Jaylon Smith, Laremy Tunsil and Joey Bosa. Those were the three guys I said were worth the No. 6 pick in the 2016 NFL draft. Since that time, Jaylon Smith suffered a severe knee injury, putting his status in doubt for the beginning of next season. That leaves two studs who probably won’t be available when the Ravens draft. After that? There are some talented, but flawed, defensive backs and a deep class without a ton of talent at the top. And fortunately for the Ravens, there is an immense amount of depth at two of their biggest positions of need, receiver and pass rusher. Accordingly, the Ravens’ best move in the draft, assuming Tunsil and Bosa are off the board, would be to trade back and stock up on multiple positions of need.
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The Ravens could fill all three of their biggest needs by trading back and netting an extra late-first or early-second round pick. The key to such a trade back? The quarterbacks, and the numerous quarterback needy teams in the 10-20 range of the NFL draft. Among the possible trade partners are the Los Angeles Rams, who have picks 15, 43 and 45, and the Buffalo Bills, who have 18 and 49. The Ravens, meanwhile, also have the 36th pick in the draft. Imagine what the Ravens could do with the 15th, 36th and 43rd picks in the draft.
Regardless of the trade partner, the goal should be this: Trade that sixth-overall pick for one of the two following scenarios: a mid first this year and a first next year, or a mid first and a high to mid second this year.
A lot of ink has been spilled over the Ravens’ lack of high first round picks in recent years, and how it can excuse some of their failures in the draft. I don’t buy it.
Every year, there are franchise type players picked in the mid to late rounds. The Ravens have failed to find them. Another crack at one of those mid-round picks, though, could have brought Justin Houston (a third-round pick) to Baltimore in 2011. Heck, a Pro Bowl receiver, Allen Robinson, was selected in the second round in 2014, after the Ravens had already selected twice.
Saying the Ravens haven’t had a crack at top talents because of their draft position isn’t just wrong, it’s dangerous, because it excuses last season’s mediocrity. Thus, getting as many high picks as possible, rather than the highest pick possible, is most important for the Ravens.
Rather than focus on previous years’ failures, let’s focus on the damage the Ravens could do in the late-first and early-second round range in this draft. Just take a look at some of the prospects who will likely be available after pick 15:
Wide Receiver: Michael Thomas, Will Fuller, Corey Coleman, Josh Doctson, Tyler Boyd
Pass Rush: Shilique Calhoun, Shaq Lawson, Noah Spence, Jonathan Allen
Defensive Back: Mackensie Alexander, Kendall Fuller, Tre’Davious White, Darian Thompson
Those brief lists just scratch the surface, and netting three of the above guys would be a great haul if Bosa and Tunsil are not options.
Start with Corey Coleman (scouted by Gabe Ferguson here), who is a spitting image for a young Steve Smith with the way he attacks the ball and makes plays after the catch.
Coleman is a threat to go deep or a threat to take a short pass to the house, which is why he had already set the Baylor receiving touchdown record in October. Sure he plays in a goofy offense, but Baylor has produced some quality NFL receivers before (Josh Gordon, Kendall Wright, Terrence Williams) so that argument is moot. The only other argument against Coleman is his height, but as long as he continues to imitate Steve Smith, that won’t be an issue either. Besides, Coleman is excellent at highpointing the ball.
My favorite aspect of Coleman’s game is his ability on comeback routes, a Ravens staple. Coleman can stop on a dime, turning around and snagging the ball before the opposing corner even starts to put on the brakes. Take a look.
Coleman should be on the board for the Ravens’ second round pick, and he would be a great understudy to Steve Smith in the short term while working toward a starting spot in the long term.
On the other side of the ball, Shaq Lawson has the fiery demeanor and well-rounded game of a young Terrell Suggs, and I don’t make that comparison lightly. Lawson is equally adept at defending the run and rushing the passer, giving the Ravens’ the ability to play him every down.
Lawson can also play in a 3-4 defense, as he occasionally dropped into coverage at Clemson and regularly rushed from a two-point stance. Some scouts don’t think Lawson is quick enough off the edge to be an impact player, but I disagree. Observe:
Lawson is plenty quick enough, and his strength and hand usage is almost comparable to Bosa’s.
Lawson and Shilique Calhoun would both be fine picks with a mid first rounder, while the rest of the draft’s many quality edge rushers will be peppered throughout the first two rounds. Noah Spence could be an option in the second round as well, as he fills the Ravens’ desperate need for speed.
After years of trading back and missing on late first and early second round picks, another trade back may not be palatable to Ravens fans. Even so, it’s the right call. There is so much depth at the Ravens’ positions of need, with an extra pick, they would have a chance to do something special this year.
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.