Like always, the noise surrounding the 2026 NFL Draft has been relentless. For the Baltimore Ravens, after such a letdown of a season, there’s been a ton of speculation about where they’ll go with their selection at no. 14. It’s uncommon to see them picking inside the top half after all.
Most believe that Baltimore will be focusing on the trenches with their first-round pick, most notably by targeting guard Vega Ioane (Penn State). On the other hand, though, there have been people playing devil’s advocate. Is picking an interior offensive lineman at 14th overall really a smart idea? General manager Eric DeCosta cleared the air on that.
During his press conference on Wednesday, DeCosta sent a simple message. While guard and some of their other needs aren’t necessarily premium, that won’t stop them from making the pick if they deem it to be the right decision.
DeCosta on positional value: "If the guy is a great football player who can change the face of your program, you take them."
— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) April 15, 2026
Points out that some of the organization's best ever players played "non-premium" positions.
Baltimore Ravens likely won’t be fooled by lack of positional value
This is kind of how the Baltimore Ravens have operated throughout their entire existence. From the early draft success in the 1990’s, to the recent success in the 2020’s, the front office hasn’t let the perceived lack of positional value fool them. In fact, they’ve embraced it, and it’s worked out pretty darn well across their history.
Two areas that have been a prominent theme of Baltimore’s draft history have been off-ball linebacker and safety. Whether it was during Ozzie Newsome’s tenure or Eric DeCosta’s current time as GM, they’ve drafted their fair share of those prospects in the first round, and almost every single one has been a hit.
At linebacker, Ray Lewis is a name that needs no introduction, and C.J. Mosley and Patrick Queen had productive careers with the Ravens. At safety, Ed Reed is one of the greatest safeties of all time, and Kyle Hamilton and Malaki Starks are productive young players (we don't need to talk about Matt Elam). Even the organization’s only guard picked in the first round, Ben Grubbs, ended up being a Pro Bowler.
Clearly, when you’re getting those kinds of results from so-called “non-premium” selections, it doesn’t matter. No one’s going to be talking about a team taking a guard in the top half of the first round if they ultimately put together a strong career. Just look at the Dallas Cowboys with Tyler Booker last year. That’s off to a tremendous start.
For the fans who are hollering for the Ravens to draft Vega Ioane, this might be good news. Despite the needs at more premium spots, it sure sounds like DeCosta could keep it simple and focus on protecting Lamar Jackson.
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