Baltimore Beatdown
The latest mock drafts foresee the Ravens prioritizing the reinforcement of their offensive line in the first round
In the latest rounds of mock drafts, analysts foresee the Baltimore Ravens putting an emphasis on fortifying their offensive line as well as addressing the cornerback or edge rusher spot in the first round. The most commonly projected prospects were pair of former Big Ten standouts, one of which protected the blindside of a Heisman Trophy finalist and the other helped propel his team to a national title.
The latest mock drafts pertaining to the Ravens:
NFL.com’s Dan Parr [February 13]
No. 27 — Donovan Jackson, OG, Ohio State
Jackson fits best as a guard — which is an area of need for the Ravens — but he also showed last season that he can hold his own at tackle, which happens to be another area of need for Baltimore. He’ll be plug-and-play on the interior, but might be able to step outside in a pinch.
NFL.com’s Chad Reuter [February 10]
No. 32 — Josh Conerly Jr., OT, Oregon
Baltimore trades down in the first round and finds a bargain. Veterans Ronnie Stanley and Patrick Mekari are due to become free agents, so the team must add a starting left tackle.
No. 59 — Kyle Kennard, EDGE, South Carolina
No. 91 — Jalen Royals, WR, Utah State
No. 96 — Barrett Carter, LB, Clemson
ESPN’s Field Yates [February 11]
No. 27 — Malaki Starks, DB, Georgia
The Ravens’ defense found its way by the end of the season, but the secondary gave up far too many big plays — 58 completions for 20-plus yards this past season, third worst in the NFL. I’m watching the safety spot this offseason — Marcus Williams was benched for much of the season and probably will be released this spring. Starks is versatile, has excellent ball skills and would pair nicely with Kyle Hamilton. He has six career interceptions.
The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner [February 10]
No. 27 — James Pearce Jr., EDGE, Tennessee
This feels very low for a player with Pearce’s twitch, burst and bend off the corner — he recorded more than 100 combined pressures over his two years as a starter at Tennessee, with a 23 percent win rate last season. But he’s just 243 pounds and exactly the type of uber-talented player who’s going to need a specific team fit.
The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec [February 13]
No. 27 — James Pearce Jr., EDGE, Tennessee
The Ravens, who are always going to lean best player available early in the draft, could go in many different directions here. They could bolster their offensive or defensive line. They look at first-round corners every year. However, they clearly need an edge rusher with Kyle Van Noy turning 34 next month. Plus, Van Noy, Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo are all heading into the final...
