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The Ravens went to a familiar well with their final pick of the second day of the NFL draft on Friday night. With the 93rd overall pick in the third round, Baltimore selected Penn State outside linebacker Adisa Isaac. It marks the second time in four years that the Ravens have drafted a Penn State pass rusher after taking Odafe Oweh in the first round in 2021. Oweh had helped recruit Isaac to Penn State, and now they’ll be reuinted. “We’re real tight,” Isaac said. “He was a great big brother to me, coming into Penn State. … So for now, for it to come full circle, it’s a very unique situation.” After losing outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney in free agency and with questions surrounding a largely young pass-rushing group that includes Oweh and 2022 second-round pick David Ojabo, the Ravens added a prospect who was plenty productive for the Nittany Lions. Isaac was a team captain and All-Big Ten selection who had 37 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 7 1/2 sacks, four quarterback hurries, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 13 games as a redshirt senior last season. He also finished fourth in the Big Ten in tackles for loss per game (1.2) and fifth in sacks per game (0.6). Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said he got a look at Isaac early on in his process. DeCosta’s daughter attends Penn State and he went to the Nittany Lions’ first home game of the season, a 38-15 win over West Virginia. But he saw more on film, just not Isaac’s own. Penn State defensive end Adisa Isaac sacks Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa on Nov. 4 in College Park. (Nick Wass/AP) With offensive linemen among the Ravens’ draft needs, he watched tape from the Big Ten, except in his search for a blocker it was Isaac who kept “wreaking havoc.” “He’s got great length,” DeCosta said. “He’s got heavy hands. He’s got some different moves. He’s got speed, quickness, and I think he’s tenacious. And so I think all of those things, when we think about our best pass rushers, I think those are a lot of the traits those guys have.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens take Washington OT Roger Rosengarten with No. 62 pick in second round of 2024 NFL draft Baltimore Ravens | With Nate Wiggins still on the board, the Ravens couldn’t turn their pick in fast enough Baltimore Ravens | Ravens draft targets on Day 2: Best available players at positions of need Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Ravens draft pick Nate Wiggins can be the shutdown corner they need | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Three takeaways from the Ravens’ first-round draft pick, Clemson CB Nate Wiggins Isaac’s self-assessment? “I’m just disruptive, very lengthy, bendy, twitchy, very violent player,” he said. “I feel like I’m very versatile. I can make plays on dropping, make plays on rushing, make plays in the run game.” The Ravens could use some. Their outside linebacker group is relatively young and has question marks. They brought back veteran Kyle Van Noy, but Oweh has been inconsistent and Ojabo has struggled to stay healthy. Which is why coach John Harbaugh sees Isaac as someone who will be expected to contribute in the 2024 season, at least as a rotational piece they can move around. Isaac has a few goals, too. “I need that [Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick] Mahomes sack,” he said. “And I need that [Buffalo Bills’] Josh Allen sack.” View the full article

Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta was blunt in his answer Thursday night when asked if he felt Baltimore could get an offensive linemen who could contribute immediately in Friday’s second round of the NFL draft. “Yes, I do,” he said. So, no surprise here as the Ravens selected Roger Rosengarten of Washington with the 62nd overall pick. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | With Nate Wiggins still on the board, the Ravens couldn’t turn their pick in fast enough Baltimore Ravens | Ravens draft targets on Day 2: Best available players at positions of need Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Ravens draft pick Nate Wiggins can be the shutdown corner they need | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Three takeaways from the Ravens’ first-round draft pick, Clemson CB Nate Wiggins Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis of Ravens’ selection of Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins in first round of NFL draft With three starters from last season’s line having departed via free agency or trade, the unit is perhaps the Ravens’ biggest need in terms