We enter the second to last round of the NFL draft but there’s still plenty of talent available. The Baltimore Ravens could find a gem.
The front office will try to work some of its magic in the later rounds. Finding players that can contribute to the team late in the draft seems to be their forte. The Baltimore Ravens enter a crucial offseason and finding impact players is a must. It really doesn’t matter where you get those players, as long as you get them. So here are a few sleepers in this draft that could possibly be impactful to the team in the near future.
Offense
Steve Ishmael, WR, Syracuse; 6’2″, 210 lbs
Strengths: Quality hands; Finds ways to get open
Weaknesses: Not a super athlete
Ishmael will be available here, and he can be a quality receiver for the Ravens. I feel like he’s a Kamar Aiken type of receiver. He won’t blow you away with speed or verticals, but he will be a guy that gets open and catches the ball. All the Ravens have is a bunch of fast guys with unreliable hands. Ishmael can improve the receiving corps right away.
Nick Bawden, FB, SDSU; 6’3″, 245 lbs
Patrick Ricard did well at fullback this year, but they might want to bring a more pure fullback in there. Ricard was a converted defensive lineman which is fine, however, a better athlete like Kyle Juszczyk might be a good fit. That would allow Ricard to move back to his natural position. But then again, who doesn’t like Project Pat at fullback?
Defense
Kemoko Turay, DE, Rutgers; 6’5″, 250 lbs
Strengths: Good pass rusher
Weaknesses: Needs to add weight
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Brent Urban is most likely not coming back, and after losing Lawrence Guy last year, adding depth to the defensive end position could be idea. The Ravens mostly use defensive ends to stop the run but Turay could bring in a pass rush element that they needed so badly at the end of the year. Turay might be more of a project, but he could end up being a quality starter for the Ravens if they train him and use him correctly.