Baltimore Beatdown
ILB TRENTON SIMPSON (THIRD ROUND, NO. 86 OVERALL)
Barring a Josh Bynes-type veteran signing, not many Ravens will have greater opportunity this year than Simpson, who figures to succeed Patrick Queen and play alongside Pro Bowl linebacker Roquan Smith in the middle of the Ravens’ defense.
When the Ravens drafted Simpson in the third round out of Clemson last year, this appeared to be the road map all along. With Smith signed to a $100 million extension, Queen’s 2024 departure was viewed as a likely repercussion, and indeed, Queen signed with the archrival Pittsburgh Steelers as a free agent. Now Simpson is the next man up.
Simpson played primarily on special teams as a rookie, but in the regular-season finale, when the Ravens opted to rest several starters, he showed off the speed and instincts that initially drew the Ravens to him. Simpson had a sack and finished with 13 tackles.
Year Two progress for Simpson would mean: He slots in seamlessly as the starter, absorbing everything he can from Smith and showing the pursuit and open-field tackling that he flashed in that regular-season finale. He also demonstrates coverage ability that makes new coordinator Zach Orr keep him on the field as a three-down linebacker. Inside linebackers pile up tackles in the Ravens’ system, so if Simpson is healthy and consistent, 90 tackles and 3.5 sacks — Queen’s total last year — are realistic totals.
This year’s class, for instance, is especially rich with potential “X” receivers like Mitchell, who have the size, speed and strength to line up on the line of scrimmage, defeat press coverage and win their one-on-one matchups downfield. Bateman and Flowers both primarily lined up out wide last season, but Bateman did not command targets, and Flowers was often sent in motion before the snap. Beckham was actually the team’s most effective option as an isolated wide receiver, averaging an impressive 2.8 yards per route run in those alignments, according to Sports Info Solutions, far ahead of Flowers (1.8 yards) and Bateman (1.7 yards).
Athletically, the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Mitchell is a rare breed. His 4.34-second 40-yard dash is in the 97th percentile for wide receivers and the 99th percentile for players his size. His broad jump, a measure of lower-body explosiveness, is in the 99th percentile for wide receivers and the 100th percentile for players his size. His vertical jump is in the 92nd percentile for both groups. His 6-foot-5 wingspan is also above average.
Even in an offense starring the lighting-fast Worthy, Mitchell was the Longhorns’ most popular deep threat. He had eight completions on 22 targets of at least 20 air yards last season, both team highs, and he caught 88.9%...
