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.

Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images

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.

2020 NFL draft: Lynn Bowden, Jr. scouting report

Everything NFL draft fans need to know about Kentucky wide receiver prospect Lynn Bowden, Jr.

Lynn Bowden, Jr. | WR | Kentucky

Elevator Pitch

Though he’s known nationally for his work as a dual-threat quarterback, Bowden is a wide receiver at heart, and a good one at that. He’s a dynamic athlete with good fluidity who offers plenty of value after the catch. He may be raw as a route runner, but the intrigue that comes with using him as a gadget player should catch teams’ attention.

Vitals

Height | 5-11

Weight | 204

College Bio Page

Career Stats

Strengths

Bowden is a do-it-all playmaker who can make an impact for an offense in numerous ways.

Prior to transitioning to quarterback due to Kentucky’s lack of healthy talent at the position, Bowden was putting up some good numbers as a receiver. He is an electric player who can make defenders miss in the open field with impressive lateral quickness and very good ball-carrier vision for a wideout. That athleticism translates to some pretty enticing upside, as his raw talent of stopping on a dime and accelerating quickly makes it possible for him to grow as a route runner.

One positive thing that came out of Bowden moving to quarterback – taking on a bigger role as a runner in the process – is that his running style offers value in after-the-catch situations. Not only are his athleticism and his vision good for the position, but he also has a well-proportioned frame and runs with determination and solid power. He has shown some potential in attacking leverage points as a route runner, and he has good physicality and strong hands in tight-window situations coming out of the slot.

Weaknesses

Though his positional change put his name on the map across the country, Bowden missing out on reps as a receiver prevented him from developing a skillset that needs polishing. Despite his athleticism and body control, he doesn’t have great hip-sinking abilities in his cuts and isn’t an incredibly sharp route runner. He hasn’t shown much in the way of hand usage to create separation, either.

Bowden ended up fumbling the ball nine times in 2019, and while that number would go down if he didn’t touch the ball so often like he did in Kentucky’s scheme, ball security is a bit of an issue for him. He also has only one good season as a receiver, so while he played well in the five games he spent at the position, he’s still pretty unproven in that regard.

Projection: Day 3

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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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Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images

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

Belk Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. Kentucky odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Tuesday’s Belk Bowl between the Virginia Tech Hokies and Kentucky Wildcats, with NCAA football betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Virginia Tech Hokies (8-4) and Kentucky Wildcats (7-5) do battle in the Belk Bowl Tuesday, played at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. ET (ESPN). We analyze the Virginia Tech-Kentucky odds and betting lines, while providing college football betting tips and advice on this matchup.

Virginia Tech vs. Kentucky: Three things you need to know

1. The Wildcats will be making their first-ever appearance in the Belk Bowl. They’re looking for a second consecutive bowl victory after upsetting Penn State in the Citrus Bowl last season by a 27-24 count.

2. Kentucky ranks fourth in the country with 274.8 rushing yards per game, while Virginia Tech ranked 27th against the rush defensively, yielding 123.4 yards per outing. That will be where this game is won or lost.

3. The Under is 4-1 in Kentucky’s past five bowl games, while going 6-2 in its past eight neutral-site games. The Over is 6-2-2 in Virginia Tech’s past 10 neutral-site contests.


College football season is almost over! Place your bets on this game, or others, at BetMGM now. Place your bets and win, win, win!


Virginia Tech vs. Kentucky: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Virginia Tech 31, Kentucky 17

Moneyline (ML)

VIRGINIA TECH (-134) was humming along until a loss to Virginia in the regular-season finale. Still, the Hokies are the play here, as Kentucky (+110) is just too one-dimensional. That’s fine against the likes of Vanderbilt or Tennessee-Martin, but it won’t fly against a more seasoned team like the Gobblers.

Against the Spread (ATS)

VIRGINIA TECH (-2.5, -115) is a strong play against Kentucky (+2.5, -106). The Hokies have cashed in five of their past six, and as mentioned, they’re just more balanced. If the Hokies can shut down, or at least limit the likes of Swiss Army Knife Lynn Bowden Jr., who led the team in rushing and receiving yards, they’ll shut down Kentucky and hoist a trophy.

Over/Under (O/U)

OVER 45.5 (-110) is worth a small-unit play, but don’t get crazy. The Over has dominated for the Hokies in neutral-site games, going 6-2-2 in the past 10, and 7-3-1 in their past 11 as a favorite on a neutral field. The Over is 7-3 in Kentucky’s past 10 against winning teams, and 20-7 in its past 27 non-conference tilts, too.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

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