After a frenetic first round of the draft, in which the Ravens added versatile playmaking safety Kyle Hamilton to their secondary and road-grading center Tyler Linderbaum to the offensive line, general manager Eric DeCosta and his staff would have worked late into the night resetting their draft board to prepare for the draft’s second night, which begins tonight at 7 p.m.
As it stands now, the Ravens have two picks on Day 2, with an additional seven picks — including six in the fourth round — on the draft’s final day. The Ravens are scheduled to pick at No. 45 in the second round, and at No. 76 in the third round, having dealt away their second third-round pick (No. 100) to the Arizona Cardinals in the Marquise Brown trade.
“I don’t want to tip my hand, but I do think there are excellent players available in the next three rounds,” DeCosta said after the draft’s opening round. “One of our goals with this draft was to have as many picks as possible. … I think we’ve stacked an excellent board. Our scouts and coaches have done a great job, and I think we’re primed to do very well in the next couple days.”
Here are five players the Ravens might target on Day Two of the draft:
Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington — The Ravens passed on Washington cornerback Trent McDuffie, a popular first-round mock target who went at No. 21 to the Kansas City Chiefs, but cornerback remains a major position of need and Gordon checks a lot of boxes for the Ravens. He can play outside or in the slot and he isn’t afraid to hit. This past season, Gordon had 46 tackles and led the Huskies with two interceptions and seven passes broken up.
David Ojabo, EDGE, Michigan — One of the draft’s most intriguing players, Ojabo was a first-round lock before tearing his Achilles at Michigan’s pro day in March. He had 11 sacks for the Wolverines last year under new Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, who had that job at Michigan last year. How long will Ojabo be on the board? And can the Ravens, coming off an 8-9 season with a roster facing significant holes, afford to use a high draft pick on a player who will be sidelined most or all of this coming season?
Josh Paschal, EDGE, Kentucky — Paschal was named a second-team All-American after finishing this season with 15.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. The 6-foot-3, 268-pound Paschal is considered strong against the run and can be used as a hybrid edge/defensive lineman, in other words a younger Pernell McPhee. He would also be a great feel-good story: Paschal is a Maryland native who played high school ball at Good Counsel outside Washington, and he underwent surgery after malignant melanoma was diagnosed in 2018.
Nicholas Petit-Frere, T, Ohio State — The 6-foot-5, 316-pounder was a first-team All-Big Ten left tackle at Ohio State. He might not be viewed as a plug-and-play option, but he can develop behind Ronnie Stanley and should get extensive time to further develop in training camp as the Ravens bring Stanley along slowly. Then again, with Linderbaum now in line to be the starting center, the Ravens might look to Patrick Mekari as a potential swing tackle.
Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State — With the trade of Marquise Brown, receiver suddenly becomes a position of need, and the 6-foot-4, 208-pound Watson would give the Ravens some needed size on the outside. Rashod Bateman (6-foot-1) is the only 6-foot receiver left from last year’s 53-man roster. Watson played at FCS powerhouse North Dakota State and had some issues with drops, but he showed well at the Senior Bowl practices, which are highly valued by Ravens scouts. At the NFL Scouting Combine, Watson had the sixth-fastest 40-yard dash time among receivers (4.36) and the longest broad jump (11-4).
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