Baltimore Ravens are getting back their NFL Draft swagger

From 1996-2008 the Baltimore Ravens had about as many hits in the NFL Draft as any team in the NFL. There have been some up and downs, but it looks like the Ravens got back their NFL Draft swagger: 

The Baltimore Ravens are once again getting the job done in the NFL Draft. Ozzie Newsome got the Ravens drafting kicked off in 1996 when he got Jonathan Ogden and Ray Lewis in the first round. Newsome had many more hits than he had misses and he built one of the most amazing draft resumes of all-time. In 2017 it looked like Newsome had lost his way. All of the sudden the Ravens have had two great draft classes in a row.

2018 was the last year of Ozzie Newsome as the general manager. The 2018 draft clearly had Eric DeCosta’s fingerprints on it, even if Newsome was calling the shots. DeCosta was the one who would be responsible for the team moving forward, meaning if he wasn’t good with a selection, Newsome wasn’t going to do it.

The Ravens focused heavily on the offense in 2018. They drafted Hayden Hurst with the 25th overall pick and traded back into the first round to get Lamar Jackson. Mark Andrews gave the purple and black a double dip at tight end, while Orlando Brown Jr. was a steal for the offensive line.

The 2019 NFL Draft class saw DeCosta pick Marquise Brown and Miles Boykin in the first and third round respectively. Adding Justice Hill and Ben Powers in the fourth round gave Baltimore a little gravy for the offense. That’s eight picks for the offense in two years. This is a new foundation for the offense, giving an offensively challenged franchise a fresh start. DeCosta has built this all around Jackson. While Jackson is a polarizing figure in the fanbase, DeCosta has a vision for a future centering around number eight.

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The Ravens had some clunkers at the NFL Draft before this positive breath of fresh air. If it weren’t for Marlon Humphrey, the 2017 rookie class would look horribly underwhelming. The Ravens drafted two outside linebackers (Tyus Bowser and Tim Williams) and have almost no production to show for it. The 2015 draft class was a nightmare. Breshad Perriman was the lowest moment yet we can’t forget about Maxx Williams and Carl Davis. Yeah…that didn’t work out.

The 2013 draft was hard to stomach. Baltimore took Matt Elam in the first round. Elam was possibly the worst safety that the team has ever employed. Arthur Brown in the second round is never not going to sting. The 2012 draft got off to a strong start with Courtney Upshaw and Kelechi Osemele in the second round. After that it’s just wasted picks. Bernard Pierce and Gino Gradkowski may be two of the least popular Ravens of all-time.

The Ravens have put together some strong drafts recently and it’s encouraging. The 2016 draft got the Ravens Ronnie Stanley, Tavon Young, Matt Judon and Chris Moore. 2017 is a draft that is hard to get over but it netted the Ravens Marlon Humphrey. The 2018 and 2019 drafts were incredible.

It’s arguable that this is the best two year stretch of drafting that the Ravens have had since the late 1990’s. In 1996 the Ravens got Jonathan Ogden, Ray Lewis and Jermaine Lewis. In 1997, they drafted Peter Boulware, Jamie Sharper and Kim Herring. That’s the only two run stretch that really compares to what the Ravens have done in the last two years.

Eric DeCosta had a strong influence over the 2018 draft for the Ravens. He then orchestrated a phenomenal draft. DeCosta has taken the core principles of Newsome’s work and made some improvements.

The Ravens are still happy to trade back and acquire picks. They still stick to their big board. Now, the Ravens seem to have a much more balanced approach and they are filling needs in the draft. In 2017, Newsome stocked up on front seven help like he couldn’t help himself. It may be a small sample size, yet there is evidence that DeCosta won’t do this. He’s not going to be so inflexible towards the draft board that he wastes picks with players the team doesn’t need.

Newsome is still with the team though he is not calling the shots. The Ravens have regained their swagger. Newsome built up DeCosta. The same core beliefs shape the Ravens’ plan of attack. DeCosta has been here the whole time though making the picks is still fresh to him. He is less glued to the philosophy as Newsome. Newsome provided the foundation that DeCosta is building on top of. The end result is more confidence on draft day.