I don’t sense an overwhelming amount of excitement for the NFL Draft in Baltimore.
That makes sense for a number of reasons. The 30th pick isn’t a sexy pick and heck, there’s a chance the Ravens might actually trade out of that spot anyway. Their biggest need is probably offensive line and, with no offense to Jason Kelce, that’s not the sexiest position either. Plus this city is drunk on the Orioles at the moment, so it’s hard for us to be distracted by much of anything else.
It’s a shame because this is still the NFL Draft we’re talking about. It’s a guaranteed Christmas of sorts. Sure, you might not get the Nintendo 64 you asked for and yeah, that would suck because Darren down the street already has one and you guys got into that fight about which one of you was a poser because you both had the same Stussy T-shirt and it’s been kinda weird ever since and you’re not sure if he’s going to invite you over so you were counting on getting your own and being able to invite Dave and Josh over so they wouldn’t end up being better friends with Darren than you but like, you still got a new Nerf gun and an Alonzo Mourning poster and Cinemax still comes through on your TV even if it’s a little scrambled so they’ll still probably want to come over from time to time anyway.
Admittedly, I don’t have a ton of “takes” about this year’s draft for a lot of those reasons. It’s hard to think about who the Ravens “should” take at No. 30 because it’s just so impossible to know who will even be an option for them at that point. I had decided shortly after the season that Washington offensive lineman Troy Fautanu would probably be the best option, but it took all of one Combine workout for it to become clear to me that he wouldn’t be around then.
I haven’t really fallen in love with anyone else who could go at 30. I’d be fine with Oklahoma offensive tackle Tyler Guyton or Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims. If Penn State (and former Maryland) edge rusher Chop Robinson were to somehow slip to that spot, I’d be wildly supportive. I’d even be OK with a cornerback like Iowa’s Cooper DeJean or Alabama’s Kool-Aid McKinstry and while it would surprise me, I wouldn’t be opposed to Texas wide receiver Adonai Mitchell.
But reading through that list reminds me that … I’m also probably OK with them trading back, too. Which is weird for me, because if you’ve read my pre-draft columns most years, I’ve typically found myself saying “you don’t need more fourth-round picks, get the special talent at the top.” And while I still don’t think the Ravens need more fourth-round picks (truly), if they could swap their first and fourth for the Raiders’ second and third to allow Las Vegas to move up and take a quarterback, I don’t know that I would be opposed.
It’s not that I’ve suddenly become a “quantity-over-quality” man (although some would argue that my writing portfolio disagrees). It’s that I think the Ravens have a solid group of core stars who, if healthy, prevent the floor for the team being any worse than “over .500 and fighting for the playoffs.” Given the sheer number of departures this offseason, I do think depth should be a bit more of a priority.
Look, if they can get a player they are confident will be a long-term starter along the offensive line at 30, I think they should do it. But if they believe the caliber of player at 30 is no different than what will be there at, say, 42, I’m listening.
Yes, they probably need at least one offensive lineman. I’ve come around a bit on the idea that this team has drafted Daniel Faalele, Ben Cleveland, Andrew Vorhees and Sala Aumavae-Laulu in recent years and has to believe that at least some of that group can be ready to step up. Still, I think “strength in numbers” might be the best bet for an offensive line in transition. The Ravens rotated a good bit along the line last year and would be well served to have as many options as possible to find the right group.
But they could also desperately use another edge rusher because it’s tough to have supreme confidence in Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo to be productive enough alongside Kyle Van Noy, particularly in a post-Mike Macdonald world. And cornerback depth looks a little rough behind Marlon Humphrey and Brandon Stephens. And yeah, receiver too. Zay Flowers is a known commodity. Rashod Bateman is a talent that has never developed full chemistry with Lamar Jackson. (I’m still in favor of picking up his fifth-year option, for the record.) Nelson Agholor was the best No. 4 receiver in team history. It would be nice if he didn’t need to be more than that.
Those are four fairly significant areas of need. The Ravens currently hold three picks on Nights 1 and 2. I can’t quarrel with the thought of trying to add a fourth pick if the right player isn’t there at 30.
I’m not sure if the Ravens can be as good as they were in 2023. Based on conversations I’ve had with sources inside the organization, I’m not sure they’d even disagree with that sentiment. It feels like their priority is not to win more games but to specifically build a team that will be better should they get back into the postseason. They believe Derrick Henry helps in that regard. We have the right to be skeptical since we don’t believe there was anything wrong with the running backs they abandoned in last year’s AFC championship game. (Speaking of which, the hangover from that bizarre performance is probably still the biggest reason why there’s lesser interest in this year’s draft.)
I believe it’s more than reasonable to expect a team with Henry, Flowers, Lamar Jackson, Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, Tyler Linderbaum, Justin Madubuike, Roquan Smith and Kyle Hamilton to be right back in that mix a year from now. The draft picks do matter even more as the team gets into the bigger cap-number years in Jackson’s contract. Adding depth in those key spots could make a serious difference in their ability to take the next step. The Chiefs are the model. The blueprint is there. You don’t necessarily have to keep finding superstars. But you have to keep finding helpful pieces.
And yeah, you have to make sure you don’t get completely away from everything you do as a football team, too.
Photo Credits: Kenya Allen/PressBox