Baltimore Ravens draft picks – Page 5

What does Jake Ryan’s addition mean for the Ravens’ 2020 NFL draft plans

With Jake Ryan coming to the Baltimore Ravens on a one-year deal, does it change what the Ravens are going to do in the 2020 NFL Draft?

The Baltimore Ravens bolstered their thinnest position group with the addition of inside linebacker Jake Ryan, who agreed to terms on a one-year contract pending a physical. With the 2020 NFL Draft coming up in less than a week, the biggest question with any new signing is how it will impact the Ravens’ draft plans. For Ryan, that’s a little bit of a complicated situation.

When healthy, Ryan is a starting-quality linebacker. In fact, he did that in 27 games over three seasons for the Green Bay Packers. But injuries have kept him from the field for all but one snap over the last two seasons, with the Packers and Jacksonville Jaguars respectively. While there’s certainly hope Ryan has recovered from the knee injury that put him on injured reserve in 2018 and the hamstring injury that ended his 2019 season, betting on that seems like a shaky proposition.

However, Baltimore just needed more experienced depth. Prior to Ryan’s signing, the Ravens had just three inside linebackers under contract and only L.J. Fort has started even just one NFL game. Only Fort and Chris Board have gotten any defensive snaps. With two linebacker spots to fill on base defense, that very limited depth and production simply wasn’t going to cut it for a Baltimore defense that has a long and proud history of linebacker play.

While Ryan’s addition certainly helps that depth, it likely isn’t a huge impact on the Ravens’ draft plans. They’re still likely going to use at least one of their nine picks at the position in the 2020 NFL Draft. However, they might not necessarily be forced into taking one of the linebackers — Patrick Queen and Kenneth Murray — who have frequently been mocked to them in the first round.

As director of college scouting Joe Hortiz noted in the pre-draft press conference, there are a bunch of linebackers that can be found later in the draft to fill specific roles. If Baltimore wants to split the position group into linebackers who can cover and ones who are stout against the run, they might be able to wait until Day 2 or 3 of the draft to find their other piece of the puzzle to combine with Ryan, Board and Fort.

As with everything the Ravens tend to do in the offseason, Ryan’s addition is about giving them more flexibility. They can let their draft board come to them without having to feel like they need to reach to fill a need with an early pick. It’s a strategy that has worked out quite well for Baltimore over the years, so it’s hard to disagree with it.

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History points to Ravens staying still in 1st round of 2020 NFL Draft

The Baltimore Ravens haven’t pulled off many trades in the first round and that points to them sitting still at No. 28 in the 2020 NFL Draft

With nine picks in the 2020 NFL Draft, including seven in the first four rounds, the Baltimore Ravens have plenty of ammunition to move around in the first round if they wish. The question on most minds is if they’ll actually do it. History says it won’t happen but that doesn’t stop the idea from reaching a fevered pitch among fans.

It’s exciting to think of the possibilities, like Baltimore trading up for Alabama wide receiver Jerry Jeudy or getting Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons if he falls a little bit. Of course, given the Ravens’ typical desire to accumulate as many picks as possible, moving back is also an option. But using Baltimore’s draft history as an indicator of the future, the Ravens are far more likely to just sit still at No. 28 than anything else.

Take a look at each of the first-round trades in Ravens draft history and who they’ve picked.

Ravens’ first-round trades:

2018 – Traded back from No. 16 to Bills for No. 22

2018– Traded back from No. 22 to Titans for No. 25 and picked Hayden Hurst

2018 – Traded into 1st round (No. 32) with Eagles and picked Lamar Jackson

2010 – Traded back from No. 25 with Broncos, out of 1st round entirely

2009 – Traded up from No. 26 to No. 23 with Patriots and picked Michael Oher

2008 – Traded back from No. 8 to Jaguars for No. 26

2008 – Traded up from No. 26 to No. 18 with Texans and picked Joe Flacco

2006 – Traded up from No. 13 to No. 12 with Browns and picked Haloti Ngata

2003 – Traded into 1st round (No. 19) with Patriots and picked Kyle Boller

2000 – Traded up from No. 15 to No. 10 with Broncos and picked Travis Taylor

The Ravens have pulled off first-round trades in just seven of their 24 NFL Drafts (29.17%). In total, Baltimore has made 10 separate trades involving the first round over that timeframe, including three in the 2018 NFL Draft and two in 2008. Of those 10 trades, four involved the Ravens moving back while six involved moving up or trading back into the first round for a specific player they wanted.

