The first season for the 2023 NFL rookie class is now in the books.
Using one year of data, CBS Sport’s Chris Trapasso ranked all 32 team’s draft classes.
The Baltimore Ravens landed at No. 17, with first-round wide receiver Zay Flowers listed as the sole Year 1 hit.
“Flowers made noticeable contributions to the Ravens boosted passing attack,” Trapasso wrote. “His 21 missed tackles forced was fourth among all receivers in football in 2023. After his selection in the first round, Baltimore, with an uncharacteristically small class, didn’t get much impact, and a fifth-round pick, cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly, didn’t even make the team out of camp.”
Several players from the 2023 class could be in line for expanded roles this season. Most noticeably, third-round pick Trenton Simpson will likely replace free agent Patrick Queen as an inside linebacker next to Roquan Smith. Simpson flashed his speed and playmaking ability against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the final game of the regular season.
Seventh-round pick Andrew Vorhees could be in line to compete for a starting spot as both right guard Kevin Zeitler and left guard John Simpson are set to hit free agency. Baltimore traded back into the seventh round to select Vorhees after he slid down the board due to a torn ACL he suffered at the combine.
Sixth-round pick Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu could also compete for one of the guard positions, while fourth-round pick Tavius Robinson could be in line for a more significant workload at outside linebacker after notching one sack as a rookie.
