Joe Serpico evaluates how the Ravens did in the 2024 NFL Draft and looks at the team’s class of undrafted free agents.
2024 Ravens Draft Class
Round 1, Pick 30: Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson
Round 2, Pick 62: Roger Rosengarten, OT, Washington
Round 3, Pick 93: Adisa Isaac, EDGE, Penn State
Round 4, Pick 113: Devontez Walker, WR, North Carolina
Round 4, Pick 130: T.J. Tampa, CB, Iowa State
Round 5, Pick 165: Rasheen Ali, RB, Marshall
Round 6, Pick 218: Devin Leary, QB, Kentucky
Round 7, Pick 228: Nick Samac, C, Michigan State
Round 7, Pick 250: Sanoussi Kane, S, Purdue
Reported Undrafted Free-Agent Signings
Beau Brade, S, Maryland
Chris Collier, RB, Lock Haven
Corey Bullock, OL, Maryland
Darrian Dalcourt, OL, Alabama
Dayton Wade, WR, Ole Miss
Isaiah Washington, WR, Rutgers
DeAngelo Hardy, WR, North Carolina Central
Ja’Mion Franklin, DL, Duke
Joe Evans, DL, Iowa
Tramel Walthour, DL, Georgia
Jordan Toles, S, Morgan State
Emory Jones, QB, Florida
Ryan Cooper Jr., DB, Oregon State
Tayvion Robinson, WR, Kentucky
Darrell Simpson, OL, Tulsa
Yvandy Rigby, LB, Temple
Deion Jennings, LB, Rutgers
Riley Sharp, TE, Oregon State
Mike Rigerman, TE, Findley
Randen Plattner, LS, Kansas State
My Thoughts On Each Pick:
Round 1, Pick 30: Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson — His small frame (6-1, 173 at the Combine) doesn’t scare me. He’s a perfect fit schematically and will be the No. 1 cornerback by next season.
Round 2, Pick 62: Roger Rosengarten, OT, Washington — Plug-and-play starter at right tackle they desperately needed.
Round 3, Pick 93: Adisa Isaac, EDGE, Penn State — Stop the Odafe Oweh comparisons. Isaac had 7.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss in his final collegiate season. That’s more than Oweh had in three seasons at Penn State.
Round 4, Pick 113: Devontez Walker, WR, North Carolina — The big-body receiver to complement Zay Flowers. If he can clean up the drops, could be a steal in the fourth round.
Round 4, Pick 130: T.J. Tampa, CB, Iowa State — Best player available who could spell doom for fellow fourth-round picks Jalyn Armour-Davis and Pepe Williams.
Round 5, Pick 165: Raheem Ali, RB, Marshall — Doesn’t have home-run speed like Keaton Mitchell but a solid third-down running back who can catch passes.
Round 6, Pick 218: Devin Leary, QB, Kentucky — Rarely am I puzzled by a Ravens pick. They must see something I do not because he did not impress in his final collegiate season.
Round 7, Pick 228: Nick Samac, C, Michigan State — Experienced center who will provide depth behind Tyler Linderbaum.
Round 7, Pick 250: Sanoussi Kane, S, Purdue — Downhill safety who will contribute on special teams early in his career.
What The Ravens Could Have Done Differently:
Trade up for an offensive lineman in the first round.
Eric DeCosta said himself that Baltimore is not a team that moves up, but that’s what was needed to land one of the top offensive tackles in this draft. Tyler Guyton, my last tackle with a first-round grade, went one pick earlier to the Cowboys. Seeing Amarius Mims and Troy Fautanu, two of my favorites in this class, go to division rivals makes it sting more. I am a huge fan of Nate Wiggins and think he is going to be the next superstar corner the Ravens land in the first round, but landing an elite tackle was more pressing.
Address the offensive line more aggressively.
