Tag: Brandon Stephens

Ravens get entire 2021 rookie class under contract as Brandon Stephens inks rookie deal

Ravens get entire 2021 rookie class under contract as Brandon Stephens inks rookie deal

The Baltimore Ravens had two unsigned members of their 2021 draft class in the days leading up to Baltimore’s rookies reporting to training camp. Now just two days after the first-year players got into the building, the Ravens have their entire draft class signed and ready to go.

After signing offensive lineman Ben Cleveland on Tuesday, the team officially announced on Wednesday that they had inked defensive back Brandon Stephens to his rookie deal.

Stephens originally started out at UCLA as a running back, but after playing on offense for two years, decided to transfer to SMU, where he switched over to defensive back. In his two years playing on the defensive side of the ball, Stephens accumulated 92 total tackles and one interception, playing primarily at cornerback.

The Ravens have said that they view Stephens as a free safety-type player, so he could see time all over the secondary in his first year. It still remains to be seen how much playing time he’ll receive as a rookie, but with his 6-foot-0, 214 pound frame, he offers a lot of upside and potential as an athlete.

Ravens still have two unsigned 2021 draft picks with training camp approaching

Ravens still have two unsigned 2021 draft picks with training camp approaching

The Baltimore Ravens will hold their first full team practice of 2021 training camp on July 28th. With just under one month to go until that day, Baltimore will look to get everything with their roster in order, which will hopefully include signing the remainder of their 2021 draft class.

The Ravens drafted eight players in the 2021 draft, and have signed six of their draft class members so far. The only two rookies who haven’t signed their contracts yet in Baltimore are both third rounders in guard Ben Cleveland and defensive back Brandon Stephens.

Negotiations for third round picks have been over recent years, with the “25 percent rule”, third rounders having no set base salary, and more reasons being sticking points for some players. With contracts sometimes being difficult to work out with third round players, there are usually a few more third round picks that remain unsigned this late in the offseason as opposed to players who were taken in other rounds.

Even with both Cleveland and Stephens still unsigned, there’s no reason to believe that the two won’t agree to terms and be ready to go by the time training camp begins. The Ravens are excited about their two third rounders, and should see them on the field very soon.

Ravens could see immediate contributions from more rookies than usual in 2021

The Baltimore Ravens can value experience when it comes to handing out snaps. However, the 2021 rookies could contribute more than usual

The Baltimore Ravens selected eight players in the 2021 NFL draft. They filled many of their needs while also drafting quality prospects, adding up to a solid overall draft haul for the team.

Despite seemingly having great draft classes most years, something that has been a theme in recent years for Baltimore is the organization not playing many of their rookies unless they were an extremely high draft pick or play well enough to the point where the coaches can’t keep them off of the field.

For example, in 2020 the Ravens got major contributions from first-round pick Patrick Queen and second-round pick J.K. Dobbins, but even for Dobbins, he had to earn his way onto the field as he only had 25 carries through his first six weeks of the season. Other rookies such as Justin Madubuike, Malik Harrison, Devin Duvernay, and James Proche made some impact, but didn’t see the field nearly as much as some would have liked.

Despite Baltimore being a bit inconsistent when it comes to giving rookies playing time, within the Ravens’ 2021 draft class there is the potential to have more first-year contributors than usual. First-round pick Rashod Bateman should see plenty of snaps early as a main pass catching weapon for Lamar Jackson, while fellow first rounder Odafe Oweh will look to replace some of the edge rusher production that Baltimore lost in the offseason.

Other Ravens rookies who could make big impacts during their first year are guard Ben Cleveland, edge rusher Daelin Hayes, and fullback/tight end Ben Mason. All three players will be auditioning for big roles on the team from Day 1, and if they impress over the course of both training camp and the preseason, each could earn a massive amount of snaps.

Players such as defensive back Brandon Stephens, wide receiver Tylan Wallace, and cornerback Shaun Wade all have the talent and the ability to help Baltimore in their first season, but the positions they play are all extremely deep, so it could be hard for them to find playing time early, especially being mid-round draft picks. That’s not to say they won’t contribute during their rookie year, but their paths might be a bit steeper than some of their fellow teammates’.

The Ravens value experience and production at the NFL level when it comes to giving out snaps. That’s not to say they completely neglect rookies or other young players who don’t have as much time playing in the league, but it seems like sometimes Baltimore clearly favors veterans as opposed to younger players. That’s not a bad strategy to have, but in most cases talent is talent, regardless of age. The Ravens’ 2021 draft class has plenty of skill, and there could be more immediate contributions from them as opposed to years prior with different Baltimore draft classes.

Watch: Ravens’ 2021 draft class takes the field in Baltimore for first time at rookie minicamp

The Baltimore Ravens began their 2021 rookie minicamp on Friday. The team posted clips of their rookies on social media going through drills

The Baltimore Ravens were able to secure an extremely solid draft class in 2021, selecting eight talented players. The team is excited about what each prospect can bring to the organization, and will look to develop them into quality contributors.

Rookie minicamp for Baltimore began on Friday, and many first year players were seen taking the field in a Ravens uniform for the first time. Baltimore posted pictures and videos on their social media accounts showing their newest young prospects preparing for their first NFL minicamp.

Baltimore also posted some of their rookies going through drills and getting coached up.

The Ravens’ rookies will look to have a strong remainder of minicamp as they learn the playbook and get their feet under them.

Did the Ravens improve their roster enough during 2021 draft?

The Baltimore Ravens addressed multiple needs during the 2021 NFL draft. However, did they improve their roster enough?

