Ravens stockpiling picks ahead of ‘deep’ 2022 NFL Draft class

The Baltimore Ravens have been quietly stocking up on 2022 NFL Draft picks in anticipation of what could be one of the deepest draft classes in recent memory.

This is no accident. It’s a deliberate strategy employed by general manager Eric DeCosta who sees an opportunity to make some major additions next year.

At the moment, current projections have the Ravens with a total of 10 picks in the 2022 draft including nine in the first four rounds.

This is including the expected compensatory fourth-round picks they will receive for losing Matt Judon and Yannick Ngakoue in free agency.

Unless the Ravens send some of their draft capital elsewhere in a future trade, it’s likely that the team will have double-digit selections in one of the deepest draft classes in recent memory.

Below is a look at all 10 projected picks and how the team acquired them.

The Ravens could take advantage of a very deep 2022 NFL Draft class

The Ravens were well aware that the 2021 NFL Draft class wasn’t nearly as deep as in recent years. As a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s draft saw one of the smallest pools of talent in quite a while.

But what that does mean is that the 2022 draft class will benefit from an influx of talent, many of whom returned to school this past year.

The Ravens know this. It’s why they didn’t make any selections past the fifth round in this year’s draft. It’s why they held their post-draft press conference more than two hours before the conclusion of the draft.

They had already decided that they wouldn’t trade back up. The Ravens knew what they were doing.

Instead, they made a trade with the Arizona Cardinals that landed them a 2022 fourth-round pick. The recent trades of Shaun Wade, Ben Bredeson, and Greg Mancz have netted them even more 2022 draft capital.

The Ravens are stockpiling picks because they know what’s coming. One of the deepest draft classes in NFL history.

On top of that, they understand the need to acquire young players on cheap contracts with Lamar Jackson’s mega-extension set to eat into their cap space.

It’s all part of the roster-building strategy of DeCosta and the front office. It’s a sound strategy that could pay off in the long term.

The Ravens have a calculated plan for the future, and it all starts with their 2022 NFL Draft picks.