The Baltimore Ravens are getting ready for the 2020 NFL Draft. With that in mind here are three things that I believe about this draft:
1. This is the best wide receiver draft class of all-time:
Wide receivers tend to offer the most boom or bust prospects yet this is a draft class I think has more hits than misses. The top three receivers in Jerry Juedy, Ceedee Lamb and Henry Ruggs are all easily stars at the next level. Juedy is good at everything. Lamb is the best play-maker and Ruggs is a jet pack equipped speedster. Denzel Mims is easily the player I am most infatuated with going into this thing. He’s got elite traits and some quality production that make me think he could be just as good as the big three targets.
There is legitimate first round buzz for about eight wide receivers. Players like Brandon Aiyuk, Tee Higgins and Jalen Reager will probably fall to the second round yet it’s not inconceivable that they could hear their names called on Thursday night. I have ranked 40 wide receivers on my personal big board this year.
I’ve never been so keen on so many wide receivers. My prediction for this draft is at least one or two receivers drafted after fourth round will be solid play-makers in the NFL. One player to keep you’re eye on as a potential late round sleeper is Darrell Stewart Jr. from Michigan State. He just finds ways to get open when he lines up in the slot.
The Ravens can wait on wide receivers in this draft class or they can try to get one of the best receivers from one of the best receiver drafts. Whatever they do, it would be unfathomable for the Ravens not to get a good receiver in this draft. The draft class is loaded with them.
2. This is a trade down draft, not a trade up draft:
I’ve seen a lot of mock drafts with the Ravens trading up to get a player like Jerry Jeudy. It’s not something I would advocate for the Ravens. If a top five wide receiver is there at 28 (It won’t be Jeudy) the Ravens should probably take him. If not, the Ravens should either pick at 28 or trade back. This draft class is loaded with solid players. Outside of wide receivers and offensive tackles, the elite talent doesn’t go very far. The Ravens should get as many of these solid players on board as they can.
The Ravens have to get their first selection right, yet that is true about every draft class. The heart of this draft class is going to be from the second round through the fourth. This reminds me of the 2018 draft where the Ravens got Mark Andrews and Orlando Brown Jr. in the third round. I also think it’s very possible that the Ravens can find an equivalent prospect to Bradley Bozeman late in this draft. The first pick is huge yet this is a draft class that will be graded on the overall haul. Like the Ravens did in 2018, they should work the draft in a way that gives them the most overall picks.
In 2018 the Ravens made 12 draft picks. Five of those picks were hits and the jury is still out on DeShon Elliott. Kenny Young wasn’t a hit but the Rams didn’t know that and he ended up helping the Ravens get Marcus Peters. If the Ravens have four to five hits in this draft, they will be a crazy stacked team with good depth. The Ravens should maximize their draft haul. They need to make this roster the best one they ever had in Baltimore, because a Super Bowl is very possible.
1. No position is off limits:
The Baltimore Ravens don’t need a quarterback. That being said if Jalen Hurts is there in the fourth round because the NFL proves to be cautious with him he would be an option. He would be a perfect backup for the Ravens. If the Ravens play their cards right, they could get a good trade down the line kind of like the Patriots have done with their backups to Brady. The point is that there is no position (other than kicker) that the Ravens can’t explore at some point in this draft class.
The Ravens are loaded at running back right? Well, they may not want to take D’Andre Swift at 28 however Anthony McFarland in the fourth round would be an awesome pick. The Ravens are stacked at cornerback, however they can never have enough talent at that position. It’s not a bad idea to draft a cornerback every single year at some point in the draft. It’s not like Anthony Averett showed a ton of positive potential. In the first couple rounds, Baltimore should attack their more urgent needs. That doesn’t mean they can’t draft a player they don’t absolutely need at the moment. Value is the key to a good draft, regardless of position.
These are the things that I believe heading into the NFL Draft. If I was Eric DeCosta these would be the three things that I would remind myself before I go into the virtual war room on Thursday night. The first thing is that a good wide receiver has to be part of the draft plan. There are two ways to go about it, yet receiver has to be addressed in a strong receiver class. The second thing is that I want to maximize value and and get as many picks. Finally, don’t be afraid to pick best player available when the value is off the charts. It all boils down to one point. Don’t reach, don’t turn down players who fall to you at the right spot.