Generally speaking, Eric DeCosta and the Baltimore Ravens have a stellar draft track record. The Ravens are also highly unpredictable -- the building doesn't leak information, leaving both rival teams and fans unclear on what the Ravens are really thinking. Recently, DeCosta further added to this uncertainty by noting the importance of being a complete team.Â
During the Ravens' pre-draft press conference, head coach Jesse Minter praised this year's offensive and defensive line class. However, DeCosta quickly chimed in, saying that the Ravens want to be strong everywhere.Â
"I want to be strong everywhere," DeCosta said. "You can have the best offensive line and defensive line in the league. And if you can't cover or if you can't catch the balls or make explosive plays, you're going to get beat. And everyone is saying they've got to fix the receivers, and they need more DBs. The idea would be to build a team that's strong everywhere, I think there's a great opportunity for us."
Of course, this philosophy of wanting to be a well-rounded team is logical.  Still, the interior O-line is a glaring hole after the departure of Tyler Linderbaum, which left fans speculating that this would be the position that Baltimore would target early in the draft.
DeCosta's comments certainly don't rule out this possibility, but they don't add any clarity to what the Ravens will do early in the draft either. Notably, during this press conference, DeCosta praised the depth of this year's O-line class.
The Baltimore Ravens have several avenues to upgrade their roster in the draft
It's fair to wonder what exactly DeCosta's comments mean. Do they have their eyes set on an offensive linemen in the first-round and want this to serve as a smoke screen? Does he believe the corner back or receiver is a more pressing need than the O-line? (That seems somewhat reasonable, I suppose.) Will DeCosta simply take the best player available?
Frankly, these questions won't be answered until the draft is complete.
While I fully understand the importance of a well-rounded squad, it's hard to argue that offensive linemen, specifically center, isn't a massive need for the Ravens. If Baltimore doesn't walk out of the draft with someone you feel comfortable with starting at center, then it will be an undeniable disappointment.
DeCosta surely understands this and will find a way to upgrade the interior O-line. Regardless, finding ways to simultaneously upgrade the rest of the roster would be ideal.
Whether the Ravens should wait until a later round and take a center, or spend their first-round pick on a guard like Olaivavega Ioane is up for debate.Â
To DeCosta's point, the Ravens certainly need another pass catcher and a cornerback as well. Thus, we may see the Ravens upgrade these positions first before bolstering the trenches. For all we know, though, DeCosta could have his eyes set on Ioane in the first-round and could simply be throwing teams off the scent.
With 11 picks, it's fair to expect that the Ravens will upgrade numerous position groups. We just don't know what Baltimore will prioritize, especially after DeCosta's comments. Likewise, this could set up some surprises.
So buckle up, Ravens fans, we have a crazy week ahead of us.Â
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