Baltimore Ravens Should Have Drafted For Defense
The Baltimore Ravens drafted Ronnie Stanley with the sixth overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. While many were surprised that the Ravens drafted Stanley, it isn’t the biggest shock in the world. The Ravens were pegged as a team that could take Laremy Tunsil, so going with the other left tackle makes sense. It remains to be seen how Stanley will impact the team. Here is a look at 5 draft options that could have had a greater impact on the Ravens than Stanley.
1. DeForest Buckner
Buckner would have given the Ravens one of the best 3-4 defensive lines in the entire league. When you look at Buckner he is an incredible athlete with great explosive ability. The idea of having him and Timmy Jernigan on opposite sides would have been very good for the Ravens.
Buckner was a very productive player at Oregon. Buckner had 18 sacks in his four year career at Oregon, including a 10 sack 2015 season. Buckner was who I had pegged to the Ravens in my final mock draft. It just made more sense to me. Buckner would have been a player that could have gotten the Ravens back to defensive dominance. That’s the direction I thought the Ravens would have gone.
Buckner got drafted the pick after the Ravens by the San Francisco 49ers.
Next: Vernon Hargreaves
2. Vernon Hargreaves
The Ravens could have easily taken Hargreaves off the board. With Jalen Ramsey off the board the Ravens would have been wise to take Hargreaves off the board. While there are many good cornerbacks in this draft, it’s hard to imagine how many will be there when the Ravens pick again. Hargreaves is a talented cornerback who is the clear number two player at the position. Hargreaves went with the 11th overall pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Hargreaves had 10 interceptions in his college career. He may not be the biggest cornerback in the draft but he has off the charts talent and athletic ability. With a high football IQ and the ability to jump out of the gym, he can challenge any receiver in the NFL.
Hargreaves would have been a better option than Stanley with the sixth overall pick. The Ravens biggest need coming into the draft was not the offensive line but the defense. The biggest problem on that problematic defense remains the quarterback position.
Next: Reggie Ragland
3. Reggie Ragland
Reggie Ragland is a linebacker from Alabama, so we know he was on Ozzie Newsome’s radar. Ragland is a big physical linebacker that would have filled a need on the Ravens defense. Ever since the Ravens cut Daryl Smith to clear cap space, the linebacker spot next to C.J. Mosley has had a question mark on it.
Ragland may not be a player that has drawn a ton of top-10 praise. In fact Ronnie Stanley has gotten more hype than Ragland by a long shot. But Ragland and Mosley would have made a big and fast combination at the linebacker spot. I keep pointing out that the Denver Broncos won the Super Bowl on defense, just like the Seahawks beat the Broncos a couple years ago. The Patriots had a good defense when they beat the Seahawks. Defense should have been the priority for the Ravens.
Next: Baltimore Ravens Draft Ronnie Stanley (My Angry Rant)
At the end of the day Ragland would have been a very productive player with the Ravens. He isn’t as explosive as Myles Jack, but he isn’t far from Jack’s insane talent. One thing is for sure, Ragland would have been a safe pick. While people would have said the Ravens reached, Ragland would have shut those critics up with strong play.