The NFL Combine has come and gone, the start of the new league year is right around the corner, and the Ravens have already made two huge moves to solidify their defense that had a fair amount of question marks following the 2019 season. Applying the Franchise Tag to OLB Matt Judon was a move that many were expecting the Ravens to make if a long term deal couldn’t be ironed out, but trading a 5th round pick for All-Pro DE Calais Campbell came as a bit of a surprise.

Campbell has been one of the better defensive lineman in the NFL for several years running and Pro Football Focus recently crowned him the “best run defender” in the entire league. He’s not slouch against the pass either, notching 31.5 sacks over the past three seasons. Retaining Judon and adding Campbell gives the Ravens a lot of flexibility in the upcoming draft as the defensive front becomes less of a priority.

There are certainly needs at many different positions, but none of them are truly glaring, and the Ravens who still have 7 picks in the first 4 rounds, will be poised to add considerable talent across the roster. A lot can change between now and the actual draft, but a mock draft is a good way to envision the kinds of players that could be available throughout the draft.

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Round 1, Pick 28: Patrick Queen, LB, LSU:

There a number of different directions the Ravens could go in the first round, but selecting LSU’s Patrick Queen just makes sense. The Ravens struggled to replace C.J. Mosley in 2019, and while they managed to eventually find a platoon that worked well enough, overall LB was weakness for the team. Queen is the ideal LB in the modern NFL. He has the speed and agility to match RBs and TEs in downfield routes while also possessing the instincts needed to knife in and make plays around the line of scrimmage. I have been on the record saying I don’t like spending 1st round picks on ILBs, but I believe Queen could be the final piece to Ravens defensive front that is starting to look like a dominant unit.

Round 2, Pick 60: Brandon Aiyuk, WR, Arizona St:

The Ravens invested heavily in the WR position in the 2019 draft with the selection of Marquise Brown in the first round and Myles Boykin in the third round. Both showed significant potential as rookies, especially Brown, but the Ravens would like to inject more talent into the position to better support MVP QB Lamar Jackson. Aiyuk is a speedster with dynamic ability after the catch and speed to threaten any defense downfield. He is not a polished route runner at this point, but he does possess the quickness and traits to develop in this area. Aiyuk also gives the Ravens an option as a return specialist in both kick returns and punt returns which is a significant area of need for the Ravens.

Round 3, Pick 92: Saahdiq Charles, OL, LSU:

Charles could be off the board at this point, but he’s a prospect with a lot of potential and the Ravens need some help along the offensive line. Charles played LT for the Tigers, but he is a little undersized for the position in the NFL and could potentially move inside and play OG. He possesses impressive athleticism for an offensive lineman and moves well on the field. There is room for improvement with his technique and consistency, but the upside would be well worth a 3rd round selection.

Round 3, Pick 106: Jabari Zuniga, Edge, Florida:

Zuniga had a very impressive combine performance, demonstrating elite level athleticism for an Edge defender with very good size. He’s a bit inconsistent in his get-off, but at times he flashes elite explosiveness and has good hand usage as well. Zuniga is also an active run defender and is very capable of consistently setting the edge.

Round 4, Pick 129: Lamar Jackson, CB, Nebraska:

I feel like the Ravens have to draft him for the name alone, right? We know how awesome one Lamar Jackson is so let’s just double down. All joking aside, Nebraska’s Jackson is an impressive prospect on his own merits. He possesses elite size  and length with excellent ball skills, and projects to be an outside/press-man CB that fits well in the Ravens scheme. He is a little stiff, and can struggle with small/quick WRs, but there is potential here. It looks likely that the Ravens will let Jimmy Smith walk in free agency, and Jackson could be a viable replacement down the line.

Round 4, Pick 134: Khalil Davis, DL, Nebraska:

Back to back Cornhuskers! Davis is a very athletic defensive lineman who split time playing DE and DT at Nebraska. Weighing in at 305 pounds, Davis is clearly best suited to play DT in the NFL and he possesses elite quickness and explosiveness for a player his size. He reminds me a lot of former Ravens DT Willie Henry, who was able to play a significant role as a pass-rush specialist in the Ravens defense. Davis will need to improve his run defense if he wants to be a starter in the NFL, but in sub-packages he could be dynamite next to the newly acquired Calais Campbell.

Round 4, pick 143: Quintez Cephus, WR, Wisconsin:

The Ravens double-dip at WR for the second straight season, taking Quintez Cephus who profiles as a very reliable possession type receiver in the NFL who could play in the slot or out wide. He’s not the most dynamic athlete, but he is quick and knows how to stem his routes. Very good at the catch point. I get serious Anquan Boldin vibes from Cephus, and while that may be a lofty comparison there are a lot of similarities in their games.

Round 7, pick 225: Pete Guerriero, RB, Monmouth:

Guerriero is a former track star who also happened to be a very good RB college, leading the FCS in rushing this past season. He’s a bit on the small size, but is an explosive playmaker who is a big play waiting to happen. Level of competition is certainly a concern for Guerriero, but his speed is legit and the Ravens could use another RB to push Justice Hill on the depth chart. 

Gabe Ferguson
Gabe Ferguson

Ravens Analyst

Gabe is an avid fan of the NFL and Ravens football. He grew up in Westminster, MD, and attended college at Johns Hopkins University majoring in Biology. He earned his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of California, Los Angeles, and now works as a R&D Scientist developing Transplant Diagnostics assays. Gabe has appeared as a guest on 105.7 The Fan.

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