The Baltimore Ravens are nearing one of their most important drafts in team history. After a 2025 campaign where they flat-out sucked, they fired John Harbaugh and hired Jesse Minter. As they enter this new era, they need to kick things off on the right foot with a strong draft class.
Baltimore tends to dominate in the draft department, and a handful of reported 30 visits have begun to reveal the areas they could target come late April. Among those are some serious positions of need, like Kayden McDonald at defensive tackle, Travis Burke at offensive tackle, and Dani Dennis-Sutton at defensive end.
One of the more talented players they’ve scheduled a visit with thus far is LSU’s A.J. Haulcy. He’s one of the most instinctual defensive backs in this year’s draft. The issue is, he’s a safety. The Ravens already have perhaps the most talented safety room in the NFL. If they ultimately select him, they could face a whole lot of scrutiny.
Baltimore Ravens’ interest in A.J. Haulcy could raise questions about draft strategy
Usually, Baltimore will draft the best player available in the early rounds. It makes sense, and it’s paid off more often than not. While Haulcy very well could be the best prospect on the board when they pick at 45, the Ravens shouldn’t take a safety early this year. They just can’t.
Sure, the Ravens have had a ton of success drafting safeties. There’s a ton of talent to come out of those selections in their history. Ed Reed, Kyle Hamilton, Geno Stone, and DeShon Elliott have all carved out strong NFL careers, and Malaki Starks could be next. But Haulcy might not have a spot to have the kind of impact those guys have had.
Hamilton and Starks are already expected to be one of the best young safety duos for the foreseeable future. In free agency, Baltimore made that group even more impressive by signing Jaylinn Hawkins. They’ve created a truly elite trio that will showcase intriguing versatility that will simply make them capable of anything in 2026. Throwing Haulcy into that mix with their second-round pick would be way too much of a good thing.
In terms of talent, Haulcy could be one of the more talented players you can get in the 2026 NFL Draft. And for a draft that lacks a lot of high-end talent, you could see teams toss their care for positional needs out the window. Baltimore needs a more well-rounded roster, though; they have significant needs elsewhere. Safety is one of the last positions they should even contemplate picking from.
If we’re being honest, Baltimore’s first two picks should likely be wide receiver and interior offensive line. It doesn’t matter what order; they just cannot walk away from the first two days without addressing those pressing needs. If they did pass on either of those spots for a safety, well then, the fanbase definitely wouldn’t be too happy.
The talent in Haulcy is there, but the severe lack of need would have everyone questioning general manager Eric DeCosta’s draft philosophy.