Baltimore Ravens: 5 dark horse candidates for the 16th pick

1. Marcus Davenport

The Ravens have invested a lot in the outside linebacker position. They added Tyus Bowser and Tim Williams to a group that already had Terrell Suggs, Matt Judon and Za’Darius Smith. Could the Ravens be brazen enough to draft their fourth outside linebacker in four years? The answer to that question is yes. The Ravens are the team that always goes after the best player and team needs don’t outweigh their board. I have Marcus Davenport as my 13th best player, so it’s not unimaginable that the Ravens would find him too hard to pass on.

Davenport is the official freak athlete of the 2018 NFL Draft. The UTSA player was a big fish in a small school pond. His measurables are flashy. He’s 6’6″ 264 lbs. and he runs a 4.58 second 40 yard dash. I could run down the list, but there wasn’t a single drill, dash or jump that he didn’t excel. Davenport is explosive as all get out. There is no questioning that Davenport is worth the 16th pick because his upside is as tall as he is.

Next: 3 reasons Ravens should draft Lamar Jackson

The Ravens may not want to go outside linebacker here, but if they see Davenport as a once in a lifetime player, they can justify taking him. Suggs will retire in a year or two and Bowser can move to inside linebacker. Now that I think about it, drafting Davenport would kill two birds with one stone, not that Ravens should be fond of that expression. The defense would be stacked and ready to dominate.