The Baltimore Ravens didn’t come into free agency looking to overhaul their wide receiver room. They already had Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman in place, then went out and added DeAndre Hopkins on a one-year deal to round out the group. That should be more than enough to keep Lamar Jackson well-stocked with weapons in 2025.
Meanwhile, actual needs have popped up all over the roster. Patrick Mekari cashed in with the Jacksonville Jaguars, leaving a hole at left guard. Brandon Stephens bolted for the New York Jets, making the secondary even thinner. Michael Pierce retired, Brent Urban remains unsigned, and the Ravens have yet to add any help at defensive tackle or edge rusher.
If there was ever a draft where Baltimore needed to address literally anything other than wide receiver, it’s this one.
And yet, in PFF’s latest mock draft, John Kosko has the Ravens taking Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III in the first round. A slot receiver. A guy who’d be the fourth-best receiver on the team on Day 1. While he's surely an elite-level talent, he's just not the guy the Ravens need right now.
Ravens have more pressing needs than receiver for the 2025 Draft
Kosko' explanation for his selection is sound, but without context:
“The Ravens seemingly draft a wide receiver at the back end of the first round almost every year as they look for weapons for Lamar Jackson’s arsenal. Burden was projected in the top 10 for much of 2024 but has fallen in recent months. Regardless, Burden is an explosive athlete with the ability to separate in man coverage and outrun pursuit angles with the ball in his hands.”
Sure. He’s very talented. But is he even remotely a need for Baltimore? Not at all. The Ravens have Flowers, Bateman, and Hopkins—Burden would be buried on the depth chart. Drafting a receiver in the first round when actual needs exist at offensive guard, cornerback, pass rusher, and defensive tackle would be a wild waste of a pick—something general manager Eric DeCosta doesn't typically do.
And yes, they did draft Flowers and Bateman late in the first rounds of their respective drafts, but they don't only draft receivers when they have a later pick. That would be nuts.
There are multiple first-round-caliber interior linemen available. If they want to replace Mekari, Alabama’s Tyler Booker and Georgia’s Tate Ratledge are options. If they want to fix the pass rush, Nic Scourton (Texas A&M), James Pearce Jr. (Tennessee), and Mykel Williams (Georgia) make far more sense. Corner? Plenty of depth there, too.
And let’s not forget defensive tackle. Michael Pierce retired, Brent Urban is unsigned, and this draft is loaded with defensive line talent. Baltimore has their pick of disruptive interior guys who could make an immediate impact.
It’s not that Burden isn’t good—it’s that he makes zero sense for a team with the Ravens’ roster construction. They need to address other positions of need, not add another receiver to an already solid group. If Baltimore wants to take a receiver, fine—just not in Round 1.