Ravens Draft Needs (And How To Address Them)
The Baltimore Ravens have a couple of desperate needs moving into the 2016 season. The team needs to get stronger in the pass rushing department. They also need to finish what they started when they signed Eric Weddle and fix the secondary. The offensive line needs depth. C.J. Mosley needs a partner at the inside linebacker position. What is the Ravens biggest need?
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Well I guess I gave the list away. The Ravens needs are pretty obvious though. What is really important here, is prioritizing the Ravens draft needs. The NFL Draft isn’t something you tip into. To paraphrase Brian Billick during the Ravens first Super Bowl run, you go in there, kicking and screaming and say, where is the best value pick. All jokes aside, the Ravens need to fill their needs.
Here is a ranking of the Ravens needs. I have also included possible solutions to the Ravens problems at these positions.
Next: Cornerback
Cornerback:
The Ravens cornerback situation is probably the bleakest area of this team. Other than Jimmy Smith, who can the Ravens really count on in this group. Shareece Wright improved dramatically after taking his lumps in his first couple games with the Ravens. He looks like a good nickel corner, but the Ravens still need a number two. Kyle Arrington isn’t that guy and Ladarius Webb moved to the Free Safety position. Eric Weddle will help the Ravens secondary at the strong safety position, but let’s not pretend the secondary is magically fixed. The Ravens need a cornerback who can come in and be a starter. He doesn’t have to be Richard Sherman, he just has to be a solid player.
Possible Solutions:
The dream scenario sees Jalen Ramsey falling to the sixth overall pick. This probably isn’t going to happen. If Mackensie Alexander falls to the second round, he is a steal. It may be a steal but concerns over his height could drop him to round two. This would be the best (realistic) solution to the Ravens problem, at the best value. If the Ravens trade back, they may have interest in taking Eli Apple. Apple reminds me of Chris McAlister, who was an all time great Ravens player. Apple’s over aggressiveness is his biggest red flag, but he has the size, speed and athleticism to be something special. Kendall Fuller is also a name to watch in the second round.
Next: Pass Rusher
Pass Rusher:
The Ravens don’t know how much football they will get out of Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil. Dumervil’s production dropped last season (though he played well). Of course it didn’t help that Suggs was out for the season with his second Achilles injury. When you add on the uncertainty facing Suggs because of his one car accident, an insurance plan at outside linebacker doesn’t seem like a bad idea.
The Ravens pass defense needs to improve, but it isn’t all on the secondary. The Ravens pass rush just wasn’t good enough in 2015. Part of dominating defensively is getting in the backfield before the offensive linemen can even blink. Look at what Von Miller did in the Super Bowl. Pass rushers are almost as important as quarterbacks. The Ravens need their pass rushers of the future; the future must start now.
Possible Solutions:
The best pass rusher in the draft is Noah Spence. Spence is without a doubt the most explosive pass rusher available. With the sixth overall pick the Ravens could swoop him up and grab the next game changer for the franchise. There are many who think Spence could fall to the second round because of character concerns. If the Ravens want Spence, they may be able to trade back, but I am convinced some team will take a chance on Spence in the first round. Von Miller look a likes don’t fall to the second round. The Ravens should consider taking the chance on him.
Other options include Joey Bosa, Shaq Lawson and Leonard Floyd. Don’t assume that the Ravens focus on pass rush has to be an outside linebacker though. DeForest Buckner, Robert Nkemdiche and A’Shawn Robinson all are in play as defensive linemen.
Next: Offensive Line Depth
Offensive Line Depth
I know I sound like a broken record, but along the offensive line positions, depth is what the Ravens need. The Ravens have good starters on the offensive line. I will scream it from the mountain tops if I have to, John Urschel will fill the left guard spot well. Eugene Monroe is the answer at left tackle whether you like it or not. The right side of the offensive line is locked into place and Jeremy Zuttah has the center position covered.
The Ravens need depth on the offensive line. If ever there was a team that understood the need for back ups, it is the Ravens who were plagued by injuries in 2015. The Ravens starters are good but they need a couple back ups, who can come in for a few games if they’re needed. If you rule out putting James Hurst in front of Joe Flacco again, the Ravens have little option behind their starting five. Ryan Jensen is somebody who the Ravens seem to like a lot. Jensen needs some company on the bench.
Possible Solution:
I wouldn’t be opposed to the Ravens drafting somebody like Le’Raven Clark in the third round. He has the size and power that you look for in an offensive tackle. Everything else needs some work, but he has potential. The point here is that while the Ravens need depth on the offensive line, they don’t have to draft it early.
Next: Inside Linebacker
Inside Linebacker:
The Ravens probably need a guy at this position more than I’m letting on, by putting this on the bottom of their needs list. In the worst case scenario however, Arthur Brown or Zach Orr fills the void created when Daryl Smith was cut. The Ravens have to have some level of confidence that one of them can fill the role next to C.J. Mosley, or they wouldn’t have cut Smith for the cap relief.
The Ravens probably can do better than Brown and Orr here. The Baltimore defense has always churned out good linebackers out of nowhere. From Edgerton Heartwell, to Jameel McClain, the Ravens have a history of having players surprise us at this position. If the Ravens don’t address this need, it may work out any way. But this is a position the Ravens should get better at.
Next: Expectations For Mike Wallace
Myles Jack is a really intriguing option. He is a freakishly athletic linebacker, who would be a perfect complement to Mosley. Reggie Ragland is also an option. I always imagine that when the Ravens take an Alabama linebacker, he giggles like Ron Swanson joking about the government. If you get that joke, well that’s awesome. Any way these are the Ravens needs, let’s see how they address them.