Ravens’ biggest winners and losers of the 2022 NFL Draft
By Kristen Wong
Ravens’ Loser No. 3: Sam Koch
In a shocking draft day move, the Ravens took Penn State punter Jordan Stout in the fourth round which may very well signal the end of the Sam Koch era.
Eric DeCosta and Sam Koch reportedly had a conversation about the team possibly drafting a punter in the fourth round, in turn raising questions about Koch’s future on the team.
The soon-to-be 40-year-old owns the third-highest cap figure in the league among punters, and Baltimore can free up $2.1 million in cap space by cutting Koch. Yet DeCosta also stated that Koch was the “fabric” of this Ravens team, and the more likely scenario is that the team holds onto Koch as a backup in case Stout underperforms.
Niceties aside, the Ravens drafting Stout sent Koch a crystal clear message, and there’s a high chance he’ll be spending most of the season on the bench watching his heir dropkick bombs down the field.
Koch currently holds the record for the most games played in Ravens history (256), has won a ring, and has served as a stable hand to Justin Tucker for the last 17 years. He completed 7-of-8 passes during his tenure in Baltimore and could teach the rookie a thing or two about fake punts before he finds a new team or retires.
This inevitable changing of the punting guard could see Stout take over starting duties in 2022, and if Stout’s leg proves reliable and powerful throughout the season, Koch’s time with the Ravens may come to a sorrowful end.