Baltimore Ravens 2020 Draft – Syndication Server

7 top LBs the Ravens could target in the 2020 NFL Draft

If the Ravens want to upgrade their linebacker corps in the NFL Draft, these are some of the top prospects they could have their eye on.

The Baltimore Ravens enter the 2020 NFL Draft with inside linebacker being one of their top needs. With no clearcut starters on the roster and a lack of overall depth at the position, Baltimore is surely going to look to the draft as the remedy. But in a draft that is sneaky deep and at a position that isn’t as valuable as a decade ago, the Ravens could find quality starters all over the place.

In the modern NFL, there are some positions that seem to have been devalued. Think about running back on offense and how what used to be one of the most valuable positions has turned into a weight around the salary cap for several teams. On defense, the same could be said for the linebacker.

Once the captain of the defense, the transition to a more pass-happy league has seen the value of the position take quite a knock. But that doesn’t mean the position is unimportant. Linebacker has long been proudly associated with the Ravens, after the deeds of Ray Lewis and C.J. Mosley. The Ravens recently added Jake Ryan to their linebacking corps but his signing is not likely to affect the team’s draft plans.

If Baltimore chooses to make linebacker a top priority, here are the seven top prospects they could be looking at.

Isaiah Simmons, Clemson

It’s probably something of a misnomer to class Simmons as solely a linebacker. The former Clemson Tiger is one of the more versatile defensive players in the entire draft class after a career in a hybrid safety-linebacker-cornerback role.

Simmons was incredible in 2019, with 107 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, and eight sacks. This was in addition to 13 passes defended and three interceptions. Frankly, the guy was an absolute menace and made offensive coordinators’ lives miserable.

There is a slight issue that his versatility may affect his draft stock, with teams not sure where exactly he should be used in the NFL. But a creative defensive coordinator, and one who values versatility, will hope to get their hands on Simmons and turn him into a dominant playmaker. If that team is the Ravens, they’ll probably have to make a move up in the draft to get him as he’s unlikely to be there at No. 28.

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Best CBs for the Ravens in each round of the 2020 NFL Draft

A cornerback for the Ravens to consider in each round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

The Baltimore Ravens benefitted from great cornerback play in 2019. Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey both earned All-Pro nods and Jimmy Smith came back from a knee injury to bolster the group down the stretch. But this doesn’t mean the team won’t keep looking to improve their secondary, especially with how pass-heavy teams are in this era.

Baltimore needs more depth after declining Brandon Carr’s 2020 option. While the Ravens re-signed Smith, it was on a one-year contract. And when added in with Tavon Young missing all of last season due to a neck injury, the lack of depth behind that great starting group could seriously hurt Baltimore’s goal of a Super Bowl this season.

With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the best cornerback options for the Ravens in each round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

1st Round – Trevon Diggs, Alabama

The Ravens have a long history of selecting players who spent their college careers with the Crimson Tide. They’ve taken 11 players from Alabama in their history, with four players taken between 2017 and 2018, including a first-round pick on Humprey back in 2017. If they want to use their first selection on a corner in 2020, then Diggs could be a possible target.

The younger brother of Bills wide receiver Stefon, Diggs earned Second-Team All-SEC honors in 2019, thanks to his 11 passes defended and three interceptions. Diggs has the prototypical length for the position. He primarily played outside in college, although he did spend some time in the slot. Diggs could also be an asset on special teams, after averaging 9.2 yards per punt return and 23.8 yards on kick-off returns.

Diggs is far from the finished product, but if given the chance to come in and learn his craft rather than being forced to be the alpha from Day 1, he could develop into a solid NFL cornerback.

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John Harbaugh has security concerns with all-digital draft

With the 2020 NFL Draft going all digital this year due to the coronavirus, it’s raised questions about security.

The 2020 NFL Draft will hopefully be the only one done completely digitally. With the coronavirus pandemic having people social distance, the NFL has dictated every team must run their war rooms remotely from their own couches. That means an increase in video teleconferencing software like Zoom, which has taken the world by storm as more people work remotely.

For Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh, he’s a little concerned about the security side of an all-online draft process.

“I’ve got some real concerns about that, and hopefully we’ll be okay,” Harbaugh said at the pre-draft press conference. He added that he’s been in regular contact with the Ravens’ IT staff every time he reads a story about video conferences being hacked.

With the increase in video conferencing software being used, it has meant a rise in stories of security flaws as well. Rae Hodge of CNET has compiled a list of Zoom’s biggest security problems to date, including recordings of calls being left unprotected and viewable online and live meetings being infiltrated by unauthorized users. It’s let to the FBI issuing a warning about Zoom’s security issues.

From Baltimore’s draft board to their playbook, a lot of information is being shared among the team right now and it’s all critically important to the Ravens’ 2020 season. With a growing list of security issues coming to light, it makes sense Harbaugh is concerned.

“I really wouldn’t want the opposing coaches to have our playbook or our draft meetings,” Harbaugh continued. “That would be preferable, if we can stay away from that.”

Though general manager Eric DeCosta said he’s more concerned with someone leaving their draft board in their car, Harbaugh’s concern is being echoed by others as well.

“How do you make sure your conversations are protected? Someone could hack into this Zoom, and you’re probably not going to learn a lot,” Los Angeles Rams COO Kevin Demoff said via Peter King. “Hacking into a team’s draft room on Zoom is probably a lot different. That would be my biggest concern just from an encryption standpoint of how do you have these conversations confidentially.”

With the NFL and all 32 teams in uncharted territory, no one really seems to have a definitive answer for how to keep themselves protected this offseason. It’s a disruptive and turbulent time for everyone right now and all the Ravens can do is march forward the best they can.

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