Three returning Ravens that benefited from the 2019 NFL Draft Results

The Baltimore Ravens gave a vote of confidence to some incumbent starters with their actions in the 2019 NFL Draft.

The Baltimore Ravens have concluded their 2019 NFL Draft and some of their incumbent starters should be pleased with the results.

Tops on this list would have to be Center Matt Skura. Skura moved over from left guard last season to replace Ryan Jensen who departed for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Free Agency last offseason. Skura performed admirably at Center in starting all 16 games for the 2018 Ravens.

Skura appeared to be over matched throughout the Ravens playoff defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers and many considered Center a position of need for the Ravens heading into the 2019 NFL Draft. The draft has come and gone and the Ravens did not select a Center.

This could be a sign that the Ravens are content with Skura’s play at Center to have him open next season as the starter. Perhaps they are concerned but not enough that they considered Center a position of high draft priority during this year’s April extravaganza in Nashville.

Skura is not out of the woods yet though. The Ravens could have felt there was not a draft need because they were confident in the duo of Skura and second year player Bradley Bozeman who flashed some potential at times for the Ravens last season. He could challenge Skura for the starting job at Center during training camp which appears to be the likely scenario.

Second on the list of returning starters that should feel better after the draft would be the Ravens inside linebacker duo of returning starter Patrick “Peanut” Onwuasor and second year projected starter Kenny Young. With the departure of C.J. Mosley in free agency many draft pundits expected the Ravens to draft an inside linebacker to fill the void left by Mosley.

Instead the Ravens opted to upgrade their other major position of need on defense at the EDGE rusher spot meaning that as of right now, Onwuasor and Young are the likely opening day starters at inside linebacker. Much can change between now and the start of the regular season, but the draft results will certainly serve a vote of confident to the Ravens inside linebacker duo.

Onwuasor got off to a slow start but was lights out down the stretch consistently making big plays for the Ravens number one defense. He picked up the key forced fumble in the Ravens December victory over the Chargers that kept the Ravens playoff hopes alive in Week 16. He has also been one of the most vocal Ravens this offseason in discussing the new leadership opportunities on defense with so many vital veterans playing elsewhere this upcoming year.

Young was great early last season but seemed to fade towards the end of the year. From Week 11 on, Young had zero sacks and just eight tackles. This is often an issue with rookies as they hit a rookie wall. Look for Young to bounce back with another offseason in an NFL locker room under his belt.

Eric DeCosta and company could add at the inside linebacker spot via free agency to give the group a veteran presence or some much needed depth. Outside of Onwuasor and Young, Chris Board is the only current inside linebacker on the roster.

These were two calculated risks by the Ravens brass to not add via the draft at Center or inside linebacker. Skura, Onwuasor, and Young should be poised to reap the benefits. The three will be looking to reward DeCosta’s vote of confidence in them if they indeed earn the starting roles for next season.