Ravens land first-round steal in 7-round 2022 NFL Mock Draft
By Justin Fried
Round 3, 76th Overall, Ravens: Derion Kendrick, CB, Georgia
The Ravens will have multiple big decisions to make at the cornerback position this offseason, mainly regarding the futures of Anthony Averett and Marcus Peters. Either way, if 2021 showed us anything, it’s that you can never have too many cornerbacks.
This is a talented and deep cornerback class, but one high-profile name who’s flown a bit under the radar is Georgia’s Derion Kendrick. A former highly-touted recruit at Clemson, Kendrick transferred to Georgia and put together an impressive senior season.
At 6-foot, 190 pounds, Kendrick has the ideal size and physicality to be a starting outside corner in the NFL. Inconsistencies have plagued him in college, but he has the potential to be a very good player if he can put it all together.
The Ravens are always looking for additional cornerback depth and they find some here in the form of another SEC standout.
Round 3, 101st Overall, Ravens: Brenton Cox Jr., EDGE, Florida
Four picks, four SEC players. I swear it’s just a coincidence. The Ravens could use additional pass-rush help even after adding Odafe Oweh in the first round of last year’s draft.
Florida’s Brenton Cox Jr. fits the mold of the versatile outside linebacker prospect they could be searching for. Cox is a former five-star recruit who is at his best when asked to be a stand-up pass rusher.
The Ravens ask a lot of their outside linebackers which is why it’s often difficult to find ideal scheme fits. But Cox’s experience as a stand-up outside edge rusher who filled a variety of roles at Florida makes him a perfect target here.
The Ravens love developing mid-round pass rushers and Cox could be their next success story.