2016 NFL Draft: Why The Ravens Should Not Pick Ronnie Stanley

The Baltimore Ravens have been a team that has been talked about as a landing spot for Ronnie Stanley. Stanley should not be the Ravens first round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. The Ravens have more urgent areas of need and Stanley doesn’t merit a top 10 pick.

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When I look at a left tackle prospect in any NFL Draft, there is only one question I have to ask. Is this player a Jonathan Ogden like player? If the answer is no, then that player shouldn’t be taken in the top 10 picks. With Stanley I don’t see a future hall of fame player. I don’t see that kind of potential for him.

If the Ravens traded outside of the top 10, and he was the best option on the board, I could live with it. Stanley’s upside is as a starting left tackle in the NFL. He may not end up being an all time great, but there are much worse players masquerading at the left tackle position.

I have done some evaluation on Ronnie Stanley. There are some things I like about him. He is a quick footed blocker. This isn’t a knock on Stanley. This is just an honest evaluation of him. He is worth a first round pick, but he isn’t a once in a generation type of prospect. For me to draft an offensive tackle in the top 10, I would have to be wowed beyond belief. I have some question marks with Stanley. I’d like him to have a thicker frame. I wonder if he can hold up against the power of NFL pass rushers and run stoppers.

When you look at the Ravens needs though, the offensive line isn’t at the top of the list. Eugene Monroe is going to be the left tackle of this team whether you like it or not. John Urschel is a strong guard who can fill the shoes of Kelechi Osemele. Rick Wagner and Jeremy Zuttah are solid players.

The Ravens need help in the pass rushing department. They need help in the secondary and they need help at the wide receiver position. The offensive line doesn’t project to be bad at all. The Ravens don’t know what to expect from Terrell Suggs next season and the time may be now to find his eventual successor. The Ravens can’t bank on Breshad Perriman at the wide receiver position. The Ravens secondary has been a problem area for the past couple of seasons.

While Stanley is a good-looking prospect, he isn’t what the Ravens need the most. If the Ravens stay at the sixth overall pick, they cannot justify drafting Stanley. It doesn’t behoove the Ravens to draft an offensive lineman just to draft an offensive lineman. That’s what the Browns have done at the quarterback position for years.

If the Ravens evaluation of Stanley is that he is worth their top-10 pick they can draft him. If they do I hope I am wrong. But here’s the thing about being a sports writer, we don’t have time to see how it turns out. We have to tell you what we’re thinking in the moment. Essentially being a football writer this time of year is like being a general manager without the power of actually making moves.

Next: Ravens Lose Kelechi Osemele: 3 Big Things To Think About

I don’t see Stanley meriting a top 10 pick. I may not be in the majority on this, but that’s how I feel. Eugene Monroe is better than Ronnie Stanley now. At best Stanley ends up being like Monroe in my opinion. That’s why if I was Ozzie Newsome, I would not select Stanley with the sixth overall pick.

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