5 Georgia Bulldogs the Ravens might draft to follow Todd Monken

After finishing 19th in the NFL in points scored and 16th in yards gained, the Baltimore Ravens decided it was best to part ways with offensive coordinator Greg Roman. To replace Roman, the Ravens hired former Georgia Bulldogs offensive coordinator, Todd Monken.

Monken spent three seasons as the OC of the Bulldogs — winning two National Championships in the process — and has previous NFL experience. Monken spent one season as both the Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers OC in 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Monken might not be the only Georgia transplant on the Baltimore sideline next season. With his influence now on the offense, Baltimore may now look to draft certain Georgia prospects to fill their various needs in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Georgia Bulldogs the Ravens might draft to follow Todd Monken:

1. EDGE Nolan Smith

The most pressing need for Baltimore is wide receiver and for that reason, we could see the team go a different direction in the first round. Baltimore does not have a second-round pick to take a receiver and with a pretty thin receiver market this offseason, a first-round receiver is probably a must.

That being said, if Baltimore does manage to land an impact receiver in free agency (or perhaps someone like Keenan Allen, who might be cut or traded by the Chargers), then the focus would turn to an edge rusher in the first round.

The best-case scenario for Baltimore with the 22nd pick in the draft is probably Georgia’s Nolan Smith, who is an extremely easy prospect to get excited about. Smith would be a pass-rush difference-maker right away and has all the tools to develop into a legitimate every-down edge defender.

Smith might not be playing on Tonken’s side of the ball but Tonken knows just how talented he is as his offense had to against him every day in practice. If the team is deciding between Smith and another prospect, familiarity via Tonken could be the deciding factor.

2. TE Darnell Washington

Darnell Washington appears to be a consensus pick to go in the third round and the Ravens would have to hope that the tight end falls a bit if they are interested in drafting him. Pro Football Focus ranks Washington as the 72nd-best prospect in the class while the Ravens do not pick until 86 (not having a second-round pick).

Tight end is not necessarily a need for Baltimore in the 2023 NFL Draft but if someone promising like Washington were to fall then the team may simply pick the best player available. No team in the league utilizes the tight end position better than the Ravens and Washington would be an upgrade as a depth piece who projects to instantly be a great blocker at the next level.

This would give Washington time to develop his pass-catching prowess while still contributing on the offensive end. Washington very well may go before pick 87 but if he somehow falls, Baltimore may not be able to turn him down.

Washington is not the most likely player on this list to end up in Baltimore but he is a very exciting tight end prospect that any team in the league — even the Ravens — could convince themselves of in the middle rounds.

3. CB Kelee Ringo

Cornerback is another pressing need for Baltimore this offseason, particularly in the 2023 NFL Draft. While there are some talented free-agent options that could help bridge the gap, Baltimore needs to get younger at the position.

Kelee Ringo is a day-two prospect that could fall to Baltimore in the third round. Ringo is projected to be an early third-round pick, so him falling to the Ravens in the third round definitely is in the realm of possibility.

There are not many cornerbacks in the entire country that have the athletic traits that Kelee Ringo has. While his technique and footwork definitely need to be improved at the NFL level, he has the size, speed and athletic makeup to be a very good cornerback in the NFL.

Unfortunately, this could be enough to keep Ringo from falling to the Ravens. Ringo is the type of prospect that will likely see his stock rise at the NFL Combine because of his athletic traits.

If he somehow falls to Baltimore at 87, though, it would be a no-brainer. Ringo is exactly the kind of freak athlete that Ravens fans are used to seeing on the defensive side of the ball.

4. RB Kenny Mcintosh

Georgia does not really have a receiver that can help the Ravens but they do have a running back that could be a valuable member of a rotation in Baltimore. Even with a new offensive coordinator, running the ball is still going to be a big part of the Ravens’ identity as long as Lamar Jackson is in town. Adding to the running back room is paramount.

J.K. Dobbins is as good as anyone when he is healthy but he has not been able to stay on the field. Gus Edwards is a solid no. 2 but like Dobbins, has not shown the ability to consistently stay on the field.

Plus, both Dobbins and Edwards are free agents after the 2023 season and it would be shocking if they are brought back (unless they come back for cheap). Thus, getting a rookie running back in the room now to develop into a bigger role in 2024 is the smartest route to go.

Kenny Mcintosh would be a fifth-round target for the Ravens with PFF ranking him as the 180th-best prospect in the draft (Baltimore picks at 159 in the fifth round). While he may take time to develop as a runner, his ability to catch passes out of the backfield would instantly make him a weapon to utilize in his rookie season.

A good way to make up for a potentially thin wide receiver room is by having weapons elsewhere. The team has weapons at tight end and could add a really fun passing weapon to the running back room in Kenny Mcintosh.

5. QB Stetson Bennett

Baltimore’s quarterback situation is the biggest storyline surrounding the team right now. Lamar Jackson’s future with the team remains unclear and if Jackson does leave, there is no concrete path that the Ravens have to replace him.

Tyler Huntley is a restricted free agent and Baltimore is likely going to bring him back no matter what. Huntley is an okay option to start for Baltimore if they need a yearly stop-gap but he should not be the quarterback that the team is building around long-term.

If Lamar does return, it would not be shocking to see Huntley leave. There are a lot of quarterback-hungry teams in the league that might be willing to pay whatever it takes to get the restricted free agent out of Baltimore.

Either way it goes, it looks like the Ravens may have a need for a backup quarterback that is not named Anthony Brown. If so, then Monken may convince the team to bring his signal-caller from Georgia with him.

Bennett would likely have to be a sixth-round selection for the Ravens and would provide the team with an experienced backup who is familiar with Monken and his offensive philosophy. Investing in a backup is a real thing in the NFL, especially when both Lamar and Huntley have their injury concerns.

There is no world in which Bennett would be picked to be the starter as that is entrusting way too much into a QB that is not going to be very special in the NFL. But as a backup? That is not a bad pick depending on what happens.