The Baltimore Ravens don’t have to spend their second consecutive first round pick on a wide receiver to get what the offense needs. The Ravens can get a plug and play starter in round two:
The Baltimore Ravens don’t need to be in a hurry when the NFL Draft gets here. If a player like Denzel Mims is on the board, they can’t pass him up at 28. If he’s not there, the purple and black don’t need to force it. The second round could be where the Ravens get the player they need to pair with Marquise Brown.
The best receiver the Ravens have drafted so far has been Torrey Smith, a second round selection out of Maryland. Michael Thomas was a second round pick and Tyler Lockett was snagged by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round. It’s not all that rare that a star receiver is found with something other than a first round pick.
In this draft there are some very interesting possibilities. Brandon Aiyuk could be the next JuJu Smith-Schuster, a first round talent who falls to the second round. Do you know who Michael Pittman Jr. reminds me of? Mike Evans. Tee Higgins had a slower 40 time than he wanted to have and it could make him a second rounder. He would fit quite nicely in the Ravens offense. He’s not Anquan Boldin, but that’s the type of receiver he’ll be in the NFL.
There is almost no way for this whole thing to shake out that doesn’t give the Ravens a good option in the second round. The Ravens just need a solid number two receiver. They have their star in Marquise Brown. Now the Ravens need somebody to put opposite of the man they call Hollywood.
The Ravens are in the unusual situation of having a top wide receiver going into the draft. Brown is going to have a great sophomore season because he will finally be over his foot injury. Baltimore finally hit on a receiver in the draft. They are now looking for a Robin, not a Batman. That being said, if they find a Superman, to pair with Brown you wouldn’t hear me complaining.
This is an NFL Draft class that is widely considered a great one for wide receivers. It wouldn’t be shocking if the Ravens found a starter in the third round. Eric DeCosta should make it a priority to get a wide receiver in the NFL Draft but he can’t force it. If the Baltimore is on the clock and Jerry Juedy, Henry Ruggs, Ceedee Lamb and Denzel Mims are all off the board, the pick should not be a receiver.
Baltimore should be smart when picking a wide receiver in this draft class. They either should get one of the top four stars or wait until the second day of the draft to take the right player at the right value.