New favorite to be Ravens' No. 30 pick emerges after recent mock drafts

Will the Ravens add this former college star?

Baltimore Ravens v San Francisco 49ers
Baltimore Ravens v San Francisco 49ers / Ryan Kang/GettyImages
facebooktwitterreddit

After trading away Morgan Moses and once again leaning on the oft-injured Ronnie Stanley, it's fair to say that Eric DeCosta and the rest of the Baltimore Ravens need to use the 2024 NFL Draft as an area to add more offensive line talent.

With promising athletic marvels like Oklahoma's Tyler Guyton, Alabama's JC Latham, and Georgia's Amarius Mims poised to possibly fall into Baltimore's lap at No. 30 overall, the most recent rumors and mock drafts all seem to be hinting at one fringe first-round player standing out in DeCosta's eyes.

Of all the tackles who could be picked around pick No. 30 overall, Arizona's Jordan Morgan seems to be the hot name out there among the mock drafters. Dane Brugler of The Athletic, Marcus Mosher of The 33rd team, and Kyle Stackpole of CBS Sports all have the Ravens taking Morgan.

The recent shift towards Morgan coincides with reporting from NFL insider Tony Pauline, who specifically mentioned Morgan as a player the Ravens could use a top draft pick on. Fans could be satisfied if this is how Baltimore addresses their relative lack of offensive line skill.

Jordan Morgan becoming popular pick for Baltimore Ravens in 2024 NFL Draft

The negatives surrounding Morgan stem from his ACL injury in 2022 and his heavy, plodding feet in pass protection. Speedy rushers like Bralen Trice gave him during their matchup in Washington some trouble, leading some to believe he would be better off kicking inside to guard in the pros.

Morgan is still worth looking at based on his upper body strength, which helps him engage blockers and wipe them out of plays. His initial burst off the snap is well above average, and his hand placement in his pass sets is already much more refined than some projects like Guyton or Mims.

Morgan gives the Ravens versatility. Should he kick inside to guard, he could be a Day 1 starter at left guard. Morgan has a much lower floor and equally high ceiling when compared to Daniel Faalele at right tackle, and he could also be a long-term succession plan for Ronnie Stanley at left tackle.

Morgan seems to be rising lately, as the Ravens could bring in yet another strong lineman who needs to work on his footwork and overall technique. Baltimore seems to be confident in their ability to instill that technique in a young prospect like Morgan.

feed