Well, Ravens fans, we’re 16 days away from the NFL Draft.
Every year the anticipation builds for so long, yet it seems like teams don’t have enough time to evaluate all the prospects they want. Thankfully for Baltimore, they have a seasoned group of evaluators on the case.
A few days ago, the Ravens agreed to a 1-year deal with wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. Long story short, it’s a risk. He didn’t play at all last year and reportedly was given $15 million guaranteed. However, if it works out and OBJ stays healthy, he can be special—best receiver in the league kind of special.
Of course, the Ravens are banking on the latter. Before going down in the Rams’ Super Bowl win over the Bengals, Beckham was cruising. He was getting what he wanted against a very good Bengals defense. His stat line was “only” two catches for 52 yards, but he scored a touchdown, and perhaps best of all—he was able to get open. Anyone who’s a Ravens fan knows how important it is to have receivers that get open.
The Beckham signing not only helps the wide receiver position, but it allows Eric DeCosta and his team some flexibility on draft night; flexibility they desperately needed with only five picks currently at their disposal.
Every team (except for those with the first and last pick of the draft) always have three options: use their pick, trade up, or trade down. The Ravens were never a serious candidate to trade up. They don’t have a lot of picks to begin with and, as of Tuesday morning, still have yet to lock down their quarterback. The only player I foresee them entertaining a leap up the board for is Alabama EDGE Will Anderson, and that’s quite a long shot as he should be gone by pick no. 3.
Therefore, the only practical options are to stay at pick 22 or trade down. If they stay at pick 22, the Ravens could go with another receiver. That’s certainly still an option, though less so now that Beckham and Nelson Agholor are in the fold. More likely, cornerback and edge defender will be the top priority in Round 1.
Pick 22 options
Cornerback: Joey Porter, Jr. (Penn St.), Deonte Banks (Maryland)
Edge: Lukas Van Ness (Iowa), Nolan Smith (Georgia)
Wide receiver: Jordan Addison (Southern Cal), Quentin Johnston (TCU)
My top 5 overall prospects at this pick are:
Jordan Addison
Joey Porter, Jr.
Deonte Banks
Lukas Van Ness
Quentin Johnston
Best fit: Joey Porter, Jr.
Predicted pick: Jordan Addison
Even before the Beckham move, cornerback was a top priority. Now, it may be the priority. Joey Porter, Jr. and Deonte Banks are two excellent prospects. They play tough, skilled, smart football, and are the rare athletic cornerback that likes to tackle. Both are strong fits in the Ravens defense. The problem is they both may be off the board before pick 22.
As is often the case, the best players to fit the Ravens are the ones who may not “flash” right away. I consider all those players blue chip prospects. They possess very good athleticism, competitive fire, and football IQ. The Ravens are in a good spot at this pick, as they’re virtually guaranteed to get a solid Week 1 starter. The only “downside” to picking here is that they’ll pass up their best chance to acquire additional picks.
The Ravens have the chance to really put the clamps on the rest of the division by coupling Porter with Marlon Humphrey. Marcus Peters may still be in Mike Macdonald’s plans, but that is not known as of yet.
Think about the Seahawks secondary of a decade ago. This is what that pick could do for the Ravens. Problem: Porter’s dad, Joey Sr., played a long time for a team that also needs a top-flight cornerback (the Steelers, who just so happen to be Baltimore’s arch-rival).
As much as a top cornerback would boost the Ravens defense and help mitigate 4th-quarter collapses, wide receiver is still the top need on the team. Drafting Addison, as sure a receiver prospect as there is this year, could be the move that stops the bleeding.
Trade down options:
Cornerback: Julius Brents (Kansas State), Kelee Ringo (Georgia),
Edge defender: Nolan Smith (Georgia), Adetomiwa Adebawore (Northwestern)
Wide receiver: Zay Flowers (Boston College), Jalin Hyatt (Tennessee),
Offensive line: O’Cyrus Torrence (Florida), John Michael Schmitz (Minnesota)
Interior defensive line: Bryan Bresee (Clemson), Mazi Smith (Michigan)
My top 5 overall prospects at this pick are:
Bryan Bresee, Julius Brents, Zay Flowers, O’Cyrus Torrence, Adetomiwa Adebawore
Best fit: Julius Brents
Predicted pick: Julius Brents
As for the more likely scenario, aka Baltimore’s wheelhouse, prepare for them to trade back, potentially out of the first round altogether. Obviously, this is all subject to change as teams you think would be open to a trade may not be in the position then that they’re in now. That said, there are a few teams that could be open to swapping picks with the Ravens: the Saints, the Eagles, and the Chiefs (picks 29-31).
This represents the most-likely scenario for a couple of reasons. First, the Ravens want to stay in the first round as each first round pick carries a potential 5th-year team option. Conversely, staying in the first round wouldn’t cost the other team as much as if they had to move up from the mid-30’s to 22 overall. In other words, it would be a mutually beneficial deal. Another reason the Ravens trading down but staying in the first round is most plausible is because, while trading down yields more picks, at the end of the day they want a premium player which they’d most likely get if they stay in Round 1.
While Bryan Bresee is the best prospect of this group, he plays the same position as that of Travis Jones, Baltimore’s 3rd-round pick a season ago. Drafting him isn’t totally out of the question, but doing so would be hard to justify if these other players are available.
Julius Brents is a player who’s been gaining a lot of momentum since the Senior Bowl. He has near perfect dimensions (6’2”, 198 pounds) to go along with a 41-inch vertical and a RAS (Relative Athletic Score) of 9.82. Using him alongside Brandon Stephens (6’1”, 215 pounds) and Kyle Hamilton (6’4”, 215 pounds) is both an exciting prospect for John Harbaugh and an anxious prospect for opposing offenses.
Drafting Brents would not only solidify Baltimore’s secondary as the best in football, but it would also enable the team to add extra picks and, once again, allow the team to keep Brents on a rookie contract for a 5th year if they choose to do so.
Top 5 overall prospects to be the Ravens first pick
Jordan Addison
Deonte Banks
Bryan Bresee
Julius Brents
Zay Flowers
Considering the talent in the AFC North, the positions Baltimore needs most to combat their opponents is cornerback and edge defender. Based on their own personal needs, positions they’re likely to look at include wide receiver and cornerback.
Regardless of your stance on a particular prospect, you have to admit the Ravens are in a good spot. They have robust nucleus of players on their current roster, they have a solid group of players to choose from with their first pick, and they’re not pigeon-holed into taking any one player of position.
All in all, things are setting up well for Eric DeCosta, Joe Hortiz, and company.
Born in Baltimore, Mike had long been drawn to sports of all kinds. Growing up watching Cal Ripken play ever day gave him a great example for which to attack every endeavor he undertakes.
When the Ravens came to town, though, that’s when Mike found his passion. Since that time, he’s tried to gain every bit of knowledge he could. Now as a high school coach, Mike is able to take his film study and appreciation of the game to a new level.
To engage with Mike on social media, follow him on Twitter @MikeFastNFL.