The Baltimore Ravens are preparing for what could very well be one the most important offseasons in franchise history.
With multiple key pending free agents and little cap space, the Ravens are going to have to make some tough decisions. That’s not including the nine draft picks the team possesses within the first four rounds.
Of course, there’s also Lamar Jackson’s extension conversation as well. General manager Eric DeCosta and company undoubtedly have their work cut out for them this offseason.
And while free agency will prove to be important, much of the offseason will revolve around the 2022 NFL Draft.
Of course, it’s always difficult to predict how the draft will shake out without knowing what the team will do in free agency or with their pending internal free agents.
Some positions that look like dire needs now could be filled in the coming weeks, and the opposite is true as well. But it’s still fun to project at least one possible scenario.
We’ve been running these semi-weekly mock drafts on the site for quite some time now. We’ve run through a number of different scenarios, but the one being proposed today is new.
In our latest seven-round 2022 NFL mock draft, the Ravens made sure to build both their offensive and defensive lines early, and they did so in a big way.
With help from The Draft Network’s Mock Machine, let’s take a look at our results.
Round 1, 14th Overall, Ravens: Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa
This pick depends entirely on the future of Bradley Bozeman. If the Ravens are able to re-sign him this offseason, the center position isn’t a need. But if not, it becomes one of the most important positions to address on the roster.
Fortunately, they might just have one of the best center prospects the NFL has seen in years fall into their laps in the first round. Tyler Linderbaum is everything teams look for in a center.
He’s intelligent, athletic, and technically sound giving him both a high floor and an All-Pro ceiling at the next level. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him immediately step in as one of the best centers in football, ala Creed Humphrey.
Bozeman’s future in Baltimore looks murkier by the day, but landing Linderbaum would certainly help ease the pain of Bozeman walking.
Round 2, 45th Overall, Ravens: Travis Jones, DT, Connecticut
The Ravens don’t only have to address their offensive line, they need to do the same with their defensive line. Brandon Williams, Calais Campbell, and Justin Ellis are all free agents, and even if one or more return, the team still needs to get younger.
Williams is past his prime and Ellis is little more than a rotational player. That’s why targeting a player like Travis Jones makes all the sense in the world.
Jones is more athletic and offers more upside than your typical nose tackle but still has the strength and power, at 6-foot-4, 328 pounds, to excel in run defense.
A strong performance at the Senior Bowl has seen his stock skyrocket meaning that it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him end up a top-50 pick.
Round 3, 76th Overall, Ravens: Drake Jackson, EDGE, USC
Edge rusher is an underrated need for the Ravens this offseason. With Tyus Bowser recovering from a torn Achilles and Justin Houston hitting free agency, the Ravens will need to add a player to two to their outside linebacker corps.
USC’s Drake Jackson is an intriguing developmental edge rusher with the athletic traits to excel as a pass rusher in a 3-4. At 6-foot-4, 250 pounds, Jackson has excellent length that he uses to beat opposing offensive tackles around the edge.
He’s still a little unrefined as a pass rusher as he tended to win more with speed and athleticism in college, but the Ravens proved that they have no issues drafting a high-upside “project” at the position last year.
Pairing Jackson with Odafe Oweh would give the Ravens two athletic, high-ceiling pass rushers to build around on defense.
Round 3, 99th Overall, Ravens: Cam Taylor-Britt, CB, Nebraska
The Ravens learned last season that you can never have too many quality defensive backs. Expect that to heavily influence how they go about addressing the position this offseason, especially with Anthony Averett likely to depart.
Nebraska’s Cam Taylor-Britt is an intriguing developmental cornerback prospect who has the traits and talent to compete for reps early in his career.
At 6-foot, 205 pounds, Taylor-Britt has good length and he hits like a strong safety. Probably better in zone than man coverage, Taylor-Britt makes sense for a Mike Macdonald defense that should feature more zone schemes than his predecessor.
Taylor-Britt could develop for a year behind Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters before hopefully taking over as a full-time starter in 2023, perhaps as Peters’ replacement.
