The Baltimore Ravens have already begun taking care of their needs this offseason, signing safety Chuck Clark early to a three-year contract extension. The move solidifies the secondary for at least the next two years and eliminates a potential need from their radar.
As each move happens, it’s going to greatly affect how the rest of the offseason plays out for the Ravens. With the secondary now not a concern for a while, Baltimore could choose to turn their attention elsewhere in the 2020 NFL draft, even if a better defensive back is on the board. In my latest mock draft, I took a stab at playing general manager for Baltimore and grabbing the most exciting player I could.
With the No. 28 pick in the 2020 NFL draft, using The Draft Network’s simulator, I chose Clemson wide receiver Tee Higgins.
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While I had a few guys higher up on my draft board — linebacker Kenneth Murray and safety Grant Delpit specifically — I couldn’t pass up pairing Higgins with Marquise Brown and Lamar Jackson.
Where Jackson struggled at times last season was in finding a go-to receiver to move the chains. While tight end Mark Andrews was often that guy earlier in the season, defenses honed in on him by the end of the year and were able to force Jackson to use his legs to try and pick up first downs a little too often. So, heading into this offseason, finding a big-bodied wide receiver with sure hands and solid route running on the outside to balance the Ravens’ speed inside is a priority. And Higgins fits that billing perfectly.
At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Higgins has the size to box out smaller defensive backs and the physicality to handle press coverage. When he’s targeted, he attacks the football and makes impressive catches, including those in traffic and outside his frame. Though he’s not a speed demon, Higgins has enough to go deep and the tracking skills to haul in those passes as well, which will force some defensive backs to give him a little cushion.
When paired with the deep-speed capability and agility of Brown and Willie Snead, Higgins should be able to feast in short and intermediate routes as a possession and red-zone receiver. He’s the type of receiver that is often open even when you think he’s well covered and that’s exactly what Jackson and this Ravens offense need to sustain drives when the run isn’t working.
Though this is an incredibly deep wide receiver class, picking up an immediate starter to strengthen Baltimore’s already top-ranked scoring offense makes them even deadlier. With no sure things at pass rusher or on the interior offensive line, I went with the player who would make the biggest impact the fastest. And with Higgins on the roster, the Ravens might actually be unstoppable offensively.
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