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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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CINCINNATI, OH – JANUARY 3: Nose tackle Brandon Williams #98 and guard Marshal Yanda #73 of the Baltimore Ravens prior to the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on January 3, 2016 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andrew Weber/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH – JANUARY 3: Nose tackle Brandon Williams #98 and guard Marshal Yanda #73 of the Baltimore Ravens prior to the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on January 3, 2016 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andrew Weber/Getty Images) /

The Future:

After the 2019 season the following players will be set to become unrestricted free agents: Justin Tucker, Ronnie Stanley, Matt Judon and Michael Pierce. Those are some of the core players on this roster. Marshal Yanda is also set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2020 and the future Hall of Fame guard may be going into his last season in the NFL. The retirement question is going to circle around Yanda for the rest of his career. If the offensive line isn’t a desperate need at the moment, it could be in the near future.

Yes, the Ravens are going to have more cap space than they’ve ever really had next year, but they will spend a large chunk of that keeping core players. There’s really no position off limits because the Ravens don’t know what the future will bring. Cornerback isn’t a need this season, but if this is Jimmy Smith’s last year in Baltimore drafting another star corner becomes a reasonable option. Defensive tackle isn’t a need right now but Willie Henry and Pierce are going into contract years and stockpiling talent up front has always been a way of life for the purple and black.

Next. Blueprint for Ravens offense in 2019. dark

Ultimately the Ravens need difference makers for a new era of football.  This is brand new. There is no more Joe Flacco and no more Newsome. The one thing the Ravens have always been short on is electrifying play-makers. The number one thing the Ravens want for the future is for that to change. For the future, any player at premium position that moves the needle will be welcome. Baltimore has Jackson on a rookie quarterback. Whether he becomes the franchise quarterback or not, this is the time to load up on play-makers.

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