This breakdown actually defies the belief Baltimore typically moves back in the first round. However, with three of the Ravens’ trades up involving quarterbacks, it paints a pretty clear picture of what Baltimore values enough to warrant packaging valuable picks for a player.

Though not all of their trades up have panned out, half have, with three players (Jackson, Flacco and Ngata) earning at least one Pro Bowl nomination in their careers with the Ravens. That fits with general manager Eric DeCosta saying it would take an “elite” player for him to consider trading up in the 2020 NFL Draft.

In a historically great wide receiver draft class, there might not be enough incentive to warrant trading up for a receiver and it might be difficult to find trade partners to move back as well. Top pass rushers and offensive linemen are a little rarer in this draft and could be viable targets for a trade-up but they’re two of Baltimore’s biggest needs right now. Of course, quarterbacks are always a prime trade-up target but with all four teams behind the Ravens having their franchise passers in place, it seems likely that a quarterback a team has their eyes on will drop into the second round.

The NFL Draft is always a fluid situation that is near impossible to predict. With teams trading ahead of Baltimore and players either going too early or falling, things can change in an instant. But when looking over the Ravens’ draft history, I wouldn’t get my hopes up for a move in either direction in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

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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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Todd McShay changes it up for Ravens in 2-round mock draft

Draft analyst Todd McShay gives the Baltimore Ravens an interesting pick in the first round to shake things up in the 2020 NFL Draft.

As we get nearer to the 2020 NFL Draft, mock drafts are becoming a bit predictable for the Baltimore Ravens. With the Ravens having done nothing to address inside linebacker this offseason and few good options remaining, most mock drafts have sent Patrick Queen or Kenneth Murray Baltimore’s way in the first round.

ESPN’s Todd McShay noted that in his two-round mock draft, giving the Ravens TCU defensive tackle Ross Blacklock at No. 28 instead.

We’ve all been handing either Queen or Murray to Baltimore in this spot, and if either were available, one would still be the pick. But with no inside linebackers on the board within range, I’m instead turning my attention to the defensive front. Trading for Calais Campbell and bringing Matthew Judon back on the franchise tag do wonders for the edge rush, and new signee Derek Wolfe helps the interior a bit, but Blacklock’s quick hands and burst fit what the Ravens want up the middle.

It’s an interesting decision to have Baltimore draft a defensive lineman after they brought in Calais Campbell and Derek Wolfe while re-signing Jihad Ward and Justin Ellis this offseason too. Right now, the Ravens’ defensive line might be one of their deepest position groups.

There’s a case to be made for Baltimore still drafting defensive linemen this year since half of their depth chart is only under contract for the 2020 season and the rest are only signed through 2021. But it’s hard to see them doing it in the first round with so many more pressing needs remaining. While the Ravens have certainly stuck to the BPA model, Blacklock seems like a stretch at the end of the first round anyway considering Luke Easterling of Draft Wire ranks him the 11th best interior defensive lineman in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos, wide receiver Tee Higgins, cornerback A.J. Terrell, center Cesar Ruiz, and running back D’Andre Swift were all still on the board when the Ravens picked and all look to be better options for Baltimore given their most pressing needs. But the Ravens have proven before they’ll take the player they love if he’s the highest rated on their board.

Click on the next page to see who McShay gave the Ravens with their two second-round picks in the 2020 NFL Draft.

