NFL Draft confidence scale: Where Eric DeCosta and Ravens rank

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OWINGS MILLS, MD – SEPTEMBER 08: Baltimore Ravens President Dick Cass (L) and assistant general manager Eric DeCosta (R) watch the team practice at their training facility on September 8, 2014 in Owings Mills, Maryland. Earlier in the day the Ravens terminated the contract of running back Ray Rice and the NFL suspended him indefinitely after the release of video showing Rice striking his then-fiancée in a hotel elevator. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

Take home point for Ravens fans:

The bottom line is that the Ravens shouldn’t be worried about the NFL Draft. In fact they shouldn’t be worried at all. In one draft Eric DeCosta did better at wide receiver than Ozzie Newsome did his entire run. Marquise Brown is poised to be a star. The 2018 draft was something DeCosta was very much a partner with Newsome for. There is no way Newsome would put DeCosta in a situation he didn’t want to be in. 2018 is something DeCosta should get some credit for. So he had a hand in bringing the MVP, Mark Andrews and Orlando Brown Jr. to Baltimore.

The thing that DeCosta has in common with the other elite decision makers in the NFL is that he understands draft value well. He’s not a decision maker who gets forced into picks. He makes responsible trades that give him more draft resources. DeCosta has become a lot like Belichick.

That’s not something Ravens fans may want to hear considering their disdain for the Patriots, however it’s absolutely true. When somebody makes a trade with DeCosta they tend to lose. That’s a Belichick trait. I would argue that DeCosta is a mix between Belichick and Newsome. Like Belichick he works the draft well. We’ve seen that with his trades. Like Belichick, DeCosta has a type of player he looks for. Like Newsome, he sticks to his board without apology.

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What do all the bad general managers do? They reach for players like Gettleman. They don’t plan things out like Bill O’Brien. They don’t give themselves an out on their decisions like Les Snead. These are all things the Ravens don’t have to worry about. DeCosta may or may not do what you would do, however he surely won’t do what these guys will. For that, Baltimore should be thankful.

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