Nov 15, 2014; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Phillip Dorsett (4) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Florida State Seminoles during the first quarter at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Lately, looking at 2015 NFL mock drafts for the Baltimore Ravens has been quite a ho hum experience. Most of them project the team to take one of Marcus Peters, Melvin Gordon, or Jaelen Strong, with a couple of other names sprinkled in for effect. It’s worth nothing, then, that NFL.com’s recent expert picks differ a little bit from that norm.
Here are the latest selections made by the NFL.com crew.
Outside of Zierlein picking Peters, this is a pretty unique mock. We’ve seen Kevin Johnson as the choice by SI’s Don Banks and no one else. Jeremiah is the only person I’ve seen picking Goldman, and the same can be said for Casserly’s pick of Phillip Dorsett.
Here is the reasoning behind these unique picks. We’ll leave Peters out since he’s such a popular choice.
Brian Baldinger, Kevin Johnson
"“Year after year, all the Ravens do is sit back at the end of the first round and take the best player available. In this case, Johnson also helps fill a dire need at cornerback.”"
Daniel Jeremiah, Eddie Goldman
"“The Ravens suffered some big losses in free agency, and adding depth to the defensive line is a priority."
Charley Casserly, Phillip Dorsett
"“In this scenario, I could see a trade back, but Philip Dorsett would fill a major need for a speed receiver; he is the same size as T.Y. Hilton.”"
I don’t know about you, but the idea of Phillip Dorsett turning into Baltimore’s version of T.Y. Hilton gets me pretty excited. He certainly has Hilton-esque speed with a 4.27 40 time and they are the same size. He has elite explosiveness, body control, and his stock is rising quickly. A ridiculous fifty percent of Dorsett’s catches in 2015 went for 25+ yards. Even though smallish receivers bust more often than not in the pros, I would love to see this guy in a Ravens uniform.
Eddie Goldman is another riser who is best suited to man the nose in a 3-4 defense, which makes him an interesting candidate for the Ravens. The team does need some depth up front but I wonder if Goldman’s lack of pass rushing prowess will keep them away in the first round. On the plus side, Goldman is a space eater with the strength to toss blockers out of his way.
Kevin Johnson makes some sense as the 2nd or 3rd best corner in the draft, especially if Marcus Peters is off the board by the time the Ravens pick. Johnson has three years of starting experience under his belt and he has the cover skills, athleticism, and drive to compete for a starting job right away. The biggest concern is his somewhat lanky build that might hurt him against bigger receivers and in run support. He definitely needs some time in the weight room and a little work on discipline (flagged nine times over the last two seasons).
I would say that while none of them are popular choices, I could see the Ravens taking any of these guys at number 26. I’m personally not crazy about Goldman, even though he could be a nice depth or rotational piece. I would rather see them spend their first rounder on a guy who can make an immediate impact, a la C.J. Mosley last season. Any one of Peters, Johnson, or Dorsett could easily do just that in their first season.
Next: Are the Ravens Gearing up for an Offense Heavy Draft?
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