Baltimore Ravens draft picks – Page 6

Mel Kiper mock draft 2.0: Ravens continue history at LB

The Baltimore Ravens finally find C.J. Mosley’s replacement in the 2020 NFL Draft, Mel Kiper has them selecting LSU Patrick Queen at No. 28

The Baltimore Ravens come into the offseason with not a ton of huge needs. While the needs that exist are big ones, the Ravens are coming off a 14-2 season with a young roster that has a ton of talent, so they aren’t in rebuild mode in the 2020 NFL Draft. The potential exists that Baltimore will see a top player fall right into their laps at one of their major needs. According to ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper, that’s exactly what happened.

In Kiper’s second mock draft, he has the Ravens selecting LSU linebacker Patrick Queen in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

“I love the fit with Queen in Baltimore, which lost C.J. Mosley in free agency last offseason and could replace him a year later with a sideline-to-sideline run-and-hit inside linebacker. This is one of the NFL’s best rosters — look no further than the Ravens putting 12 players in the Pro Bowl — so it’s tough to find a position outside of middle linebacker that could see a rookie come in and start on day one. Keep an eye on a possible trade-down situation here with teams trying to trade into Round 1 to get their guy.”

As Kiper said, Queen would be a great fit for the Ravens and one that fits in their history at the position. He’s got the speed to handle this era’s style of play that will see him often running around in coverage while being a big thumper when asked to come down and hit a running back.

Over the last two seasons at LSU, Queen has 125 total tackles, 17 tackles for a loss, four sacks, one fumble recovery, one interception and two passes defended. Kiper has Queen as the second-best inside linebacker in this draft class behind Kenneth Murray, who he had mocked at No. 19 to the Las Vegas Raiders.

While Queen would make a ton of sense for the Ravens at No. 28, they have bigger needs at pass rusher if they can’t re-sign Matthew Judon and potentially inside offensive lineman if Marshal Yanda retires this offseason. Penn State EDGE Yetur Gross-Matos and guard Cesar Ruiz were still available on Kiper’s mock draft, which could be potential options for Baltimore as well.

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6 possible surprise picks for the Ravens in the 1st round of the 2020 NFL Draft

The Baltimore Ravens trust their draft board over direct needs which could see them grab a surprise in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft

With the NFL offseason comes mock drafts and speculation about which prospects every team will take. There will be debate and arguments all the way up to the cards being run up to the podium and announced officially. But with the Baltimore Ravens’ needs well established, we have a pretty good idea of which prospects aren’t on their radar for the 2020 NFL Draft.

Or do we?

In reality, no prospects will be ruled out entirely. While we can hone in on a handful of players the Ravens will likely be coveting in the first round, there are always some that shouldn’t be completely dismissed, even if they’d be surprising picks.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at six surprising but plausible prospects Baltimore could pick at No. 28 in the 2020 NFL Draft.

S Grant Delpit, LSU

The Ravens have a handful of key needs to fill this offseason and safety isn’t one of them. After signing Earl Thomas last offseason and handing Chuck Clark a three-year contract extension this offseason, Baltimore is as set at safety as any team in the league.

But just as I did in a recent mock draft, if Delpit is available at No. 28, the Ravens are going to have to give it some serious thought. Thomas could be cut as early as next offseason and getting younger and cheaper there would benefit the team greatly right as they’re trying to re-sign big-name players like Ronnie Stanley, Lamar Jackson and Marlon Humphrey.

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Ravens mock draft: Triple-dipping at OLB in our latest 4-round mock draft

In our latest four-round mock draft, we have the Baltimore Ravens grabbing three OLB and the best safety in the 2020 NFL Draft

As the Baltimore Ravens’ needs continue to change with every move in the offseason, we’ve been keeping a keen eye on the 2020 NFL Draft. A free-agent signing or a roster cut will alter what the Ravens do come April and the draft. With the latest round of moves that included cutting safety Tony Jefferson, I took another stab at a comprehensive mock draft for Baltimore.

