Ravens Draft: Quarterbacks to keep an eye on after 1st round
Lamar Jackson to the Ravens is picking up some steam. What if I told you that was just one way the Ravens could go at quarterback in the 2018 NFL Draft:
The Baltimore Ravens are in a position no team really wants to be in. They have a quarterback that is getting paid lots of money. They have a quarterback they’re either stuck with or way to enthusiastic about. Despite this, the Ravens are in the market for a quarterback of the future. The Ravens are one of the teams that is linked to Lamar Jackson. If Jackson falls to the 16th pick (which is far from a given) he would make a lot of sense for Baltimore.
If you’re not feeling the Jackson vibes, the Ravens do have other options. They could draft reach on a player like Mason Rudolph, who they won’t be able to get later or they can wait to take a developmental quarterback. No matter what the Ravens do, quarterback of the future isn’t a need that is going to go away. Let’s take a quick look at some of the other quarterbacks in this draft class that the Ravens could target.
Best Bets:
Mason Rudolph (Oklahoma State): Rudolph is a player I can’t quite figure out. He is either a great quarterback or a player in the right offense with the right weapons. Don’t forget that James Washington has borderline 1st round talent and he also got to throw to Marcel Ateman, who is also really good. We’ve seen quarterbacks come from Oklahoma State before and none of them have made it in the NFL.
Must Read: Three reasons the Ravens should draft Lamar Jackson
Kyle Lauletta (Richmond): Lauletta was sneakily one of the best quarterbacks in College Football. The thing that really impresses me is his touchdown to interception ratio. In four years at Richmond he tossed 73 touchdowns and only 35 interceptions. Lauletta has arm talent and he seems to be a good decision maker on the football field.
Riley Ferguson (Memphis): This is kind of my draft crush guys. I have been saying for months that I think Ferguson has the chance to be the surprise quarterback from this draft class. He has accuracy, arm talent and big time stats. The thing that scares me off is similar to the thing that scares me about Rudolph. He comes from an spread offense that hasn’t produced NFL talent under center. That being said, I just think he may be special.
Projects that may be worth it:
Logan Woodside (Toledo): It’s hard to have a better season than Logan Woodside just had for Toledo. He had 3,882 yards, 28 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Woodside looks the part and has the arm talent to make it interesting. If the Ravens took him in the fourth or fifth round I wouldn’t mind it.
Quinton Flowers (USF): This is a huge project that the Ravens could take on in the sixth or seventh round. Flowers has a rocket arm and similar athletic ability as Jackson. Flowers needs to work on accuracy, and touch on his passes. I could see him developing into the guy and the Ravens have time to wait. If the Ravens are willing to be tied to Flacco for at least two more years, this is something I wouldn’t object to.
Next: Ozzie Newsome's Top 5 draft classes
The fact that we’re having this discussion is all you need to know. The Ravens need to improve at the quarterback position. These quarterbacks are all guys who have a chance in the NFL. When Jackson gets selected the draft class will be out of plug and play rookie passers. If the purple and black don’t end up with the Louisville superstar, these quarterbacks are projects they should consider.
When you need to get in the know, Ebony Bird is there. When the NFL Draft happens, we have you covered.