Tag: Daelin Hayes

Watch: Ravens’ 2021 draft class tries to guess ’90s entertainment icons

The Baltimore Ravens have been putting their 2021 draft class to the test. This time, they were tasked with naming ’90s entertainment icons

The Baltimore Ravens have been having fun with their 2021 draft class over the course of the past few weeks. From getting them into the building for the first time all the way to OTAs, each rookie has been getting a feel for the NFL little by little.

One thing that Baltimore’s creative team has done is put out a series of videos of the draft class trying to name things from the ’90s. First, the rookies were tasked with naming items from the ’90s, followed by naming artists from the time period. Now, they were asked to name entertainment icons from what some classify as a long time ago, and they didn’t disappoint with their answers.

It seemed like certain players knew almost everything they were handed, including Daelin Hayes and Ben Cleveland. However, most of the rookie class was able to correctly guess things like “Remember the Titans”, “Friends”, and even “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air”.

Many are familiar with what the Ravens’ rookies can do on the field, but these videos and activities are a good way to get a glimpse into what each of them is like off of it. It seems like Baltimore drafted players who fit their culture and have great personalities, which is something the team values tremendously.

Ravens left off of best edge defender list by Pro Football Focus

The Baltimore Ravens lost a trio of productive edge rushers during the 2021 offseason. They saw none of their edge rushers on a list by PFF

The Baltimore Ravens lost three edge defenders during the 2021 offseason in Matthew Judon, Yannick Ngakoue, and Jihad Ward. While the team did re-sign Tyus Bowser and Pernell McPhee, as well as draft Odafe Oweh and Daelin Hayes, the edge position is somewhat of a question mark heading into the season.

When ranking his top 32 edge defenders entering the 2021 season, Ben Linsey of Pro Football Focus didn’t put any Baltimore players on the list, omitting names like Bowser and Oweh. However, both Ngakoue and Judon were present. Ngakoue was ranked at No. 24, while Judon came in at No. 31. Linsey’s description of Ngakoue’s ranking is as follows.

“Ngakoue should give some new life to the pass rush under first-year defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. He has recorded at least 42 pressures in each of his first five NFL seasons, with pass-rushing grades of 74.5 or higher in each of the past four years. Ngakoue just hasn’t quite gotten back to the dominance he flashed in 2017 as a pass-rusher, nor has he graded above 60.0 in any season against the run.”

Linsey also went into detail about what made him place Judon at No. 31.

“The addition of Judon was just one piece of the puzzle to a revamped front seven in New England this offseason — a transformation that was overshadowed by some of the big moves on offense. Judon is coming off four seasons of steady contribution in Baltimore, grading between 66.0 and 69.2 on at least 600 defensive snaps in every season since 2017.”

While no Ravens edge defenders made Linsey’s list, that doesn’t mean that the team doesn’t have talent at the position. They could even add more, as it’s thought that Baltimore could sign veteran pass rusher Justin Houston. Even though the Ravens will be relying on some unproven players, their talent could shine through and surprise some people in 2021.

Ravens’ free agent pass rushing options beginning to dwindle

The Baltimore Ravens could look to sign a veteran pass rusher in free agency. However, their options are slowly dwindling

The Baltimore Ravens lost a good amount of production from the edge position during the 2021 offseason. The team saw Matthew Judon, Yannick Ngakoue, and Jihad Ward leave in free agency, creating a huge need at pass rusher.

While the Ravens did end up re-signing edge defenders Tyus Bowser and Pernell McPhee, along with draft Odafe Oweh and Daelin Hayes, Baltimore doesn’t have a ton of pass rushing juice from the position right now. Even throwing in third-year edge Jaylon Ferguson doesn’t do much to ease some of the concerns that many have felt about the Ravens’ pass rush heading into the season.

Baltimore has explored outside options to help their ability to get to the quarterback, including visiting with former Colts edge rusher Justin Houston. However, the veteran options are slowly dwindling as players begin to find new homes after the 2021 NFL draft. Former Washington Football Team edge defender Ryan Kerrigan is the latest pass rusher to go off of the board, signing with the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday.

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With Kerrigan now officially off of the market, that leaves the Ravens with only a few veteran pass rusher options remaining, with the biggest names including Houston, Melvin Ingram, and Olivier Vernon. Baltimore could opt to not sign an outside free agent and roll with who they already have, especially if they feel confident that players like Bowser, Ferguson, and Oweh can provide better production than some people anticipate.

When looking at the statistics for the edge defenders that the Ravens currently have on their roster, the combination of Bowser, McPhee, and Ferguson have combined for 52 sacks in 15 seasons between the three. For comparison, Houston has 97.5 sacks in his 10 year career. Oweh and Hayes don’t factor into the equation because they both haven’t played in and NFL game.

Overall, the Ravens have plenty of talent at the edge position. However, despite having players who can set the edge and drop back into coverage, right now it doesn’t seem like the team has any pure pass rushers who can be 10-12 sack players. That’s not to say that the pass rushers currently on Baltimore’s roster can’t develop into a sack artist with increased snaps, but the safer option could be to add a veteran who has proven that they can get to the quarterback consistently.

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.