This ties into the previous rant about how important it was for the Ravens to fix the offensive line. I like that Rosengarten was the blindside protector for Michael Penix and did not give up a sack in two seasons. Rosengarten should slide in at right tackle and be a staple there for years to come. What I do not like is waiting until the seventh round to add another offensive lineman. I was very high on Andrew Vorhees last year, but we have not seen him on a NFL field yet. Relying on Vorhees, Ben Cleveland or Daniel Faalele to fill one spot was fine, but having to fill both guard positions with existing internal options is not what many wanted to see.
Add more depth along defensive line.
Justin Madubuike is the anchor along the defensive line, but I would have liked to see some young talent added. Michael Pierce and Brent Urban are on the back end of their careers, and Travis Jones and Broderick Washington are OK players on the line. Adding another piece to the rotation would have been ideal.
Go a different direction at quarterback late in the draft.
I am still trying to make sense of this pick. Josh Johnson and Malik Cunningham have the same skill set as Lamar Jackson. Jordan Travis and Joe Milton were two late-round options who made sense schematically. Devin Leary does not fit that mold whatsoever. Leary played a ton in college, but he is no threat to run and his numbers got worse as his career went on. After throwing for 3,433 yards and 35 touchdowns with just five interceptions and a completion percentage of 65.7 percent in 2021, his numbers dropped to 2,746 yards and 25 touchdowns with 12 interceptions and a 56.3 completion percentage in 2023. Players are supposed to get better as they age.
Find a backup safety earlier.
Sanoussi Kane was not on many radars entering the draft process, but the Ravens are hoping to strike gold once again like they did with Geno Stone, another seventh-round safety. Kane is a special teams guy, but what’s the plan if Kyle Hamilton or Marcus Williams gets injured? T.J. Tampa was a value they could not pass up on so I get the pick, but unless he or Brandon Stephens is the backup plan at safety, the Ravens do not really have one. I was also a little sour that Maryland’s Beau Brade, who many thought would go in the fifth or sixth rounds, went undrafted. Fortunately, Brade did sign as an undrafted free agent.
Overall Grade: B
I am a fan of the first five picks, but they lost me with the Leary pick and beyond. Nate Wiggins can be eased into action, similar to Marlon Humphrey in his first season, before becoming the No. 1 in the future. Wiggins can absolutely fly to keep up with speedy receivers. If he excels early, it could push Humphrey inside to the slot. Humphrey’s contract should keep him around for the next two years, but Wiggins is the heir apparent to the veteran.
Rosengarten is a solid value pick. I have no complaints there, but not drafting another offensive lineman until the seventh round makes little sense with only two starters back. It forces Rosengarten to have to play right away and there are still questions at both guard spots. I would have liked the Ravens to take a flier on Mekhi Becton, who signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles after the draft. He is flawed, but he is still just 25 years old. Some kind of free-agent acquisition must happen before entering training camp unless the Ravens really feel strongly about Andrew Vorhees. The offensive line is still the biggest concern entering the new season.
Tez Walker might be my favorite pick in this class. Many felt he could be a first-round pick if he decided to stay in college for another season. He needs some coaching and will have to clean up the mistakes, but the physicality he will bring to the offense complements the rest of the receiving corps. He does not have to be forced into action early with Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor on the roster. Look for Walker to be a red-zone threat early on as well.
Baltimore is known for finding undrafted gems, and Beau Brade has to be the favorite of the undrafted free agents to make the roster. I am still in disbelief he was not drafted, but he has a chance to make an impact for his hometown team. It will be a competition between Brade and Kane for the backup safety spot. Some others who might be able to sneak on the roster are Riley Sharp, Tayvion Robinson and Yvandy Rigby.
It wasn’t a perfect weekend for the Ravens, but still a solid one with potential for more free agents to be added. Wiggins, one of my favorite prospects in this draft, falling to No. 30 was a dream scenario for Baltimore. Rosengarten, Isaac, Walker, Tampa and Ali all filled needs and should see action this season. If Leary and Samar get significant playing time, the Ravens are in deep trouble.
What did you think of this draft?
Photo Credits: Courtesy of Clemson, Washington, Penn State, UNC and Iowa State Athletics