The Baltimore Ravens have had a wild offseason. For the first time in 18 years, they have a new head coach in Jesse Minter. As a result, their coaching staff has been seeing a complete revamp. And Minter is cooking.
Minter has hired an intriguing blend of proven coaches like Dwayne Ledford to set the tone, while also bringing in up-and-coming minds like Declan Doyle to cement a new, innovative mindset on the offensive and defensive sides of the football. Most recently, on Monday, the team announced that Anthony Weaver will be the defensive coordinator. Weaver is a guy who will set the tone.
Baltimore needed a coach who players would respond well to, and someone who would light a fire under them on every down. Weaver endorses that physical mindset that Minter is looking to reinforce on defense. With Minter being a defense-first guy and Weaver being a former defensive line coach, the Ravens' approach in the NFL Draft may have become crystal clear. With an obvious need for defensive line help, look no further than Auburn’s Keldric Faulk.
Ravens’ Minter and Weaver pairing makes Keldric Faulk selection look increasingly possible
Baltimore has plenty of needs. They’re far from a perfect team. There are a few different directions they could go in with their 14th selection in this year’s NFL Draft, but pass rush has to be at, or at least near, the top of that list. Faulk feels like the ideal fit.
Faulk is a versatile pass rusher. The Ravens need versatility on their defensive line. The Auburn star can line up anywhere on the defensive line, using his strong blend of size and athleticism to beat opposing offensive fronts. He also dominates in the run game, bringing the exact mentality that coaches like Minter and Weaver will be looking for.
With Baltimore staring down an uncertain future with defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike and desperately needing a pass rush partner opposite of rookie outside linebacker Mike Green, Faulk could kill two birds with one stone. His relentless motor and willingness to do damage as a pass rusher, while also doing the dirty work against the run, should immediately make him a coach’s favorite.
Faulk isn’t the best of the bunch of edge rushers this year, but he should be right within the Ravens’ range. General Manager Eric DeCosta very rarely trades up, and he’s become known for letting the prospects fall to him. If Faulk is there, he has to be one of the names the front office thinks long and hard about.