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Ravens find value filling needs in Draft Wire’s 4-round mock draft

In Draft Wire’s latest mock draft, the Ravens fill their biggest needs and get solid value in the middle rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft

We’re past the first big wave of NFL free agency for 2020. Big trades have been pulled off, signings have been made and the league has announced the compensatory picks for the 2020 NFL Draft. All that’s left now is what will happen on draft day.

With all the comp picks in place and free agency changing major needs for most teams, Luke Easterling of Draft Wire put together a four-round mock draft. Easterling has the Ravens filling their major needs and getting some solid value along the way.

Here’s who he has the Ravens taking with those seven picks in the 2020 NFL Draft.

1st round (No. 28): RB Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin

While I still don’t buy that the Ravens will grab a running back this early, Easterling’s reasoning is pretty sound for grabbing Taylor here. For one, Taylor is a much better player than his late first-round draft status would indicate, making him a solid value. Secondly, it does fill one of Baltimore’s eventual needs with Mark Ingram now over 30 years old and Edwards on a one-year ERFA deal.

With bigger needs for the Ravens at wide receiver, linebacker and pass rusher still remaining, Baltimore might be better going after guys like Yetur Gross-Matos, Justin Jefferson or Patrick Queen, who were all still on the board at No. 28.

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With Josh Bynes, Patrick Onwuasor signing elsewhere emphasis is put on the 2020 NFL Draft for Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens have a huge hole in the middle of their defense at inside linebacker and now both of their free agents are gone.

One of the Baltimore Ravens’ biggest needs remaining is at inside linebacker. While they’ve shored up their defensive line, which should help outside linebacker Matthew Judon get better matchups, Baltimore doesn’t even have enough inside linebackers on the roster to go into the regular season.

The Ravens had shown some interest in both of their free-agent inside linebackers — Josh Bynes and Patrick Onwuasor — during free agency. With how Baltimore was re-signing their own players this offseason, it seemed as though a reunion was forthcoming with at least one of them. However, Onwuasor is signing a one-year deal with the New York Jets while Bynes is signing with the Cincinnati Bengals, taking both familiar options off the table. Now with only lesser or older options still remaining in free agency, the Ravens might be forced to remedy the problem in the early rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Mock drafts have frequently given Baltimore Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray or LSU’s Patrick Queen in the first round, filling a need with a quality player. But there are no guarantees when it comes to the draft — either in a player falling or in any prospect being good.

If there’s a run on wide receivers, pass rushers and quarterbacks, the Ravens might see either Queen or Murray fall into their laps. But just as easily, both could be off the board which would force Baltimore to either hope they can get one of the second-tier linebackers in a later round or reach for one of them there. While the second wave of free agency following the draft could still net them a starter-quality player at inside linebacker, it’s something the Ravens rarely leave to chance.

This hypothetical is exactly why the Ravens like to address as many of their needs as possible ahead of the draft. Instead of drafting the players they like most, Baltimore is now eyeing up the possibility of having to adjust their entire draft to find a starter at a key position.

Mel Kiper mock draft 3.0: Ravens solidifying their defense with next star LB

The Baltimore Ravens are finally finding their answer to the departure of C.J. Mosley in Mel Kiper’s third mock of the 2020 NFL Draft.

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With the first week of free agency down and most teams having addressed their top needs with the top free agents, all attention now shifts to the 2020 NFL Draft. It’s there that NFL teams will be able to further fill their immediate needs as well as build for the future.

Though the Baltimore Ravens have been aggressive at the start of free agency, they still have a load of needs they need to fill before Week 1 of the regular season. While they’ll undoubtedly use the second wave of free agency following the draft to find low-cost additions to bolster their roster, it’s the first few rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft where Baltimore can find real stars.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper has put together his third mock draft of the season, using the first week of free agency to readdress every first-round pick to see what changed. However, like his last two mock drafts, Kiper has the Ravens selecting LSU linebacker Patrick Queen at No. 28.

