Day two of the 2019 NFL Draft has come to an end, and we saw the Baltimore Ravens add two more players. Here’s three things we can’t stop thinking about.
1. Jaylon Ferguson might be a day one starter
It’s not often a college football player as productive as Jaylon Ferguson drops to the third round of the draft, but that’s exactly what happened to him. Thankfully, the Baltimore Ravens were kind enough to end his fall when they selected him with the 85th overall pick.
Considering the Ravens currently depleted edge rushing depth chart, Ferguson will fill an immediate need, to which he may end up a starter from day one. This may seem crazy, but when you consider the team just lost both Terrell Suggs and Za’Darius Smith via Free Agency, while the team’s depth chart is made up of underwhelming players like Tyus Bowser and Tim Williams, it starts to make more sense.
Ferguson was dubbed the ‘sack daddy” during his time at Louisiana Tech, thanks to his 45.0 career sacks (an NCAA record originally held by T-Sizzle). With a nickname like that, we can only hope he’ll take that mantra to the next level.
2. Miles Boykin is a sneaky good pick
Marquise Brown will be the talk of the town this off-season, but Miles Boykin could be the biggest winner of all the wide receivers currently with the Ravens. Why is this? Because right now the guys above him don’t pose a huge threat to him. Boykin has considerably big size, standing at 6’4″ 220-lbs., and has proven to be a red-zone threat that no one else on the team currently is. When you have an advantage like that, it typically gets you noticed.
The only other receiver Baltimore has right now who could compete with Boykin for that spot is second-year man Jaleel Scott, who was a complete non-factor in his rookie season last year. This instantly gives Boykin the upper-hand over the rest of the depth chart.
During his stint at Notre Dame, Boykin proved he could be productive no matter who was throwing him the football. Considering Lamar Jackson is still developing as a passer, this will be important to monitor, as having that big-body to throw to can improve a quarterback’s accuracy and confidence. If he can reach these goals, Boykin could be one of the best, and most overlooked, picks from the 2019 NFL Draft.
3. Eric DeCosta is committed to filling holes
Of all the drafts we’ve seen the Baltimore Ravens have, the 2019 edition has proven to be quite different compared to others. The catalyst for all of this is of course Eric DeCosta, a long-time member of the team’s front office, but who was recently promoted to be the team’s full-time General Manager.
DeCosta had been groomed for this role for years under future Hall of Fame GM (and current Hall of Fame tight end) Ozzie Newsome to one day lead the Ravens franchise. While DeCosta likely had a large say in what was decided in last year’s off-season and NFL Draft, he has given full-control for 2019. So far, the results have been promising.
We’ve seen DeCosta be aggressive in Free Agency via signing big-name players like Earl Thomas and Mark Ingram. When the 2019 NFL Draft rolled around, DeCosta played the game similarly to how we’ve seen Baltimore run the draft in years past. Trading down was always the priority, but DeCosta would still take guys who will fill immediate needs, but possess tremendous upside. The whole entire feeling around this year’s draft is completely different to when Newsome ran the show, and for all the right reasons.
Right now, the Baltimore Ravens are trending up, whether other teams and media markets want to acknowledge it or not. The moves they’ve made this off-season and the selections they’ve made via the 2019 NFL Draft should give fans plenty to get excited over. When it’s all said and done, the Ravens could walk away with the best draft of any team, a title they already have some claim to based off of the first three rounds alone.