2018 Senior Bowl: 5 takeaways for the Baltimore Ravens
By Joe Schiller
As the 2018 Senior Bowl finished up yesterday in Mobile, Alabama, here are five takeaways from the week for the Baltimore Ravens.
The Senior Bowl is always one of the highly anticipated offseason All-Star games of the college football offseason and the yearly event wrapped up yesterday as the South beat the North convincingly 45-16. Plenty of big names made their way down to Mobile and plenty saw their draft stocks rise with a solid week of practice.
The Baltimore Ravens were one of just many teams scouting future prospects for the upcoming 2018 NFL draft. From general manager Ozzie Newsome to the scouts, the Ravens were evaluating players to fill the many needs they have this offseason.
It was an action-packed week filled with plenty of discussion and opinions but here are five takeaways for the Baltimore Ravens.
5. Joe Flacco’s successor could very well be in this class
I truly believe this is the year the Ravens should find Joe Flacco’s successor. He’s not getting any younger and frankly isn’t playing much better either. The Ravens are financially tied to Flacco for at least two more years before it makes sense to move on. That being said, it’s never too early to find his successor. It’s something the Ravens haven’t taken seriously in past years. They’ve drafted just two quarterbacks since Flacco’s rookie year and both came in the sixth round. That has to change this offseason and this quarterback draft class provides that opportunity.
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Despite the rumors that Josh Allen could be an option at No. 16, that’s not going to happen. After the way Allen performed in the Senior Bowl, he’s not making it out of the top five picks. You can also cross off Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, and likely Baker Mayfield. They’re all first-round options and while a quarterback is a need for the Ravens, it’s not as pressing compared to other offensive weapons. What the quarterback class does provide are mid-round prospects the Ravens could target.
Oklahoma State quarterback Mason Rudolph was kept out of the Senior Bowl because of injury but he’s got the size to be a prototypical passer in the NFL. He had no problem airing out the ball in Mike Gundy’s offense and could be a potential developmental player behind Joe Flacco. One intriguing name that shot up draft boards was Richmond’s Kyle Lauletta. FCS players often don’t get much love because of their competition but that’s why the Senior Bowl is great. Players from every sub-division duke it out and have the same level playing field. Lauletta wasn’t phased on the big stage and was extremely impressive. He finished the day 8 of 12 for 198 passing yards and three touchdowns. It was enough to earn Lauletta MVP honors.
An experienced FCS quarterback? I wonder where that’s worked out in the NFL before…