After laying out first and second round draft plans for the Baltimore Ravens, I’m back to explain what the purple and black should do the in the third round.
As we all know, the Ravens are entering the most important offseason in a while. Baltimore will be looking at a lot of offensive talent in this draft. Ozzie Newsome will most likely have two picks in the third round, due to Rick Wagner’s free agent move to the Lions. If the Ravens do get two picks, they will be back to back at 82nd (18th) and 83rd (19th) overall.
The Ravens can go a number of ways with these picks. I would like to see them take one defensive player and one offensive. They could also use both picks to trade up. Whatever direction the Ravens choose to go, let us take a look at options for both sides of the ball.
Defense:
Marcus Allen, FS, Penn State; 6’2″, 210 lbs
Strengths: NFL ready skill set; Good frame
Weaknesses: Not a ball hawk
Eric Weddle is a fantastic leader and still a good player. However, he is aging. Weddle turned 33 yesterday so selecting a good safety here is a good idea. Teaming up Allen to replace would work very well, as Allen is a proven leader on the field. He and Weddle are a lot alike on the field, but Weddle is a little better of a ball hawk.
There is no one better for Allen to learn under than Weddle. Allen is a projected third rounder, and I hope he stays there. But don’t be surprised if you see him moving up. The Penn State product has a chance to be an absolute steal, and teaming him up with Tony Jefferson moving forward can possibly make up one of the best safety tandems in the league.
Breeland Speaks, DE, Ole Miss; 6’3″, 290 lbs
Strengths: Really strong; Run defense
Weaknesses: Not great speed
I don’t imagine the Ravens will sign back Brent Urban. They let Lawrence Guy go last year, and with limited cap room, I imagine they let Urban go too. Therefore, they will need help on the defensive front. Willie Henry and Carl Davis played excellently, but you always need depth. Ozzie Newsome’s best aspect is selecting offensive and defensive linemen. Breeland Speaks would add to that track record.
Speaks is a very skilled lineman. He does a lot of the dirty work and may not get noticed on the stat sheet. However, he is an impactful player that would help Baltimore control the line of scrimmage. The Ravens pride themselves on that very thing, and Speaks is a really good value pick in the middle of the third.
Offense
Drew Lock, QB, Missouri; 6’4″, 225 lbs
Strengths: Strong Arm; Top-5 potential
Weaknesses: Accuracy
Flacco is not only getting older, but he hasn’t played good football since 2014. Flacco has regressed since the 2012 Super Bowl. However, the Ravens are stuck with him for at least one more year and most likely two due to the gigantic contract we all know too well. So drafting a quarterback here to groom and learn under Flacco would be a good decision.
Lock has a chance to be one of the best quarterbacks in the league. He has a lot of untapped potential and if the Ravens do everything right, he can be the future of the position. Lock has a very strong arm and likes to let it loose. I don’t think Lock is ready to come into the league and play right away, but he wouldn’t have to in Baltimore. Hopefully, they draft Lock or someone else as a successor for Flacco.
Damien Harris, RB, Alabama; 6’0″, 215 lbs
Strengths: Hard runner; agile; great vision
Weaknesses: Pass protection; breakaway speed
I don’t really like the idea of taking a running back in this draft. I think with Alex Collins, Kenneth Dixon, and Buck Allen, you have a nice mix of different backs. However, none of those guys are premier backs in this league. They are all just good, quality backs. Nothing wrong with that, but fans and the organization alike are craving offensive playmakers. Damien Harris has the ability to be that.
Harris has excellent size for a back in this league. Harris has amazing vision and patience. With a great offensive line coming back for Baltimore, Harris would thrive in Greg Roman’s zone run schemes. In 2017, Harris averaged 7.6 yards per carry with 11 touchdowns for Alabama as a junior. The year before, he averaged 7.1 yards per carry. Harris can be a top back in this league, and unless Saquon Barkley amazingly drops in the first round (he won’t), then Harris is the only back I would take in this draft.
Next: 5 Baltimore Ravens who took a step forward this season
Final thoughts
Hopefully, the Ravens receive a third-round compensatory pick. They could do a lot of things with two picks in the middle of the third round. Possibly using them to trade up is an intriguing option but overall, the Ravens still have a lot of good options in the third.