Daelin Hayes says he grew up as a Ravens fan

The Baltimore Ravens selected Daelin Hayes with the No. 171 overall pick in the 2021 draft. He grew up as a fan of the team

The Baltimore Ravens selected edge defender Daelin Hayes with the 171st overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. For Hayes, not only does he get to join an organization that will help him develop his game, but also the team he grew up rooting for as a kid.

Baltimore will be relying on Hayes to provide them with excellent run-stuffing ability while also being able to develop more as a pass rusher. He’ll look to become the next star on a defense that he grew up watching.

Hayes also revealed that he had his first phone call with the Ravens earlier in draft week, and was hoping that he’d get the chance to talk to them more.

For Hayes, he wasn’t the only Baltimore fan who got drafted on Saturday afternoon. New Pittsburgh Steelers edge defender Quincy Roche told the Pittsburgh media that growing up in Baltimore he was a Ravens fan, but doesn’t want to see purple anymore.

Hayes landed in the right place to get the most out of his skills and abilities. His tape stands out, and he’s a do-it-all defender, something that Baltimore values. Hayes fulfilled his dream of making it to the NFL, but will now get to live that dream out on the team he grew up rooting for.

Documentary about Notre Dame’s 2020 season to air on ACC Network

Set you DVR.

It’s still hard to believe that we just had a season in which Notre Dame was part of a conference. The Irish made it count, qualifying for the ACC Championship Game and then, making the College Football Playoff. Now, you can relive it all in the ACC Network’s new documentary about Notre Dame’s 2020 season.

“Notre Dame Football: A Year in the ACC” will debut on the ACC Network at 8 p.m. EDT on Monday. Among the highlights will be the story of how the Irish joined the ACC for the season, a feature on Daelin Hayes, behind-the-scenes footage from the Irish’s regular-season win over top-ranked Clemson and interviews with key personnel from the season.

While the 2020 season paled in comparison to some of the more memorable seasons in Notre Dame history, it still is one the best to unfold over the past decade. If you have the ACC Network, give it a watch so that you can remember what it was like as it all happened.

Lions mock draft watch: CBS makes questionable moves in 7-round mock

CBS has released their latest 7-round mock draft, but left many holes and questions surrounding the Detroit Lions selections.

Mock drafts are a fun way to get accustomed to players that may have flown under the radar or look at possible scenarios that you may not have thought of, and this one is no different.

CBS’ Josh Edwards constructed his 7-round mock draft on how he visions how the draft could go and the haul and direction the Lions could go heading into the draft.

1st round (9, trade with Denver)- Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama

2nd round (41)- Elijah Moore, WR, Ole Miss

3rd round (72)- Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford

3rd round (101)- Hamsah Nasirildeen, S, Florida State

4th round (112)- Ifeatu Melifonwu, CB, Syracuse

5th round (154)- Daelin Hayes, Edge, Notre Dame

To kick off the draft, the Denver Broncos get aggressive and trade with the Lions to select Justin Fields, but the major problem with this trade is the compensation. As you can see, the mock draft kept with all the Lions’ original picks without any from Denver coming back in the trade this year. It could be future picks, but it’s highly doubtful the Lions don’t receive some compensation from this year.

Either way, Edwards makes a curious move by doubling down on receiver with consecutive picks for the Lions, going with Waddle and Moore, who stylistically are similar players. Selecting these two receivers instantly turns the receiving corps from a weakness to a strength overnight.

If it was one of the picks from Denver, it could be realistic, considering these two receivers are playmakers the Lions desperately need. Not knowing how the compensation went and the limited number of picks in the trade, this is a luxury the Lions can’t afford, especially when Jabril Cox, Landon Dickerson, and Richie Grant still on the board who can instantly upgrade positions of need.

Next, Edwards turns all his focus to the secondary by selecting two cornerbacks and safety, which is also a curious move.

Safety is a big concern for the Lions, and you could do worse than Nasirildeen. He comes with questions concerning his position fit as a safety/linebacker tweener, but he brings athleticism and physicality to bring the hammer down on the ball carrier.

Cornerback is a sneaky need, but like mentioned before, with the limited amount of picks, selecting two cornerbacks feels like overkill considering the amount of quality free agents the Lions could go after. Adebo relies more on his instincts, whereas Melifonwu is a reactive player, but both player’s skill-sets and traits translate best to a press-man/Cover 3 scheme. Like with the Waddle/Moore selection, it feels like they are selecting very similar players.

Hayes is one of those types of players who might be a better pro than a college player with his agility and explosiveness to win off the edges with superb burst. His pass-rushing moves need refinement and has had shoulder issues dating back to high school, but he has the intangibles you can’t teach that allow him to be an effective rusher, either standing up or hands in the ground.

Without knowing what the Lions received from the trade, it’s hard to get a feel for this draft, especially when they kept all the Lions original picks and just essentially moved the Lions down from seven to nine in the mock. Also, the selection of two players in the same position and who are quite similar not just once but twice makes it cloudy as to what direction this mock was heading.

Now the selected players are fine players and could make a solid impact, it just felt like the majority were luxury picks, and resources could’ve been used more wisely than what was executed.

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