“The Ravens didn’t really address the inside linebacker position in free agency, which means I don’t see a reason to change from my first two mock drafts. Queen fills a direct void as a replacement for C.J. Mosley, who Baltimore lost in free agency a year ago.”

As I noted in my list of team needs, there’s a solid case to be made that inside linebacker might actually be Baltimore’s most pressing issue right now. Though things could certainly change before draft day, the Ravens need at least one other legitimate starter if they plan on having L.J. Fort man the weak-side spot. Even with another player added to the mix, Baltimore could use even more depth at inside linebacker on top of that.

In Queen, the Ravens find their unquestioned starter. He’s a fast, agile and hard-hitting linebacker that’s capable of doing anything defensive coordinator Don Martindale would ask of him. With the team revamping their defensive line, Queen can come down and scrape to make tackles in the run game. He can drop back into coverage. Queen can be sent on blitzes to generate quarterback pressure. In all, Queen looks to be the type of true three-down linebacker Baltimore absolutely needs.

Kiper also noted that he had interior offensive lineman Cesar Ruiz as an option for the Ravens in the first round too.

“I also considered center/guard Cesar Ruiz, who could take over for the retired Marshal Yanda at guard.”

That wouldn’t be a bad investment either, though Baltimore likely feels good about letting Ben Powers have the first crack at the starting job right now. However, if the Ravens love what they’ve seen from Ruiz and believe he could be Yanda’s immediate heir, solidifying their offensive line would be a wise, albeit less exciting, selection.

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Ravens get big-play prospects in 2-round mock draft after start of legal tampering period

With the NFL’s tampering period starting yesterday, the football world went nuts. Players have agreed to deals that will see them on different teams and a bevy of big trades have been pulled off. Among that group has been the Baltimore Ravens, who …

The Ravens have beefed up their defensive line by pulling off a trade for Calais Campbell and agreeing to a deal with Michael Brockers. Tight end Hayden Hurst is now gone but with his departure comes a bunch of changes to Baltimore’s picks in the 2020 NFL Draft.

So what better time to take a look forward at the draft and what might have changed with the first day of the legal tampering period finished. Are any new players on the board for the Ravens this time around and have their needs dramatically changed enough to see them go in a different direction? Only one way to find out and that’s to run a simulation.

As usual, I used The Draft Network’s mock draft simulator with the predictive board. To get the most out of Baltimore’s wild first day, I went with a two-round mock, which will give us three players that should make an immediate impact on the Ravens’ roster. Let’s see who I picked.

1st round (No. 28) EDGE Zack Baun, Wisconsin

After packing on the pounds on the defensive line and hopefully fixing their run-defense woes, adding another outside linebacker just makes too much sense. I’m assuming the Ravens are keeping Matthew Judon after franchise tagging him, but finding someone opposite him would be a wise decision even if they’re able to sign him to a long-term extension this offseason. With the addition of Campbell and Brockers, another potent outside pass rusher would really help free up Judon more and could see Baltimore’s defense do a brilliant job at moving and collapsing the pocket on quarterbacks next season.

There were a bunch of options for me to choose from with A.J. Epenesa, Yetur Gross-Matos, Baun and Terrell Lewis all sitting there. If I could, I would have tried to move down to the last pick in the first round to still get one of these guys but also get an extra pick out of it. But in this case, I went with Baun.

While many people find themselves in love with one of these pass rushers and will surely hate my pick accordingly, I like the versatility Baun brings to the table for the Ravens given what they’ve done already. He can be a stand-up outside linebacker or play on the line with his hand in the dirt if needed. He’s smart and is a solid tackler, which will help in early downs while being quick and agile, which will help as a speed rusher on the outside. Baun “plays like a Raven,” which accounts for far more than some people think when it comes to who Baltimore brings on board.

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Ravens earn 2 compensatory picks in 2020 NFL Draft

The Baltimore Ravens lost a wealth of talent last offseason and only get a third- and fourth-round compensatory picks in the 2020 NFL Draft

We now have the full 2020 NFL Draft order after the league announced the list of compensatory picks handed out. The Baltimore Ravens continued their tradition of gaming the system to get extra draft picks, earning third- and fourth-round selections in this year’s draft.

Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Ravens will gain the No. 106 (No. 42 in the third round) and the No. 143 (No. 37 in the fourth round) overall picks in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Though the Ravens earned two additional selections in the 2020 NFL Draft, it’s hard to see Baltimore as winners here.

The Ravens lost a lot of upper-end talent last offseason, seeing C.J. Mosley, Za’Darius Smith, Terrell Suggs and John Brown all leave in free agency. Both Mosley and Smith signed massive deals Baltimore simply couldn’t come close to matching, leaving huge holes on their defense that had to ultimately be filled with mid-season free-agent additions. Even though the Ravens finished with a 14-2 record, the lack of consistency at inside linebacker and any pass rush plagued the defense all season long.

Signing safety Earl Thomas and running back Mark Ingram canceled out two of their four losses on the compensatory pick formula. But there was hope Baltimore would still be in the running for at least one third-round selection to recoup from the massive losses of Smith and Mosley. However, Mosley missed all but two games last season with a groin injury, sending him to injured reserve in December.

It will be interesting to see if Baltimore changes its philosophy on compensatory picks after such a rough offseason. General manager Eric DeCosta has a tough decision with outside linebacker Matthew Judon, much like he had last offseason. After getting burned on comp picks, it could push DeCosta and the Ravens to trade Judon for a guaranteed pick if they feel they won’t be able to re-sign him instead of trying to match his value on the free-agent market. Of course, the franchise tag is also in play this offseason for Judon, which might give Baltimore enough leverage to re-sign him instead of letting it play out on the open market or through a trade.

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Todd McShay mock draft 3.0: Post-combine mock has Ravens still taking ILB

After the 2020 NFL Combine, ESPN’s Todd McShay has the Baltimore Ravens taking LSU linebacker Patrick Queen to replace C.J. Mosley.

The 2020 NFL Combine has finished, which means a new wave of mock drafts are incoming. ESPN’s Todd McShay has one of those — his third of this offseason. In his last mock draft, McShay handed the Baltimore Ravens an inside linebacker to replace C.J. Mosley, who left in free agency last offseason. This time around, McShay is still mocking Baltimore an inside linebacker but a different name.

In his third mock draft, McShay has the Ravens taking LSU linebacker Patrick Queen at No. 28.

Either Queen or Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray make sense for the Ravens here, but I give the slight edge to Queen at the moment. He has 4.50 speed and posted 85 tackles, including 12.5 for loss, last season with the national champion Tigers. A playmaking linebacker in the middle of the defense could take the unit to a whole other level in 2020 — Baltimore never really replaced C.J. Mosley in that role. Josh Bynes and Patrick Onwuasor are both free agents, so landing Queen at No. 28 would be a perfect marriage of talent, value and need for a Baltimore team that will again be contending for the Super Bowl.

Inside linebacker is one of Baltimore’s biggest glaring needs. There was hope Patrick Onwuasor was going to be able to step up into the role but it only took a few weeks before he lost his communication helmet and his starting job to midseason free-agent acquisitions.

The Ravens also need to find help at pass rusher, even if they’re able to retain outside linebacker Matthew Judon. However, names we’ve seen mocked to Baltimore in the past were already gone. Penn State’s Yetur Gross-Matos, Iowa’s A.J. Epenesa and LSU’s K’Lavon Chaisson had already been selected, leaving Alabama’s Terrell Lewis, Boise State’s Curtis Weaver and Notre Dame’s Julian Okwara as potential second-round options.

Wide receiver is another position many fans are excited about. But in McShay’s mock draft, six wide receivers were taken before Baltimore got on the clock, including some pretty big reaches. It would make more sense in that case for the Ravens to sit tight and grab someone in the second or third round rather than waste a first-round pick by taking a second-round player.

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