One 2023 NFL Draft prospect the Ravens ‘should be watching’
By Justin Fried
The Baltimore Ravens love to have as much secondary depth as possible, and that philosophy has been evident in the team’s roster-building approach in recent history.
Entering the 2022 season, the Ravens boast one of the most talented secondaries in the NFL with the duo of Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters atop their cornerback depth chart.
But it’s never too early to start looking at future additions, even after selecting both Jalyn Armour-Davis and Damarion Williams in this year’s draft.
Pro Football Focus’ Michael Renner recently listed one 2023 NFL Draft prospect that every NFL team “should be watching,” and for the Ravens, he suggested TCU cornerback Noah Daniels.
"“Daniels has CB1-type talent with a UDFA’s injury history. He’s allowed only 18 catches from 38 targets for his career and boasts one of the most impressive man coverage skill sets in the class.However, his career has already spanned five seasons, and he’s only managed 510 snaps. The Ravens are looking for value in any way they can get it, and even with a big year in 2022, there’s little chance Daniels’ stock can rise too far above the mid-rounds, where the Ravens always stockpile picks.”"
Would Noah Daniels make sense for the Ravens in the 2023 NFL Draft?
Daniels has proven during his time at TCU that he has what it takes to be a successful NFL player. There was a time not too long ago when he looked like a future first-round pick.
Unfortunately, injuries have stalled his progress and stunted his collegiate career.
Daniels sat out the entire 2019 season due to injury, played in just four games before suffering a season-ending injury in 2020, and appeared in just five games this past season.
He’s suited up for nine games in three years heading into TCU’s 2022 campaign. It’s hard to justify a player with that kind of an injury history being a Day 1 pick, especially given that he’s now been at TCU for six years.
If Daniels can put together an impressive 2022 season and, more importantly, stay healthy, he should still find himself drafted into the NFL. That’s where the Ravens come into play.
As Renner notes, the Ravens love stockpiling mid-round picks. Just this past year, the organization drafted a whopping six players in Round 4. They owned a ridiculous 18.75 percent of the entire fourth round.
That figures to be right around where Daniels could be picked if he puts together a strong season. He fits a potential need for the Ravens as well.
Peters is entering the final year of his contract and it’s far from a guarantee that the Ravens re-sign him. Veteran Kyle Fuller was only signed to a one-year deal too. Cornerback could become a need for Baltimore in the very near future.
While he likely won’t be high atop many Ravens draft boards come next spring, Noah Daniels is still a player the organization could keep an eye on.