The Baltimore Ravens have had a ton of success in the first round of the NFL Draft. Ever since taking over for Ozzie Newsome, general manager Eric DeCosta has been praised for hitting on early picks, and he’ll look to do that again on April 23.
This year, the Ravens are sitting in a familiar spot. 2025 was a lost season, and as a result, they’ll be picking at 14th overall. Fans are hoping the front office can find a star. The last time they picked at No. 14, they didn’t just get themselves a star. They got a superstar.
Back in 2022, Baltimore added one of the best players in the NFL in the form of Kyle Hamilton. Hamilton was one of the best prospects in that draft, but somehow fell into DeCosta's lap. Hopefully, they can hit another home run.
Baltimore Ravens fans are hoping for another Eric DeCosta masterstroke at pick 14
The 2026 NFL Draft might not have a star-caliber player like Hamilton. It’s a bit of a weaker class. However, there’s still a lot of talent within the top-five-to-eight in the class, and if any of those guys fall to the Ravens, DeCosta will gladly scoop up the best player available.
The Ravens will need some help if they want to come out of the draft with the best-case scenario. They’re in dire need of wide receiver and interior offensive line help, and other areas like cornerback and tight end could be on the table. There’s a realistic possibility that guys like Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson or Penn State’s Vega Ioane are there, but if they want a Hamilton-type steal, they’ll need some sudden draft falls to occur.
There have been reports about some of those top guys falling. Ohio State’s Caleb Downs has been mentioned as a player who could fall outside of the top-10, and Miami’s Rueben Bain has had concerns surface that may force him down teams’ boards. Both of those players, in terms of talent, have gotten praise as top-five players.
Regardless of how the board falls, DeCosta has become known for his “best player available” draft philosophy. He might lean away from that strategy this year, given the urgency of other needs, but if there’s a shocking prospect fall, and that player can contribute day one, you best believe DeCosta would take advantage of other teams’ blunders as he did in 2022.
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