of sheer volume. Gone are guards John Simpson and Kevin Zeitler, signing lucrative deals with the New York Jets and Detroit Lions, respectively, while right tackle Morgan Moses was dealt to the Jets in a draft pick swap. The Ravens have also drafted at least two offensive linemen in six of the past eight drafts, so it was hardly a surprise that they continued that trend late in the second round. After selecting Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins with the 30th overall pick on Thursday, offensive line help became their next priority. And with more than a handful of defensive tackles and cornerbacks chosen in the second round, it easily became a reality. The 6-foot-5, 308-pound Rosengarten was part of a unit that won the Joe Moore Award, given to the nation’s top offensive line, last season. He started all 15 games at right tackle in 2023 and 28 for his career. This story will be updated. View the full article

Zach Orr was ready to fight for his man. He had told Nate Wiggins as much when the Clemson cornerback met with Ravens coaches on a predraft visit. As it turned out, Orr did not have to convince general manager Eric DeCosta when pick No. 30 came up and Wiggins was still waiting for a team. “You saw how fast the pick got turned in,” Orr, the Ravens’ new defensive coordinator, said Friday as the team introduced Wiggins to reporters. Dressed in a white suit with a Ravens cap perched high on his head, Wiggins cracked up the room when he noted he was in the bathroom Thursday night at the moment the team called. Every NFL staff showers its first-round pick with praise in the first 24 hours, but there was palpable eagerness from both sides regarding the Wiggins-Ravens union. “Obviously, you can see the smiles on our faces,” Orr said. “What stood out to me the most is that in the big-time games, at the big-time moments — you’re talking about third down, fourth down, two-minute, end of half — whenever the ball came his way, he made the play.” Defensive pass game coordinator Chris Hewitt needed just a few minutes of conversation with Wiggins to decide the 20-year-old has what it takes between the ears. His game footage was equally convincing. “All I had to do was just go ahead and turn on the tape,” Hewitt said. “You’re just like, ‘Goddog, look at this guy go.’ Whenever it was time for a guy to make a play, this guy was making plays all over the field.” He pointed to a pair of chase-down strips that showed off both Wiggins’ speed (4.28 seconds in the 40-yard dash) and his fire. “Those are like game-changing plays,” Hewitt said. “And those are the kind of guys we look for.” Ravens first-round draft pick Nate Wiggins poses with coach John Harbuagh, left, and executive vice president and general manager Eric DeCosta, right, at the team’s facility Friday in Owings Mills. (Nick Wass/AP) Wiggins, who will wear No. 2 for the Ravens, acknowledged the “up-and-down” experience of waiting for his name to be called on a night when the first 14 picks were used on offensive players. “They going to see that they passed up,” he said of the teams picking ahead of Baltimore. But the Atlanta native seems convinced he’s in the right place, playing for a franchise built on great, attacking defense with coaches who badly wanted him. Hewitt said he didn’t play cornerback until ninth grade and then only reluctantly. As a youth player he lined up under center. “I thought I was going to be Cam Newton,” he said. His dreams next turned to wide receiver. His parents and coaches, however, convinced him that his length and speed would set him apart on the defensive side of the ball. “There’s a lot receivers that are fast,” he said. “I mean, there’s not that many cornerbacks who are tall and can do what I do.” Sage advice that eventually led him to Clemson, where he earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors and became one of the top draft prospects at his position. The Ravens are convinced Wiggins’ speed, length, awareness and confidence will make him a formidable match for the best pass catchers in the world as early as this season. The team already has a pair of incumbent starting cornerbacks in Marlon Humphrey and Brandon Stephens, not to mention veteran nickel back Arthur Maulet. But coach John Harbaugh talked Thursday about the variety of options Wiggins will create, with Humphrey or Stephens able to shift inside when the matchups are favorable. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens draft targets on Day 2: Best available players at positions of need Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Ravens draft pick Nate Wiggins can be the shutdown corner they need | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Three takeaways from the Ravens’ first-round draft pick, Clemson CB Nate Wiggins Baltimore Ravens | Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins on being selected by the Ravens | VIDEO Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis of Ravens’ selection of Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins in first round of NFL draft “With a guy that’s as talented as this guy is, it doesn’t matter if you’re playing man or zone or whatever it is,” Hewitt said. “The other part about it is he’s got a high football IQ. Going through the whole process, when we were at the combine, I think I stopped the meeting after like three minutes. It was like it was over; the guy was so smart.” Evaluators gushed over Wiggins’ coverage tools. ESPN’s Louis Riddick referred to him as a “prototypical Raven” and a “home run pick.” If draft pundits knocked him, it was for his slender fame and minimal impact as a tackler. “Baltimore will need to help him be a little bit more of an urgent defender against the run,” wrote NFL Network analyst and former Ravens scout Daniel Jeremiah. The Ravens insist Wiggins will bulk up and say they saw plenty of aggression in his game tapes. “He comes up and tackles, comes up and hits. He plays physical,” Orr said. “He’s only 20 years old. He’s got a lot of time to grow. But on tape, I didn’t see anything about him being undersized. He flew up, set the edge in the run game, played physical with wide receivers at the line of scrimmage. We have no concerns about that at all.” View the full article

The party is just getting started. The first round of the NFL draft is over, and with it came a record-setting focus on one side of the ball. A record 23 offensive players were taken in the top 32 picks, breaking the previous mark of 19. That’s both good and bad news for the Ravens. The good news is Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins fell into their laps at No. 30 overall, and there are plenty of talented defensive players remaining heading into Day 2. The bad news is they still need an offensive lineman (or two, or three) after nine were picked in the opening round. Here’s a look at some of the Day 2 prospects at positions of need who could be available for the Ravens when they pick at No. 62 overall in the second round and No. 93 in the third. Offensive line Kiran Amegadjie, Yale: The self-proclaimed “most interesting prospect in the draft,” Amegadjie (KUH-ron Ah-meh-gah-G) is the son of African immigrants and a lightly recruited two-star prospect out of Hinsdale Central High School in Illinois who blossomed into an NFL prospect. He’s considered raw, but he made 24 starts at both left tackle and right guard at Yale and has the physical tools (6 feet 5, 325 pounds, 36 1/8 inch arms) to develop into a starter. Christian Haynes, UConn: The former Bowie High School star started 49 games over five college seasons, all at right guard, and earned second-team All-America honors in 2022. A Senior Bowl standout, the 6-3, 317-pound Haynes ranked seventh among guards in athleticism score at the NFL scouting combine. Cooper Beebe, Kansas State: Compared with “SpongeBob SquarePants” by The Athletic’s Nate Tice for his thick build, the 6-3, 322-pound Beebe put together a special senior season, becoming a finalist for the Outland Trophy (given to the nation’s top interior lineman) and the William V. Campbell Trophy (the “Academic Heisman”) while earning first-team All-America honors. He projects as a guard but also has experience at left and right tackle. Brandon Coleman, TCU: After spending most of his childhood in Germany, Coleman picked up football as a junior in high school and started his college career at community college before gradually earning more playing time at TCU. The 6-4, 313-pound played both tackle and guard for the Horned Frogs and posted strong testing numbers at the combine, including a 40-yard dash of 4.99 seconds and a 34-inch vertical jump. Blake Fisher, Notre Dame: In 2021, Fisher became the first freshman offensive lineman at Notre Dame to start a season opener in 15 years before suffering a knee injury and missing most of the season. He started 26 straight games at right tackle to finish his college career and has the size (6-6, 310 pounds), length (34 3/8 arms) and athleticism to compete for a starting spot. Dominick Puni, Kansas: The former no-star recruit began his college career at Division II Central Missouri before blossoming with the Jayhawks, earning first-team All-Big 12 honors at left tackle in his fifth season. He cross-trained at tackle, guard and center during practice and tested well at 6-5 and 313 pounds, putting him in the mix to be taken in the middle rounds. