Jeff Zrebiec’s Ravens Draft Preview Looks at Sleeper and Wild Card Options, and More
As we depend down the ultimate hours to the beginning of the NFL Draft tomorrow evening, The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec tried to “join the dots” as to how issues might play out for the Ravens with the Thirtieth-overall choose within the first spherical and subsequent choices.
Here are some excerpts from Zrebiec’s evaluation:
Most possible situation within the first spherical
“Oklahoma offensive lineman Tyler Guyton and/or Georgia offensive lineman Amarius Mims and Arizona offensive lineman Jordan Morgan shall be out there to fill the staff’s plug-and-play deal with wants, and so will at least considered one of Iowa’s Cooper DeJean, Clemson’s Nate Wiggins or Alabama’s Kool-Aid McKinstry at cornerback. There will even be edge rush and vast receiver choices. General Manager Eric DeCosta can have trade-back alternatives, too, and he’ll weigh how a lot he loves the highest remaining participant on his board with how a lot the Ravens covet extra prime draft capital.”
A sleeper choice who ought to be mentioned extra
“Missouri’s Darius Robinson performs like a Raven. He’s huge (6-foot-5, 285 kilos), sturdy and bodily — and evaluators rave about his character. Robinson, who had 8 1/2 sacks and 14 tackles for loss final yr, affords versatility with the power to play on the sting and bump inside in sure packages. The Ravens watched him star at the Senior Bowl and introduced him to Baltimore for a pre-draft go to. The Ravens have larger wants than their defensive entrance, however including versatile and disruptive gamers is all the time on the thoughts of the staff’s decision-makers.”
Wild-card choice at No. 30
“Duke’s Graham Barton. He was a second-team All-American left deal with for the Blue Devils, however he is anticipated to play heart within the NFL. The Ravens do not want a middle with Tyler Linderbaum on the roster. They do, nonetheless, want a proper deal with and starting-caliber guards. Barton is greater than able to enjoying these positions.”
A Day 2 participant who appears like a typical Ravens choose
“Miami security Kamren Kinchens does not have elite pace or athleticism, however he is all the time across the ball. He had 11 interceptions and 22 move breakups over his last two school seasons. An instinctive and rangy security with good ball expertise, touted management capacity and sturdy particular groups expertise seems like a super mid-round Ravens add.”
One query that might form what the Ravens do late Thursday and Friday
“How a lot do the Ravens imagine in Rashod Bateman and their present vast receiver corps? DeCosta and Head Coach John Harbaugh have talked up Bateman, a 2021 first-round choose, all offseason. DeCosta has downplayed the necessity at vast receiver. In free company, the Ravens acted like a staff content material with the trio of Zay Flowers, Bateman and Nelson Agholor, and permitting youthful move catchers to fill in behind them. But that is an particularly sturdy receiver class. Despite utilizing extra draft capital on the place than any staff since 2019, the Ravens once more have a necessity.
“There are 4 receivers thought-about first-round locks, and then the second spherical ought to spur a run at vast receiver that continues by way of Day 2. If the Ravens are largely content material with what they’ve at the place, they’ll present somewhat endurance and get a man they like late within the third spherical or early within the fourth. If not, they could should earmark their second-round choose for a move catcher.”
DeJean Would Be ‘Phenomenal Fit’ for Ravens
Boston College senior soccer analyst and former NFL defensive again Will Blackmon likened DeJean to All-Pro security Kyle Hamilton due to his versatility, which sparked Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer to say that Baltimore can be a super touchdown spot for the Iowa cornerback.
“Phenomenal match for a Baltimore-style protection, and that is why I believe he is in play for the Ravens at 30, and might go as excessive as sixteenth to Seattle,” Breer wrote on X.
Breer was responding to a publish from Blackmon, who wrote: “Maybe Cooper DeJean needs to play nook to show a degree. However, placing Cooper DeJean at nook can be a waste of his abilities and instincts. Put him in a hybrid function the place he can transfer round and make performs. Ex: Kyle Hamilton.”
Our personal Clifton Brown mentioned that DeJean might make it to No. 30 as a result of groups that view him as extra of a security could not covet him as a lot.
“His likelihood to change into an affect participant could hinge on the system he joins,” Brown wrote. “Teams cautious of transferring DeJean across the secondary to reap the benefits of his instincts could move on him.”
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah mocked DeJean to the Ravens final month, noting that “Baltimore has a knack for watching robust, sensible and versatile gamers fall into its lap. We see it occur as soon as once more with DeJean.”
Ravens Named Potential Landing Spot for One of Draft’s Best-Kept Secrets
Washington State cornerback Chau Smith-Wade hasn’t obtained practically as a lot consideration as DeJean, however Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine mentioned Smith is among the draft’s best-kept secrets and techniques and named the Ravens as a possible match.
“Smith-Wade is seen as a fifth-round choose and the 168th total participant on the consensus huge board from NFL Mock Draft Database,” Ballentine wrote. “That stands in stark distinction from B/R scout Cory Giddings’ view on him. He’s ranked seventy fifth total on our huge board. He’s a kind of prospects who does not draw a ton of consideration however might carve out a protracted profession as a worthwhile NFL starter.”
Ballentine famous that Smith-Wade performed nearly solely on the skin at Washington State, however he would possible play within the slot within the NFL and is ranked as the highest slot cornerback on Bleacher Report’s huge board.
