One of the Baltimore Ravens’ biggest needs remaining is at inside linebacker. While they’ve shored up their defensive line, which should help outside linebacker Matthew Judon get better matchups, Baltimore doesn’t even have enough inside linebackers on the roster to go into the regular season.
The Ravens had shown some interest in both of their free-agent inside linebackers — Josh Bynes and Patrick Onwuasor — during free agency. With how Baltimore was re-signing their own players this offseason, it seemed as though a reunion was forthcoming with at least one of them. However, Onwuasor is signing a one-year deal with the New York Jets while Bynes is signing with the Cincinnati Bengals, taking both familiar options off the table. Now with only lesser or older options still remaining in free agency, the Ravens might be forced to remedy the problem in the early rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Mock drafts have frequently given Baltimore Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray or LSU’s Patrick Queen in the first round, filling a need with a quality player. But there are no guarantees when it comes to the draft — either in a player falling or in any prospect being good.
If there’s a run on wide receivers, pass rushers and quarterbacks, the Ravens might see either Queen or Murray fall into their laps. But just as easily, both could be off the board which would force Baltimore to either hope they can get one of the second-tier linebackers in a later round or reach for one of them there. While the second wave of free agency following the draft could still net them a starter-quality player at inside linebacker, it’s something the Ravens rarely leave to chance.
This hypothetical is exactly why the Ravens like to address as many of their needs as possible ahead of the draft. Instead of drafting the players they like most, Baltimore is now eyeing up the possibility of having to adjust their entire draft to find a starter at a key position.