The Baltimore Ravens are facing one of the most important offseasons in a long time. The Lamar Jackson saga has obviously taking center stage, but because of it, the team has little to no cap space. They have never been active in free agency, but what makes this offseason rare is how few draft picks the team has.
The Ravens are a team that takes pride in its ability to draft well. They claim to draft so well that they can let players leave in free agency, then collect compensatory picks and do it all again. It is not a shock that no team has had more draft picks in the past decade than the Ravens, they love to take as many shots as possible.
Should the Baltimore Ravens trade back in the 2023 NFL draft
This year, they only have pick, though. Some of this is because they have not drafted as well in recent years, and thus did not get the compensatory picks back. Beyond that, they sent a second for Roquan Smith, and some of the other trades they made in recent years have caught up to them.
It has put them in a situation where they may need to trade back.
We know the team wants to take as many shots as possible, but beyond that, they now have real holes on their roster. They have no depth in the interior line, and their defensive line has to replace Calais Campbell. That does not mention that wide receiver and cornerback are the actual big needs on the roster.
It is hard to see them handling all of this with five picks. At the same time, it is hard to see them getting enough back from any picks beside their first-round pick. They pick 22nd, then they have to wait until pick 86. They can trade back from 86, but no one is paying a lot unless the team moves down a full round or so. However, if they moved from 22 to 30, or even bigger outside the first round, the return would be much more substantial.
It could net them a pick that they could trade again and turn into more picks. Before you know it the Ravens could be back to their normal ways as soon as this draft class. It would be stunning to see the Ravens trade up given their needs and lack of resources. For the same reasons, you should expect them to try to trade down.