As the Baltimore Ravens watched the 2021 NFL draft wind down, they came away confident that they had put together a great group of rookies who could come in and play quality football at the highest level. A big part of that was not only did they draft quality football players, but they also filled plenty of holes on their roster. However, did they improve their roster enough to be seen as true contenders for a Super Bowl?

In short, the answer is yes. No team is able to fill every single need with a high quality player unless they get extremely lucky with development, drafting, and free agency bargains. With Baltimore, they addressed many of their holes that were issues heading into the draft, and have already shown a willingness to round out their roster with free agents at the needs that they didn’t look at during the draft.

The Ravens took two wide receivers in Rashod Bateman and Tylan Wallace to add more talented weapons for Lamar Jackson. They drafted two edge defenders in Odafe Oweh and Daelin Hayes to try to offset the losses of Matthew Judon, Yannick Ngakoue, and Jihad Ward. They selected a guard to shore up the interior of their offensive line in Ben Cleveland, while also taking a do it all H-back in Ben Mason. The team also made sure to shore up their secondary by taking both Brandon Stephens and Shaun Wade.

That draft haul for Baltimore signifies an effort to put the best possible roster on the field in Week 1 of the 2021 season. However, the Ravens didn’t select an offensive tackle or a defensive lineman, sparking a bit of panic as to how they planned to fill out those positions. While the team hasn’t addressed the defensive line (and honestly doesn’t need to until the 2022 draft), Baltimore signed tackle Alejandro Villanueva, who should slot into the right tackle spot that so desperately needed a starter after the departure of Brown.

The draft is a way to fill holes while also leaving room to improve a roster in the remaining waves of free agency. The Ravens used that strategy to perfection, and still could use another veteran edge rusher to truly have minimal needs remaining to address. While Baltimore didn’t plug up every single hole on their roster during the 2021 draft, they improved their team and added enough talent to keep them in the Super Bowl contenders category.

Watch: Ravens’ rookies react to getting drafted

The Baltimore Ravens selected eight great players in the 2021 draft. Watch the memorable moments that they shared with the organization

The Baltimore Ravens drafted eight players during the 2021 draft that they hope can come in and make immediate contributions while also continuing to grow. Not only did Baltimore think that they can have a positive impact on the field, but off of it as well.

Each player that the Ravens selected shared a special call with members of the organization including general manager Eric DeCosta and head coach John Harbaugh. Those moments were documented in multiple places, and each one is plenty heartwarming.

Here are some of Baltimore’s draft picks finding out that they were members of the Ravens’ organization and their dream of playing in the NFL had come true.

WR Rashod Bateman:

Edge Odafe Oweh:

DB Brandon Stephens:

WR Tylan Wallace:

Edge Daelin Hayes:

Baltimore also released a video of every draft call that they made over the course of the 2021 draft in a 10 minute video that can be watched here.

Ravens announce jersey numbers for 2021 draft class

The Baltimore Ravens selected eight players in the 2021 NFL draft. It was revealed what jersey numbers they’d wear at the pro level

The Baltimore Ravens selected eight players in the 2021 draft. Each of them will be asked to come in and contribute at a high level while also developing their skills.

A big talking point for the newest members of the team was what jersey number each player was going to wear. Rashod Bateman posted a photo on his Instagram of him in a No. 12 jersey, which sparked plenty of conversation. On Wednesday, Baltimore officially announced which numbers the rookies from their draft class would be wearing.

It’s notable that new edge rusher Odafe Oweh will be wearing former Ravens outside linebacker Matthew Judon’s No. 99, while defensive back Brandon Stephens will be donning running back Mark Ingram’s (and cornerback Lardarius Webb’s) old No. 21 jersey. Defensive back Shaun Wade will be wearing No. 29, which was formerly worn by safety Earl Thomas III (and most recently cornerback Tramon Williams).

Baltimore’s 2021 draft class will be expected to play football at an extremely high level moving forward. Now they can look good doing it in their new jerseys.

Ravens select Brandon Stephens with No. 104 overall pick in 2021 NFL draft

The Baltimore Ravens selected Brandon Stephens with the No. 104 pick in the 2021 NFL draft

The Baltimore Ravens held the 104th overall selection in the 2021 NFL draft. With the pick, they took defensive back Brandon Stephens out of SMU.

Stephens was all around the football during his time at SMU, but started his college career as a running back at UCLA. He is a relatively unknown player, but is a high potential player who can make an impact immediately on special teams.

Stephens played cornerback at SMU, but Baltimore could look to move him to safety. He could contribute at a very high level on special teams early on in his career, and with the right coaching and mentorship, he could turn into a very solid NFL contributor.

A CB prospect for the Colts in each round of the 2021 draft

Which CB will the Colts come away with?

The Indianapolis Colts have plenty of positions to address during the 2021 NFL draft, which is now just over a week away. Cornerback is among the top needs on the defensive side of the ball.

Currently sitting with six picks in the draft, it is likely the Colts are going to move back from the No. 21 overall pick. We highlighted some of the trades that could go down if Indy does move back.

The Colts cornerback room isn’t a massive need. But if we’re taking a long-term view at the position, some youth could be targeted in the draft. They re-signed Xavier Rhodes and T.J. Carrie to one-year deals while Marvell Tell is expected to join the group after opting out of the 2020 season.

We already looked at wide receivers, edge rushers and offensive tackles in each round for the Colts.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Colts grab a cornerback they like on Day 2 of the draft, but here’s a look at a prospect in each round for Indy: