How did the Baltimore Ravens do in NFL Draft? They addressed several positions of need
BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Ravens added nine new players through the NFL Draft, including several who can fill roles immediately at positions of need.
The Ravens addressed voids in their secondary and on the offensive line, and also added an extra wide receiver.
"It seems like if you're going to define this draft, it's the draft of the run," Ravens General Manager Eric DeCosta said. "You saw the quarterbacks in the first round, and then you saw the corners at the end of the first into the second, and at the end of the second into the third, you saw the offensive linemen."
Bringing in new cornerbacks
The Ravens snagged cornerback Nate Wiggins, from Clemson, with the 30th overall selection in the first round on Thursday. Two days later, they chose Iowa State cornerback T.J. Tampa with one of their two fourth-round picks.
The two new cornerbacks will join Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Stephens, Arthur Maulet and Ar'Darius Washington.
Humphrey missed seven regular-season games because of an injury last season.
Wiggins ran a 4.28 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. He also just one pass of 20-plus yards, while intercepting two passes and forcing two fumbles last season.
He was listed by ESPN as the fourth-best cornerback in the draft and the 25th-best overall player in the draft.
"Wiggins is a good fit as they lacked young options at the position," ESPN said about Wiggins. He is a bit different from what the Ravens have previously gravitated towards in the past. With a lean frame, his length stands out and he has the traits to eventually become a starter as he grows."
Tampa was the 130h overall pick by the Ravens, and was rated 46th overall by ESPN. The 6-foot-1 wide receiver is considered to be a "physical cornerback with long arms and an above-average ability to ruin catch tries when he's in the vicinity," according to NFL.com.
He had 44 tackles, two interceptions and three pass breakups last season at Iowa State.
"Tampa is a scheme-versatile corner who has longer arms, flashes a strong punch and can make it difficult for receivers to get off the line," according to an ESPN scouting report. "He mirrors the receiver's release and smothers them when he's able to stay on top of the route."
Offensive line help on the way
The Baltimore Ravens have several holes to fill on their offensive line after losing three starters in the offseason.
They lost guards Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson, along with tackle Morgan Moses. That leaves tackle Ronnie Stanley and center Tyler Linderbaum remaining as the only returning starters on the offensive line.
On Friday, the Ravens selected tackle Roger Rosengarten, from Washington, with the 62nd overall draft pick in the second round.
Rosengarten is already projected to be a starter, according to ESPN's depth chart. The 6-foot-5, 308-pound tackle started all 15 games at right tackle for Washington, who played in the national championship game.
However, ESPN's depth chart has Rosengarten at right guard.
"We're going to look at him everywhere," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said. "He can play guard, if we needed him to, and he can play left tackle, if we need him to. We're just going to roll the offensive line out there and let them compete."
"Rosengarten is a two-year starter with the lateral quickness to handle speed off the edge and mirror inside moves," an ESPN scouting report said. "He has shorter arms for an offensive tackle and can give ground or get stood up when defenders get into his frame, but he helps mask his lack of length by knocking defenders' hands down. Rosengarten walls off defensive linemen, reaches linebackers when he releases up to the second level and covers ground quickly when he pulls in the running game."
The Ravens also drafted center Nick Samac, from Michigan State, in the seventh round. Samac, at 6 feet, 4 inches and 307 pounds, is listed as ESPN's 11th-best center in the draft.
He will be working to become a backup for Linderbaum, who was drafted in the first round in 2022. Samac started 32 games at Michigan State.
"He's a positional run-blocker who is effective combo blocking to the second level, and his quickness and range make him a good fit for zone-heavy schemes," according to ESPN.
Currently fighting for positions at tackle are Stanley, Josh Jones, TyKeem Doss, Daniel Faalele and Patrick Mekari. At guard, the Ravens have Rosengarten, Andrew Voorhees, Mekari, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, Ben Cleveland, Doss and Tashawn Manning.
Replacing a Queen at linebacker
The Baltimore Ravens lost linebacker Patrick Queen to rival Pittsburgh Steelers in the offseason.
Queen combined with Pro Bowler Roquan Smith to make a dynamic duo at linebacker.
Currently, Trenton Simpson is considered to be the favorite to step into the starter's role. But the Ravens selected Adisa Isaac, a 6-foot, 4-inch linebacker from Penn State, late in the third round.
Isaac is listed by ESPN as the 9th-best linebacker in this year's draft. He led Penn State with 16.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks last season.
"Isaac is an explosive edge rusher who flashes an effective dip-and-rip move," an ESPN scouting report says. "He has the active hands, length and burst to continue to improve as a pass-rusher. Isaac moves well for his size, effectively drops into coverage and is a reliable tackler. His quickness and length make it tough for blockers to lock on defending the run."
On the roster, the Ravens have Odafe Oweh, Isaac, Malik Hamm, Smith, Simpson, Malik Harrison, Chris Board, John Ross, Kyle Van Noy, David Ojabo and Tavius Robinson at linebacker.
One more WR to the corps
At this moment, it appears unlikely that the Ravens will re-sign wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
So, in the NFL Draft, they took a shot at Devontez Walker, from North Carolina, in the fourth round.
Walker is considered by ESPN as the 17th-best wide receiver in the NFL Draft.
Walker caught 41 passes for 699 passes in eight games last season at North Carolina. He runs the 40-yard dash in 4.36 seconds.
"Walker has dropped some passes on tape, is not a polished route runner and is lean," ESPN said about Walker. "But he had a strong combine where he recorded the fourth-fastest 40-time, second-best broad jump and fifth-best vertical jump for the receivers. That explosiveness shows up on tape where he has the extra gear to take the top off the coverage when he gets a free release. He has long arms, flashes the ability to make tough catches."
The Ravens selected Zay Flowers in the first round last year, and he led the team as a rookie with 858 receiving yards. Nelson Agholor was re-signed in the offseason and Rashod Bateman signed a contract extension.
Running back insurance policy
The Ravens made a big splash in free agency when they signed Pro Bowl running back Derrick Henry. However, they lost Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins, who both signed with the Los Angeles Chargers.
They have Keaton Mitchell, who showed flashes of skill and speed before he suffered a season-ending knee injury, and veteran Justice Hill.
But, the Ravens added a little insurance to the running back room with Rasheen Ali, from Marshall, who was drafted in the fifth round.
Ali rushed for 1,135 years with 15 touchdowns last season in Huntington, West Virginia.
"Ali's tape is a fun watch," an NFL.com scouting report says. "He's a loose-limbed runner with a blend of instincts and agility that create an admirable rate of consistency relative to the inconsistency of the blocking in front of him. He does a nice job of reading his blocks and shifting speeds to get where he needs to go, but his wiggle and run strength are just average by NFL standards."
Safety depth needed
One of the Ravens' strengths is at safety, led by Kyle Hamilton - a 2022 first-round draft pick -- and Marcus Williams.
However, they don't have a lot of depth.
The Ravens lost Geno Stone to rival Cincinnati in the offseason.
In the seventh round, Baltimore selected Sanoussi Kane, a safety from Purdue.
Kane, a two-year starter at Purdue, made 155 tackles and 10.5 tackles for loss.
"He's an aggressive run-defender who closes well and has good stopping power," according to an ESPN scouting report.
At this moment, the Ravens have just three pure safeties on their roster.
Draft a QB? Why not?
We all know MVP Lamar Jackson is the Ravens' starting quarterback, and no competition will threaten it.
But it doesn't hurt to groom a backup.
The Ravens drafted quarterback Devin Leary, from Kentucky, in the sixth round. Leary started 38 games in college.
Last season, he passed for 2,746 yards with 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
"He gets good velocity on his passes and has the arm strength to throw into tight windows," an ESPN scouting report says. "His completion percentage dropped over the past two seasons, and his ball placement needs to be better, but he's more accurate than the numbers would suggest and has good touch."
Last year's backup quarterback Tyler Huntley signed with the Cleveland Browns, leaving veteran Josh Johnson with Leary and Malik Cunningham in the quarterback room behind Jackson.
