NFL Draft: Could CeeDee Lamb be Baltimore-bound?

CeeDee Lamb acknowledged on Friday that the Baltimore Ravens are one of the clubs he has done a virtual visit with so far. Could he actually be a target?

Over the weekend, Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee Lamb confirmed via Instagram Live that the Baltimore Ravens among the teams he has done a virtual visit with leading up to the NFL Draft. With Lamb projected to go somewhere in the half of the first round, it presumably would take a trade up from the 28th overall spot for Baltimore to have a shot at drafting him, and that won’t come cheap. But Eric DeCosta and company also don’t seem like people who would waste their own time, so it seems they are at least considering making a play for the former Sooner star.

DeCosta recently expressed some caution at the prospect of trading up during a call with reporters. “In general, trading up is dangerous,” he said. “It’s a little bit risky . . . . If you trade up, you give up picks. So you better get a guy that’s going to be a difference-maker if you trade up.”

That definitely paints a picture that DeCosta is by no means desperate to move up the draft board, and he has made it known in the past that he tends to prefer having draft capital at his disposal than moving up to shoot his shot. But could CeeDee Lamb be worth an exception?

It’s not like the Ravens have never traded up. They famously traded back into the first round in 2018 to go get franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson, and that has obviously worked out quite well so far. While Ozzie Newsome was still the general manager at the time, DeCosta was still a part of the front office at the time and is now reaping the benefits of the move.

DeCosta himself seemed to acknowledge that a true “difference-maker” could be worth moving up for, and our Norman Getsinger has pointed out that there are plenty of potential trade partners that could get the Ravens up into “CeeDee Lamb range” if they opt to make the move. And for a front office that has an obvious affinity for Oklahoma players, Lamb seems like a prime candidate to check a lot of the boxes that would be required for DeCosta to feel comfortable paying up.

It’s still anyone’s guess which receiver will come off the board first, and the reality is that any of the “big three” (Lamb, Jerry Jeudy, and Henry Ruggs) could qualify as “difference-makers” for Baltimore as soon as this coming season. Each brings something different to the table and would pair nicely with Marquise Brown to potentially give the Ravens one of the most lethal receiver duos in the NFL.

Where CeeDee Lamb is most appealing is his ability to make things happen after the catch. His blend of speed and physicality makes him incredibly effective on screens, hook routes, and short slants, and he’s big enough that he can also go up and fight defenders off on 50-50 balls. He could stand to a little more bulk, and is not as crisp a route runner as Jeudy, but would still make an incredible running mate for Brown.

It should be acknowledged that this year’s receiving crop is as deep as we’ve seen in recent memory, so it may feel like a poor allocation of resources to trade up and get one. If Baltimore feels like CeeDee Lamb could be special, though, perhaps they’ll pull the trigger.