I used the Draft Network’s mock draft simulator with their predictive big board. In this mock draft, I simply followed my own draft board and picked the best player still available, as long as it makes any real sense. That ultimately meant picking prospects that didn’t necessarily fill an immediate need but also not reaching for a prospect that would have either. It’s the mentality we often see the Ravens utilize come draft day, so it’s hopefully a little more accurate than solely going after needs with each pick.

We kick things off with a surprise in the first round.

1st round (No. 28) – S Xavier McKinney, Alabama

I got the best safety in this draft class. While not an immediate need thanks to Baltimore having both Earl Thomas and Chuck Clark under contract, it’s the type of move we’ve seen the Ravens make before when drafting players like cornerback Marlon Humphrey.

McKinney is a great all-around safety. He’s an absolute thumper when coming down to make the tackle but with textbook technique so guys don’t typically get out of his grasp. McKinney also has a decent amount of range and can play a more typical centerfield, free-safety type role.

Most other mock drafts have McKinney going in the top-20 picks pretty easily with some having him as a top-10 option. I think McKinney would start on a good number of teams in the NFL from Week 1 of his rookie season but letting him sit and learn behind Clark and Thomas would be a huge win for both him and the Ravens. It’s a move that could really pay off in 2021, allowing Baltimore to part ways with Thomas and gain $6 million on the salary cap, according to Over The Cap.

It might not be the dominant pass rusher Ravens fans were hoping for here but without either trading up or reaching for a player with a second-round grade, the board just didn’t fall that way.

No. 28 / No. 60 / No. 92 / No. 119 / No. 124

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Draft Wire’s 4-round mock gifts Ravens some unique offensive talents

The Baltimore Ravens stack their offense in Draft Wire’s latest four-round mock of the 2020 NFL draft.

The 2019 NFL season is over as well as the Senior Bowl. That means the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine is the next chance for prospects to help or hurt their draft stock. With the combine next week, this is a final opportunity to run a mock of the 2020 NFL Draft with just what prospects put on tape and not the hype that surrounds any outlier measurements or individual drills.

Luke Easterling of Draft Wire did exactly that, creating a four-round mock draft that gives his predictions on how things will shake out. As is usual with all mock drafts at this point, this doesn’t include any compensatory picks (since they haven’t been announced yet) or trades. But it’ll give you a great idea at some players Baltimore could be quite interested in in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Let’s kick this mock draft off with Baltimore’s first pick, at No. 28:

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

“Mark Ingram’s absence was painfully obvious in Baltimore’s playoff meltdown, and the Ravens would do well to seek a young back who can do all things he brings to the table. Taylor is a complete runner who has the vision, patience, power and explosiveness to be a dangerous weapon in the league’s top rushing attack.”

We’ve already talked at length about Taylor in Easterling’s previous mock draft, so I’ll keep it short here. Running back isn’t a terrible idea at some point in this draft simply as more depth and an eventual replacement for Ingram. But getting one in the first round doesn’t really make a ton of sense considering the Ravens have two guys they feel comfortable with starting and a third running back they took last year in Justice Hill. Finding roster space for a fourth running back would be just too much.

Instead, Georgia offensive lineman Solomon Kindley (No. 29), TCU wide receiver Jalen Reagor (No. 30), LSU linebacker Patrick Queen (No. 33), LSU wide receiver (No. 34), Alabama outside linebacker Terrell Lewis (No. 36) or Wisconsin offensive lineman Tyler Biadasz (No. 37) would all make better sense in the first round of this mock draft for Baltimore.

The rest of the Ravens’ selections are better fits, so click on the next pages to see who Easterling mocks to Baltimore in the second, third and fourth rounds.

