The Baltimore Ravens are hard at work trying to figure out which stars from the 2024 NFL Combine will make the best potential additions in a year that promises to be pivotal for the status of the organization. After a tough AFC Championship Game loss, the Ravens need to knock it out of the park this year.
Historically, Eric DeCosta (and Ozzie Newsome before him) has made a living off taking raw, undisciplined boxes of tools in the middle rounds and molding them into players through John Harbaugh's tactful instruction. The "best player available" approach has also been a Ravens staple historically.
The Ravens would be very proactive if they spent some of their earlier draft capital on these four workout warriors who managed to prove themselves in Indianapolis. Some performances were so impressive that the Ravens may have found a new first-round draft pick as a result.
4 NFL Combine Standouts the Baltimore Ravens could select in 2024 NFL Draft
4. Isaac Guerendo, RB, Louisville
Guerendo came into the Combine with doubters, as he was a seldom-used backup for four seasons at Wisconsin before splitting carries with fellow 2024 prospect Jawhar Jordan with the Cardinals. After his splendid testing times, however, it seems very likely that Guerendo will be picked before Jordan.
Guerendo led all running backs with a 41-inch vertical jump and a 4.33 40-yard dash. Accomplishing both of those feats at once is incredible, but doing it with a bigger 6-0 and 221-pound frame gives him one of the best Relative Athletic Scores (or RAS) for any running back in history.
Issac Guerendo could be a Day 3 pick for the Baltimore Ravens
Guerendo recorded 832 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns on 132 carries, implying that he will have fresh legs when he comes into the pros. With tremendous straight-line speed, Guerendo might have more big-play potential than any other Day 3 running back in this class.
No matter what happens with Gus Edwards and JK Dobbins, Baltimore has shown they are willing to add running back depth on Day 3, irrespective of what the starting situation is. Guerendo and Keaton Mitchell behind a strong bell cow would give the Ravens arguably the strongest running back room in the league.
3. Max Melton, CB, Rutgers
The younger brother of Packers wide receiver Bo Melton, Max has built himself into such a strong cornerback that it seems almost impossible to believe he won't be picked in the first three rounds. After lighting it up in Indy, his red-hot stock has continued to rise.
Melton's 4.39 40-yard dash and 1.52 10-yard split were quite impressive, but his explosion is what really stands out. Melton's vertical was slightly over 40 inches, and an 11-foot broad jump ranks as one of the best in Combine history among defensive backs. Melton is now firmly in Day 2 consideration for a team like Baltimore.
Max Melton could be a Day 2 pick for the Baltimore Ravens
Melton knocked down 20 passes and picked off eight during his three years with the Scarlet Knights, further enhancing his reputation as a sterling turnover creator. Melton had some of the best performances of any corner against juggernauts like Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State.
A cornerback room led by Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Stephens, and Melton would be a younger group full of potential. While he isn't a safety, getting more secondary help with Geno Stone likely to price himself out of a return could be a very wise use of a third-round pick for the Ravens.
2. Darius Robinson, EDGE/DT, Missouri
While the Ravens had been linked to one of his teammates in cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. with some regularity, the combination of his Senior Bowl dominance and very promising testing numbers might make Robinson the best former Tiger in this draft class and a possible Ravens first-round pick.
Robinson ran a sub-5.00 40-yard dash at 285 pounds, and a 35-inch vertical jump for a 6-5 player with his frame is downright scary. Robinson looked like a terrific athlete in Mobile who was starting to put it all together, and his traits would be what every defensive line coach dreams of working with.
Will the Baltimore Ravens draft Darius Robinson?
Robinson recorded 8.5 sacks while moving around the defensive line quite a bit. While he might seem like a bit of a tweener who some think is too small to be a defensive tackle and too big for edge work in the NFL, Baltimore's flexible defense could be the perfect situation for him.
Robinson could be a possible No. 30 overall pick if they are unable to keep Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy. As an edge rusher, Robinson could be a perfect Clowney replacement. Inside, he and Justin Madubuike could be one of the best pass-rushing tandems in the game.
1. Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas
Worthy came into the Combine, in the minds of some, as the third-best pass catcher from his own team, having been leapfrogged by standout receiver Adonai Mitchell and consensus TE2 Ja'Tavion Sanders. After the Combine, it seems unlikely that Worthy will be able to last until the start of the second round.
Worthy became the star of the event by breaking John Ross' record and running a mind-warping 4.21 40-yard dash. Perhaps equally impressive, Worth's glacial 4.25 40-yard run in his first attempt produced a 1.39 10-yard split, which is also the best ever recorded at the Combine.
The Baltimore Ravens could draft Xavier Worthy
Worthy recorded 981 yards and 12 touchdowns as a freshman, and he managed to stay just as productive as a junior with 1,014 yards and five touchdowns as Quinn Ewers' top vertical threat. His physical limitation at 165 pounds is very obvious, but that speed is quite literally unprecedented.
While adding two receivers that are below 185 pounds in Worthy and speedster Zay Flowers in consecutive seasons could make for a bit of a hard sell, there's no substitute for Worthy's electricity. The second he steps on the field, Worthy has 1,000-yard potential as a vertical burner and playmaker with the ball in his hands.