Baltimore Ravens Draft: 4 overlooked prospects for Thursday Night

By now you have seen a vast amount of mock drafts attempting to predict what the Ravens will do at pick 22, but most of them circulate around the same group of players. Let’s take a look at the prospects everyone is overlooking for the Ravens at 22:

Noah Fant, TE, Iowa:

This is not a drill and before you throw your phone at the wall hear me out. I’m not saying this should happen or that it’s going to happen, but it could happen. Noah Fant is an outstanding receiving threat and adding him to this offense could present something the league has never seen before. Imagine an offense with Mark Andrews in the slot, Hayden Hurst at TE, Noah Fant split out wide with (insert receiver), Mark Ingram in the backfield and Lamar Jackson under center. I’m not sure what defensive package you would use to stop that personnel, but I wouldn’t want to be the team to figure it out. If the Ravens are going to zig while the rest of the league is zagging then might as well go all out doing so.

Joshua Jacobs, RB, Alabama:

Some may say this pick isn’t overlooked because he has been mocked to Baltimore at 22 already, but that was before the Mark Ingram signing. Harbaugh has said he wants a pass-catching back who can break away and Jacobs would be a nice addition to the backfield which has two bruiser’s in Ingram and Gus Edwards.

Jacobs would represent as a match up nightmare for opposing defenses if paired with Lamar Jackson. He can line up out wide or behind center and is big enough to run over slot corners while fast enough to out run linebackers. Jacobs would also help Jackson in scramble situations as a valuable pass catcher, similar to how Ray Rice was for Joe Flacco.

Montez Sweat, Edge, Mississippi State:

Due to the recent reports of his heart condition, Sweat has dropped down many draft boards. Who knows how he’s checked out with individual team doctors, but his fall could be the Ravens’ gain if he cleared their team medical evaluation. Adding Sweat to this defense would go a long way in replacing the pass rush they lost with the departures of Terrell Suggs and Z’Darius Smith. Sweat still has some fine tuning to do, but he’s a finesse rusher who is capable of covering the flats for out breaking running backs or tight ends. Montez Sweat and Matthew Judon would form a young and dynamic pass rush duo.

Jeffery Simmons, DT, Mississippi State:

We’re staying in Mississippi for this pick which has gone under-the-radar for most fans. If Jeffery Simmons were healthy, he would arguable be a top 10 pick if not a top 5 pick in this Draft. Aside from his ACL injury in February, he does have some off the field concerns as he was recorded getting into an altercation with a women in 2016. The Ravens have close to zero tolerance when it comes to prospects with violent history, but during their interview process they could have put that to bed with Simmons. Simmons could come back to the field by mid November if all goes well with his rehab and would give the Ravens a replacement for Brandon Williams if they were to move on from him next offseason.