Baltimore Ravens pre-draft press conference: 5 immediate takeaways

Yesterday, there was a Baltimore Ravens press conference. It was the annual pre-draft presser. Let’s touch on some of the takeaways from this press conference.

"“Both talented guys who have some versatility. A little different in what they do best, but certainly two guys we have our eye on.” – Joe Hortiz on Rashod Bateman and Terrace Marshall Jr."

#1. Joe Hortiz, the Baltimore Ravens Director of College Scouting, commented on wide receiver prospects, Bateman and Marshall. However, Eric DeCosta also pointed out that it is “insulting” when people say the Ravens don’t have any good wide receivers. And that they are plenty of wide receivers in the first three rounds that could immediately make an impact. So, expect Baltimore to stick to the best player available approach. They don’t sound desperate to draft a wide receiver in the first round.

"Eric DeCosta called the draft “a luck-driven process. If you have more picks, you’re going to hit on more good players.”"

#2.  After hearing that, it sounds very likely that the Ravens will make a move to add at least one or two more picks in the 2021 NFL Draft. This could be through trading back or trading Orlando Brown Jr. There is a visit with former Steelers offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva this week for the Ravens. That could be a sign that Orlando Brown Jr. is getting traded at some point.

#3. John Harbaugh was very noncommital about whether Bradley Bozeman is going to stay at left guard or move to his original college position of center. One thing we do know is that the Ravens have options because of Bozeman’s versatility. It allows them to bring in a center or a guard if they want to because Bozeman can play both.

#4. DeCosta mentioned that the team has 200 players on their draft board. It sounds to me like they have multiple players they would draft in each round. This also makes it sound even more likely that the Ravens will trade back or trade Orlando Brown Jr. for more picks. They like a lot of these prospects.

#5. The negotiations with Lamar Jackson are ongoing. According to Eric DeCosta, the Baltimore Ravens are aware that extending quarterback Lamar Jackson would change the way they build the roster. But DeCosta said “That’s a great problem to have. We aspire to have that type of problem.” What he meant by that is the Ravens want to have their franchise quarterback signed, whether they have to be more careful with how they spend money or not. Not much information was given in regards to when a deal could get done. It may not happen until next season or offseason.