game, no player has been linked to the Ravens more than Marcus Peters. ESPN’s Jamison Hensley was talking about the possibility all the way back in February, and the hype train has only rolled harder since then.

Peters has visited the Ravens according to The Baltimore Sun, one of a handful of visits to be considered newsworthy along with Dorial Green-Beckham and Melvin Gordon, both of whom will be found below.

Extending Jimmy Smith makes cornerback less of a need, which has made Peters a somewhat less likely pick. But the Ravens need cornerback depth immediately, and they’ll need a replacement for Lardarius Webb soon. So taking a cornerback early makes sense, even if he won’t start right away. After all, Jimmy Smith didn’t start consistently until his third year.

Though I am unimpressed with Peters technical ability, the Ravens were able to develop Jimmy Smith, who was every bit as raw as Peters is. And don’t worry about Peters’ supposed character concerns. They were all on the field, and the Ravens have not been afraid to take on those types of character risks in the past. They trust their locker room, as well they should.

Altogether, Peters is still the most likely pick.

Likely: Kevin Johnson, Jalen Collins, Jaelen Strong, Maxx Williams

Among the likely candidates are two cornerbacks, Kevin Johnson and Jalen Collins, who were better than Marcus Peters in college. Johnson is a smooth cover corner with incredible quickness and footwork, while Collins is a physical specimen who played Amari Cooper better than anybody. The knock on Collins is that he’s a bit straight-linish, while Johnson is thin at 180 pounds. Both could go before the Ravens pick.

Jaelen Strong had sterling stats in college (1,165 yards, 10 touchdowns) and an awe-inspiring combine. He didn’t always impress against press coverage, but there were times Strong looked like a more athletic Anquan Boldin. That’s high praise.

Finally, Maxx Williams fills the Ravens’ biggest need at tight end, and he could be the best player available as well. Williams is more athletic than his 4.78 40 time indicated, and he has strong hands and a motor that stands out on film. Some have criticized his blocking, but he’s fine in that regard. His effort and instincts make up for middling strength.

Any of these guys would be solid picks, but given the choice among the four, Williams would probably be my choice.

 

Unlikely But Possible: Melvin Gordon, Devin Smith, Phillip Dorsett, Breshad Perriman, a pass rusher, a defensive lineman

In the case of Melvin Gordon and this draft’s pass rushers (Shane Ray, Randy Gregory, Vic Beasley and Bud Dupree), the Ravens would probably love to get one of these guys. That possibility is slim, though, as all of these guys will probably be off the board before the Ravens pick. Any of this group aside from Dupree (who is more of an athlete than a pass rusher at this point) would be a great choice.

As for receivers and defensive lineman, I just don’t see the value there. I like Devin Smith as a first rounder, as fellow BSL Analyst Mike Randall and I discussed here, but I don’t think he would be a better value than most of the guys I have already listed. As for the other guys getting hype at receiver, I’m not impressed. Breshad Perriman has bad hands and runs poor routes… why is he considered a first rounder again? I like Phillip Dorsett in the second round, but like Smith, I don’t think he’s better than the guys I have listed so far. As for the other receivers, they are even more unlikely.

Likewise, the defensive linemen don’t have the same value as some of the guys I’ve listed so far. I don’t see any with huge upside, it isn’t a need and there should be better talents on the board than guys like Jordan Phillips or Eddie Goldman.

 

Pipedream: DeVante Parker

After reflection, I’ve settled on DeVante Parker as the only player worth trading up for from the Ravens’ 26th pick. Sam Monson with Pro Football Focus argued Parker was the second best receiver in this draft, and I agree. Unfortunately, the odds of Parker falling within the Ravens’ trade-up range are slim. Several teams need a receiver before the 15th pick, so Parker will probably go too early. 

If he falls, though, Parker should be the pick. He is the best jump ball receiver in this draft, he ran a full route tree in college and he has a knack for getting open that most bigger receivers lack. If he stays healthy, Parker should be an NFL star, and if the Ravens have a chance to take him, they need to do it.

 

Not going to happen: Dorial Green-Beckham

The NFL is at its core a business. As a business, the Ravens cannot afford to draft a player with Dorial Green-Beckham’s track record. A man who allegedly pushed a woman down a flight of stairs has no place in Steve Bisciotti’s business, which is already under severe scrutiny from fans and the league for the Ray Rice episode.

I think it’s also worth pointing out that Green-Beckham barely ran routes in college and will never have the speed that his supposed pro comparison, Calvin Johnson, has. His talent is over-hyped, but the character concerns are not.

Shawn Brubaker
Shawn Brubaker

Shawn began his writing career with Bleacher Report as a Ravens featured columnist and Breaking News Team writer. He moved on to write for Yahoo! and work on the Ravens Central Radio podcast. Most recently, he was an Editor at the Baltimore Wire. Shawn is a 2013 graduate of the Catholic University of America.

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