Here is a look at the top players still available for the Ravens as we get ready for the second and third rounds of the NFL Draft:
The Baltimore Ravens got a great grade for their pick of Patrick Queen. Now it’s on to the second and the third rounds of the NFL Draft. The advantage to being a football nerd who spent a long time constructing a personal big board, is that I’m ready going into tonight. Here are my best available players broken down into five tiers. The one thing I will say is that there isn’t much separation between a lot of these prospects. It’s really a situation where beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Tier 1:
Denzel Mims, Wide Receiver (Baylor)
Ezra Cleveland, Offensive Tackle (Boise State)
Krystian Fulton, Cornerback (LSU)
Ross Blacklock, Defensive lineman (TCU)
D’Andre Swift, Running Back (Georgia)
Best fit for the Ravens: The best fits for this tier are Denzel Mims and D’Andre Swift. If you’re confident in Ben Powers to fill in the right guard spot the Ravens biggest needs are wide receiver and edge rushers. Mims has been my ideal wide receiver for the Ravens throughout this entire process. I’m going to keep pounding the table for the Ravens to draft him. The Ravens have seen six receivers already come off the board. This just proves that Mims is completely underrated through the eyes of the NFL. He’s a big bodied target who played really good football at Baylor. The fact that he played through injury should erase any concerns you have about him. He has big play potential and he’s a mentally tough wide receiver.
Swift is an interesting prospect for the Ravens. In round one it would have been slightly irresponsible. The Ravens after all don’t need a running back all that badly. They have Mark Ingram, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill. If Swift is there at 55, Baltimore can absolutely justify taking him. No devaluing of running backs or lack of need could ignore the fact that Swift would be an absolute steal in the second round. The number one thing to remember in the NFL Draft is to chase value, not needs.
You have to keep your eyes on Ross Blacklock as well. At the end of the day he’s a first round talent that is falling way too low in this process. The TCU defensive lineman is still on the table for the Ravens. They may have a loaded defensive line, however Blacklock really is their type of player. He would fit right in a nice rotation with Derek Wolfe. He would add some extra power to the defensive front in Baltimore.