Round 4, 108th Overall, Ravens: Channing Tindall, LB, Georgia
Linebacker is one of a number of offseason needs on the Ravens roster that has been overlooked to this point. Josh Bynes was a nice surprise in 2021, but he clearly isn’t the long-term solution.
The Ravens need another linebacker to pair up with Patrick Queen in the middle of their defense and Georgia’s Channing Tindall could be that player.
While Tindall is still a work in progress in coverage, he has the speed and athleticism to develop in that area. One strength of his game remains his run defense where he uses his speed and instincts to shoot gaps and make plays behind the line of scrimmage.
Tindall could play a rotational role as a rookie competing for snaps alongside Queen on early downs before hopefully developing into a three-down player in the near future.
TRENDING: Ravens land elite OL prospect in 7-round 2022 NFL Mock Draft
Round 4, 117th Overall, Ravens: Andrew Stueber, OT, Michigan
The Ravens can’t just settle for one offensive line pick, however. Not when there are still glaring holes at both left guard and right tackle.
That’s why we gave them Michigan offensive tackle Andrew Stueber here in the fourth round. Stueber is a physically impressive lineman, standing at 6-foot-7 and nearly 340 pounds.
While he lacks the athleticism to project favorably as a left tackle, he has impressive raw strength and the length to get by as a right tackle.
He could compete for reps as a rookie and, with a little extra refinement, perhaps become the long-term right tackle of the future. He just has the attitude of a Ravens player.
Round 4, 126th Overall, Ravens: Nick Cross, S, Maryland
Nick Cross is a local product from Bowie, MD who grew up to attend the University of Maryland. On top of the local ties, his skill set is exactly what the Ravens need in their secondary.
Cross is a true coverage safety with the range to project as a plus-starter at free safety in the future. He has the versatility to line up all over on defense and Maryland used him everywhere from a single-high safety to a sub-package WILL linebacker.
DeShon Elliott is a free agent and, even if he’s brought back, his extensive injury history makes it hard to rely on him moving forward.
Cross could compete with Brandon Stephens and Geno Stone for snaps early in his career while giving the Ravens another young defensive back to bolster their secondary depth.
Round 4, 138th Overall, Ravens: Tyler Badie, RB, Missouri
The Ravens will return both J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards this season, but that doesn’t mean they won’t address the running back position in the offseason.
Missouri’s Tyler Badie is an intriguing mid-round target who could give the Ravens the dynamic, change-of-pace RB3 they once hoped they had in Justice Hill.
Badie stands at just 5-foot-8, 194 pounds, and will likely never be a true three-down running back in the NFL. But he’s electric with the ball in his hands and thrives in open space.
The Ravens could add another big-play element to their offense in the form of the lightning-quick Badie, giving them additional depth in their backfield.
Round 4, 140th Overall, Ravens: Romeo Doubs, WR, Nevada
For the first time in what feels like forever, the wide receiver position isn’t a pressing need for the Ravens this offseason. But that doesn’t mean they’ll ignore it altogether.
While I wouldn’t expect the Ravens to make any significant investments at the position, as GM Eric DeCosta hinted at, they could still target a player in the middle rounds of the draft.
Nevada’s Romeo Doubs is a downfield playmaker who could give the Ravens the vertical threat they’re expected to lose with Sammy Watkins likely departing.
Doubs blends good size, at 6-foot-2, with outstanding speed and tracking ability that make him one of the best deep threats in this class.
Round 6, 194th Overall, Ravens: Charlie Kolar, TE, Iowa State
The Ravens love having as much tight end depth as possible, which is why it must have been painful for the team to trot out the likes of Eric Tomlinson and Josh Oliver behind Mark Andrews for nearly half the season.
Nick Boyle returned from serious injury midway through 2021, and while his return was certainly heartfelt, he clearly didn’t look like the player he was pre-injury.
Iowa State’s Charlie Kolar is a player I was surprised to see still available at this stage of the draft. At 6-foot-6, 255 pounds, Kolar has an NFL-ready frame and the well-rounded skill set to play at least a rotational role early in his career.
He’s a good blocker with an underrated set of receiving skills who can serve as valuable depth behind Boyle and an upgrade over Oliver as the Ravens’ TE3 in 2022.