With the 2026 NFL Draft looming, the name of the game for the Baltimore Ravens is simple: outdraft your AFC North counterparts. An up-and-down free agency period saw them fall behind some of their rivals, particularly the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now, it’s time for general manager Eric DeCosta to flex his muscles where he’s best.
In a recent mock draft on NFL Mocks for FanSided, Tarringo Basile-Vaughan has one of the worst-case outcomes predicted for the Ravens. He actually has the Ravens drafting a talented prospect in Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon), it’s just not what they desperately need most. Basile-Vaughan wrote:
“Kenyon Sadiq wearing black and purple and catching the ball from Lamar Jackson will be too tempting for the Ravens to pass up at No. 14, especially with the departure of Isaiah Likely in free agency and Mark Andrews turning 31.”
That all sounds great, but tight end is far from their top need. What makes this reality even tougher is the fact that Baltimore’s AFC North rivals come out of the first round with much better value, including the Pittsburgh Steelers, who take heavily Ravens-connected prospect, Vega Ioane (Penn State) at 21.
Baltimore Ravens walk into possibly the worst-case first-round scenario
In this mock, while the Ravens add a talented, yet not heavily needed player. On the other hand, the Cleveland Browns add Carnell Tate (Ohio State), the Cincinnati Bengals were predicted to select Francis Mauigoa (Miami), but they recently traded for Dexter Lawrence who will cause bigger problems, and the Steelers add Ioane.
Tate was recently reported to have a 30-visit with the Ravens. It’s an unrealistic possibility that he even makes it to Baltimore’s spot at No. 14, but fans will be hoping each of their rivals messes up. The Browns adding Tate would be an absolute home run of a pick, giving new head coach Todd Monken’s offense an actual weapon. He ranks eighth on FanSided’s top-50 big board.
For the Bengals, acquiring Lawrence will cause issues for Baltimore's interior offensive line. They already had it rough last year, but now, John Harbaugh and company threw a gut-punch Baltimore's way by sending Lawrence to Cincinnati. This is a much tougher reality to live in than it would've been had the Bengals added Mauigoa.
Finally, the Steelers get the guy pretty much every Ravens fan wants. Ioane has been mocked in Baltimore more times than I can count. He’s among the most NFL-ready prospects and is easily the best guard available. As Baltimore passes on him, the Steelers reap the reward. While Ioane ranks behind Sadiq on FanSided’s big board at No. 15 (Sadiq is 14th), the need for a guard feels much greater than a tight end.
At the end of the day, the Ravens would certainly improve in a scenario where they draft another pass catcher for Lamar Jackson. However, selecting Sadiq at 14 could be a questionable move, especially if Ioane is available.
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