The Baltimore Ravens went 5-11 in the 2015 season. The Ravens believe however that they will once again be contenders next season; this was just the season from Hell. With that in mind the Ravens need to select a player with the sixth overall pick that makes an instant impact.
Related: Laquon Treadwell Draft Profile
The Ravens biggest need is defensive back. There really is not any way to get around that. For three straight seasons the secondary has been a problem. So does this force the Ravens hands in the 2016 NFL Draft?
Absolutely not. Defensive backs have one of the hardest transitions from college football to the NFL. They sometimes need to get some experience under their belt before their true potential shines. Look at Jimmy Smith. Fans were quick to label him as a bust but now many of those same fans wear his jersey with pride.
The easiest position to make an impact right away is the wide receiver position. Just look at the instant impact that guys like Odell Beckham, Mike Evans and Sammy Watkins have made on their teams already. The Ravens need superstars, they need playmakers and they need them now.
There are good defensive backs in this draft. It doesn’t have to be the sixth overall pick that they address this need. If the Ravens draft Jalen Ramsey it will be a good pick. He will shine in the NFL, he is a star cornerback/safety that can do it all. My question is however, does he make the immediate impact that a player like Laquon Treadwell can? Which player gets the Ravens closer to the Super Bowl next season?
The Ravens have a quarterback in Joe Flacco that loves throwing the deep bomb. If you get him the requisite weapons, he will put up big time results. Flacco is a gunslinger and he is in a dump it down offense. If John Harbaugh and company want to maximize the teams investment in Flacco they have to give him a human highlight reel to throw the football to.
The Ravens have the sixth overall pick in the NFL Draft. They have a chance to get something they never had, a young star wide receiver. Laquon Treadwell isn’t a Torrey Smith like player, he is on a whole different stratosphere. Treadwell is the most complete receiver in the draft. He has a frame comparable to Julio Jones and the freakish ability of Beckham. He is a big play waiting to happen.
The Ravens have to prioritize the big play. When you can hit the home run on one pass, you don’t always have to rely on long methodical drives down the field. When you have the burner on the outside, it makes those methodical drives much easier. The defense cannot over commit to the short pass.
Yes the Ravens drafted Breshad Perriman with their first round pick last season but it doesn’t change the Ravens needs. The Ravens cannot rely on Perriman whose knee injury at the age of 22 kept him off the field the entire 2015 season. If Perriman ends up being the speedy star the Ravens hoped for and they draft Treadwell then they have two young stars. Forgive me if I don’t see the problem in having too many superstar receivers for years to come.
Steve Smith isn’t going to be around forever; in fact he delayed his retirement until next offseason so he could end his career on a good note. If the Ravens don’t take a receiver in the draft, fans will just clamor for a receiver next year.
Next: Baltimore Ravens Free Agency: The Case For Marvin Jones
The Ravens were struggling even when Flacco was on the field. They needed big plays and they had nobody who could deliver them. There is a reason for beating the “Draft Treadwell” drum. He would give the Ravens something they never had. He would be a star wide receiver that wasn’t in his thirties by the time he got to Baltimore.