Ravens land elite OL prospect in 7-round 2022 NFL Mock Draft
By Justin Fried
Round 2, 45th Overall, Ravens: Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida
The 2022 cornerback class is one of the best in recent memory, but with such a talented class, a couple of high-profile prospects could fall out of the first round. In this scenario, that happened with Florida’s Kaiir Elam.
Elam is a physically-gifted cornerback who stands at 6-foot-2, 193 pounds with the physicality, athleticism, and length to be a No. 1 cornerback in the NFL.
He is equally adept in both press-man coverage as he is zone coverage and has the instincts, ball skills, and athletic tools to be a day-one starter with All-Pro potential.
The Ravens learned this past season that you can never have too many cornerbacks, and with Anthony Averett set to be a free agent and the future of Marcus Peters uncertain, the position is a pretty big need for the team.
Round 3, 76th Overall, Ravens: Nik Bonitto, EDGE, Oklahoma
Another position that has suddenly become a major need is outside linebacker. Tyus Bowser’s Achilles injury could force the Ravens to rethink their offseason plans with the veteran linebacker likely to miss the start of the 2022 season.
Oklahoma’s Nik Bonitto is a prospect not too dissimilar to Bowser himself. Like Bowser, Bonitto is a super versatile player who can set the edge, rush the passer, and even play some off-ball linebacker.
He’s undersized at just 6-foot-2, 231 pounds, and could benefit from adding a little weight. Ultimately, his ceiling will be determined by how the team that drafts him utilizes him.
Bonitto is a valuable chess piece in any NFL defense and that versatility should serve him well if drafted by the Ravens.