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Past, present & future: All the factors impacting Ravens in NFL Draft

By Chris Schisler

BALTIMORE, MD - NOVEMBER 6: Wide receiver Breshad Perriman #18 of the Baltimore Ravens misses a catch while cornerback Artie Burns #25 of the Pittsburgh Steelers defends in the second quarter at M&T Bank Stadium on November 6, 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - NOVEMBER 6: Wide receiver Breshad Perriman #18 of the Baltimore Ravens misses a catch while cornerback Artie Burns #25 of the Pittsburgh Steelers defends in the second quarter at M&T Bank Stadium on November 6, 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – JANUARY 06: Quarterback Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens in action against the Los Angeles Chargers during the AFC Wild Card Playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium on January 06, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – JANUARY 06: Quarterback Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens in action against the Los Angeles Chargers during the AFC Wild Card Playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium on January 06, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

The Present:

The Ravens drafted Lamar Jackson and now they have to give him a legitimate chance to become the franchise quarterback. Jackson is the quarterback of the moment, whether or not he becomes the Ravens’ future. This combined with a receiving corps that doesn’t scare anybody will be a major influence of DeCosta’s draft strategy. If Jackson is to develop as a passer he needs weapons for the passing attack. Wide receiver is an urgent need for the Ravens even after the Seth Roberts signing. Baltimore has Willie Snead, Chris Moore and Roberts. They need a receiver that isn’t like the others. They need a big receiver with a catch radius the size of a zip code that can be a go to guy for Jackson.

More from Ravens Draft

The Ravens offensive line seems to be more of an issue for fans than the team itself. The idea of going into the 2019 season with the same offensive line may seem questionable but it could happen. Matt Skura isn’t a great center and the Ravens don’t have a reliable guard not named Marshal Yanda. With all of this being stated, the Ravens may think they can get by with what they have up front. Jackson is hard to chase down, and they closed the 2018 regular season with a dominant rushing game. Offensive line is an area that can be improved upon, but the Ravens will only go to this need first if the board falls a certain way.

Losing Terrell Suggs and Za’Darius Smith in free agency pushed pass rusher to the top need for the Baltimore defense. Baltimore has young talent at this position in Tim Williams and Tyus Bowser, but there is no promise that said talent comes into fruition. Williams and Bowser had a hard time taking snaps away from Suggs and Smith for a reason. Linebacker is also on the Ravens wish list but with Patrick Onwuasor’s growth in 2018, and Kenny Young’s potential, they may have enough to work with there. Baltimore needs to get an explosive edge player in this draft class, to get the most out of their large investment in the secondary. The purple and black may have the best secondary in the entire league; they are a pass rusher away from being absolutely dominant.

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