The Baltimore Ravens have been active so far in free agency despite a slow start at the beginning of the legal tampering period. In the last 36 hours, General Manager Eric DeCosta has taken strides to improve the Ravens roster at positions many considered to be important needs in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Baltimore’s front office first signed former Saints free safety Marcus Williams to a five-year deal worth $70 million to replace free agent Deshon Elliott in the defensive backfield. Later that night, the Ravens addressed their largest need along the offensive line after signing former Washington Commanders and New York Jets right tackle Morgan Moses to a three-year deal. And yesterday, Baltimore opted to bring back former fourth-round pick Za’Darius Smith to start at outside linebacker along with 2021 rookie Odafe Oweh.
The Baltimore Ravens helped themselves a ton with these moves and gave themselves more flexibility to draft or move around in the draft without too much worry. The question remains as to what they COULD do with the fourteenth pick in the draft. And the answer, at least for right now, seems to be incredibly wide open. Below we’ll look at some of the options Baltimore could take in next month’s draft.
Defensive Tackle
Georgia defensive tackles Jordan Davis and Devonte Wyatt put on a show at the Saturday workouts of the 2022 NFL Combine. Both tackles ran a sub 4.8 40 yard dash which is incredibly rare and fascinating for players who weigh well 300 pounds. Moreover, the Bulldog duo looked incredibly agile in on-field drills and continued to impress a stadium full of awestruck scouts.
Since the conclusion of the Combine, Davis and in some cases Wyatt has been linked to the Ravens at the fourteenth as replacements for the now-departed nose tackle Brandon Williams. Both are capable of playing as two-gapping run stuffers while also offering some ability as gap penetrators who can cause havoc in the backfield.
Wyatt offers more as a pass rusher than Davis admittedly, and would ultimately be a deal-breaker for yours truly. However, given the talent that would be surrounding either Davis or Wyatt, the need for a consistent pass rush from the nose tackle position could be lessened.
Drafting a player like Davis or Wyatt wouldn’t be the flashy pick many Ravens fans might be asking for, however, it may be the most on-brand pick the Baltimore Ravens have made in recent memory. Obviously, this notion will become null and void if they sign former Chicago Bears nose tackle Eddie Goldman whom they are meeting with on Friday.
Cornerback
Both Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters suffered season-ending injuries that left the Baltimore Ravens secondary gutted for much of the season. Thus far, the Ravens brass hasn’t made any new additions at corner although that may change by the time this write-up is published. Despite this, Baltimore is firmly in the running for a corner at pick fourteen and they face several intriguing options to select from.
If one were to gauge the Baltimore Ravens fanbase on social media, the corner fans seem the keenest on are Cincinnati’s Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, and it’s easy to see why they feel that way. Gardner is a long, athletic corner that plays comfortably in man-coverage which is right within the Raven’s wheelhouse.
Unfortunately for eager fans, Gardner could be gone by the time the Ravens are on the clock so they should seek other options as a realistic possibility. One player Baltimore could take a swing at is former LSU Tiger Derek Stingley, who was once viewed as a potential top-three selection before injury sunk his draft stock. As such, Baltimore may shy away from a player with an injury in spite of how talented he may be.
On sleeper pick for the Baltimore Ravens in the first round is Washington Huskie Trent McDuffie. Although a little undersized, McDuffie is a talented prospect who’s short-area quickness allows him to be dominant in man-to-man coverage. This coverage ability also allows McDuffie to rotate inside as a slot/nickel corner, which could be a major selling point after Baltimore released Tavon Young earlier this week.
Linebacker
Here’s a potential pick that not many in both the Baltimore Ravens fan base or in the national media have considered being in play. Two years ago, the Ravens selected Patrick Queen in the back end of the first round to be their future in the middle of their defense. So far, Queen has been solid but has continued to struggle in coverage even after his sophomore year.
Queen’s running mates at linebacker have also struggled themselves, and the investigation into a potential deal with former Seahawks defender Bobby Wagner only seems to affirm that notion. The one and only option at this pick seem to be Utah linebacker, Devin Lloyd.
Lloyd put up an impressive year of tape for the Utes in 2021, look aggressive at the point of attack, and was instinctual when diagnosing run plays. The real intriguing part is his prowess in coverage, looking comfortable in zone drops while also having the speed to run with tight ends. Lloyd also played some snaps along the edge and logged eight quarterback sacks for his troubles.
Lloyd ending up as a Raven seems unlikely however he could be one of the best players available and could be a difference-maker in the middle of that defense. It may a redundant thought given how Baltimore deploys Tyus Bowser along the defense, but it may be on the table for a team entering the latter half of their playoff window.