No. 28 / No. 60 / No. 92 / No. 119 / No. 124

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Ravens expected to have 2 compensatory picks in 2020 NFL Draft

The Baltimore Ravens lost key players last offseason but might have been hurt by the compensatory pick formula they’ve utilized so much

The Baltimore Ravens saw a good number of high-profile players leave the organization in free agency last offseason. Outside linebackers Za’Darius Smith and C.J. Mosley signed huge deals with other teams while the Ravens also lost legend Terrell Suggs, wide receiver John Brown. Baltimore seemed to be willing to let those guys go, both because they couldn’t reasonably match the offers handed out and because they’d get rewarded with compensatory picks.

According to Over The Cap, the Ravens will indeed get some comp picks in return, but maybe not at the levels they had been hoping. Thanks to the NFL’s compensatory-pick formula, Baltimore is set to get two fourth-round picks back.

The Ravens signed running back Mark Ingram and safety Earl Thomas in free agency, helping to negate the loss of Smith and Suggs in the formula. And with both Mosley missing games due to injury, it lowered his value from what many expected to be a third-round comp pick to the fourth round.

If Over The Cap’s valuations hold true, it’ll be a big blow to Baltimore in the 2020 NFL draft. The Ravens have loved to game the comp-pick system in previous years, factoring it into decisions on a player’s value to them. But in the case of Smith, Mosley and Suggs, Baltimore could have really used their presence in 2019 as they went on a 14-2 tear but failed to win in the postseason. Both inside and outside linebacker was a point of frustration for the Ravens, with injuries and poor play plaguing the team, forcing them to find free-agent help in the middle of the season.

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NFL mock draft: Ravens balance their passing attack with a No. 1 WR

The Ravens balance the inside speed and agility they have at wide receiver with big Clemson WR Tee Higgins in my latest 2020 NFL mock draft

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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All-hands Ravens Wire mock draft: Everyone grabs defense in 1st round

The writers here at Ravens Wire all took a stab at picking for the Baltimore Ravens in the 2020 NFL draft, grabbing impact defensive players

The 2020 NFL draft is still a few months away but with the Baltimore Ravens already in their offseason, everyone is looking forward. That means scouting the prospects and seeing who might be available when the Ravens are on the clock.

I asked the writers here at Ravens Wire to all run a simulation of the first round of the 2020 NFL draft. While we got a few different answers, it was clear everyone was on board with grabbing impact defensive players in the first round.

Take a look at who everyone took with the No. 28 pick in the 2020 NFL draft and why.

Matthew Stevens: LB Kenneth Murray, Oklahoma

First and foremost, I’m not turning down an Oklahoma guy that fits a need given Baltimore’s new predilection towards those players under general manager Eric DeCosta. While a pass rusher is the biggest need by far, I believe Murray can be a three-down inside linebacker and the replacement for C.J. Mosley.

After getting gashed on the ground by the Tennessee Titans in the playoffs, it was clear how much Baltimore missed having a sure-thing at linebacker. After limping through the season with Patrick Onwuasor, Chris Board and Josh Bynes; and with serious question marks at the position entering this offseason, it was a no brainer to fill the spot with an immediate starter in Murray.

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Where the Ravens will pick in the 2020 NFL draft

Where do the Baltimore Ravens pick in the 2020 NFL draft? We’ve got you covered with the Ravens’ first-round selection.

The Baltimore Ravens’ season ended prematurely, losing to the Tennessee Titans in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. While they fell short of their goal of Super Bowl LIV, it’s time for the front office to move forward and begin preparations for next season. That will mean knowing exactly where they stand in the 2020 NFL draft.

According to Draft Wire, the Ravens hold the No. 28 pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

With a young roster and plenty of cap space expected for next season, Baltimore will likely head into the 2020 NFL draft with very few pressing needs. As we’ve seen previously, the Ravens love being able to draft the best player on their board rather than having to fill specific roster holes. It’s a strategy that has paid huge dividends for them in the past, with guys like cornerback Marlon Humphrey and quarterback Lamar Jackson being able to sit early in their careers before shining when they were ready.

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