Baltimore Ravens must find the quarterback of the future soon
By Tyler Beard
The Baltimore Ravens must look to groom the quarterback of the future:
It’s been few days since the embarrassing loss to the Jaguars in England, but questions will still linger. The pile of injuries makes fans wonder just how far this team can get and if the postseason is a possibility.
Another question is the receiving core, including Breshad Perriman being a ghost on the field. We can also factor in the quarterback-receiver connections. A lot of this comes down to Joe Flacco’s ability and just how long he has left as starting quarterback for the Ravens.
This isn’t an overreaction to the worst game of the Delaware product’s career. It’s seeing the obvious decline since his 2012 performance and that he’s almost 33-years-old. This doesn’t mean a change will happen this year, or the next… or even two years from now.
However, it’s time for the Ravens to draft a quarterback that can develop over time and take over once Flacco has reached the end.
Let’s take a look at some of the options.
2018 NFL QB Draft Prospects
It’s hard to pinpoint just who the Ravens could draft at the quarterback position since we don’t know what record they will finish with.
It’s still safe to say that the front office won’t take a quarterback in the first round though, as there’s more pressing needs to fix.
That means we can rule out USC’s Sam Darnold, UCLA’s Josh Rosen, Wyoming’s Josh Allen and Louisville’s Lamar Jackson.
So who does that leave?
Let’s take a look at a few day 2 or day 3 prospects that the Ravens could jump on.
Baker Mayfield- Oklahoma
One big name that could rise due to his team’s success is Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield.
After a 40-touchdown season, Mayfield has started off hot this year, throwing 13 touchdowns and zero interceptions. He’s been very accurate in college and has a decent quarterback frame.
There will be questions about his ability to handle an NFL-style offense, which will make him a make him slip out of the first round.
It’s a perfect landing spot for the Ravens, who won’t spend a high pick on a quarterback. Mayfield would have a few years to learn the offense and could bring in the same hunger he shows at Oklahoma.
Mason Rudolph- Oklahoma St.
Rudolph is the other quarterback in the state of Oklahoma that has been making some noise. The 6’5″ product has a very good arm and is second in the NCAA with 1,533 passing yards.
He’s another player that will need time to develop and should be drafted around the same area as Mayfield.
The Ravens might favor Rudolph because of his similar stature to Flacco.
Luke Falk- Washington St.
Falk will be another target for the Ravens, but is behind Mayfield and Rudolph based off of Washington St.’s offensive style.
He’s an extremely accurate quarterback and is right behind Rudolph, with 1,378 passing yards.
We’ll see if he’s able to run an NFL offense in the future. However not being in a pro-style offense could cause him to struggle at first. However, an accurate quarterback will always get a shot and is someone that the Ravens could use.
Bottom Line:
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This isn’t pushing Flacco out the door, as these three prospects will need time to develop and pick up an NFL offense. It’s simply the Ravens showing due diligence at a position that needs to be addressed.
It’s time to bring in a quarterback that can learn the offense and that can push Flacco throughout the coming years.
It will be a fun investment to watch.