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Ravens draft pick Nate Wiggins can be the shutdown corner they need | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Three takeaways from the Ravens’ first-round draft pick, Clemson CB Nate Wiggins Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis of Ravens’ selection of Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins in first round of NFL draft Baltimore Ravens | Ravens draft Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins at No. 30 overall: ‘Ecstatic that he fell to us’ Baltimore Ravens | 2024 NFL draft updates: Offensive players dominate in record-setting first round Christian Mahogany, Boston College: Recruited in the same 2019 class as Ravens wide receiver and former Eagles star Zay Flowers, Mahogany rebuffed offers to transfer and made 34 starts over three seasons at left and right guard. The 6-3, 314-pound prospect is a powerful run blocker with a strong build who tested better than expected at the combine. Isaiah Adams, Illinois: A native of Ontario, Canada, Adams played at Wilfrid Laurier University and Garden City (Kansas) Community College before landing at Illinois, where he made 25 starts at left guard, right tackle and left tackle and became a team captain. The 6-4, 315-pound Adams projects as a guard with the size, strength and mobility to push his way onto the field. Wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk, Washington: As part of a standout receiving trio alongside Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan, the 6-1, 203-pound Polk posted career highs in catches (69), yards (1,159) and touchdowns (9) this past season as the Huskies reached the national championship game. Pro Football Focus wrote that Polk is “one of the best ‘go up and get it’ contested catch receivers in this class,” and he’s earned praise for his instincts and toughness. Malachi Corley, Western Kentucky: Drawing comparisons with Deebo Samuel because of his ability to break tackles and pick up yards after the catch, the 5-11, 215-pound Corley dominated Conference USA with 79 receptions for 894 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2023. Most of his production came out of the slot and on quick catches near the line of scrimmage, so his development as a route runner and ability to make contested catches are concerns. Roman Wilson led national champion Michigan in receiving with 48 catches for 789 yards. (Mark J. Terrill/AP) Roman Wilson, Michigan: Wilson led the national champion Wolverines in receiving with 48 catches for 789 yards and showed a knack for finding the end zone, scoring 12 touchdowns. The 5-11, 185-pound slot receiver can be overpowered at the catch point and as a blocker because of his size, but his speed (4.39-second 40-yard dash) makes him a tough cover. Javon Baker, Central Florida: The former four-star recruit began his college career at Alabama but struggled to earn playing time in a loaded receiver room, leading to a transfer. He blossomed at UCF, catching 108 passes for 1,935 yards and 14 touchdowns in two seasons. The 6-1, 202-pound Baker is a big-play threat, with his 21 catches of 20-plus yards in 2023 ranking fourth-best in the class. Johnny Wilson, Florida State: There’s a lot to like about Wilson, starting with his imposing size at 6-6 and 231 pounds. He’s inconsistent, which is why he’s considered a late Day 2 or even Day 3 pick, but his large catch radius and acceleration are tantalizing for a team in need of a big-bodied receiver. Jalen McMillan, Washington: The 6-1, 197-pound McMillan was far from a third option in the Huskies’ prolific passing offense. He still got enough looks to finish with more than 1,600 yards and 14 touchdowns over the past two seasons, relying on nuanced route running and ability to find holes in coverage to get open. Malik Washington, Virginia: If small, feisty receivers are your type, Washington is the man for you. He’s only 5-8, but he’s a burly 194 pounds and uses his strong hands to make contested catches. After leading Northwestern with 694 yards in 2022, he transferred to Virginia and exploded for 1,426 yards and nine touchdowns on 110 receptions with only three drops. The son of Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, South California’s Brenden Rice caught 45 passes for 791 yards and a team-leading 12 touchdowns last season. (Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG) Brenden Rice, Southern California: The son of Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice has started to make a name for himself after a standout finish to his college career. Playing with No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams, the Colorado transfer caught 45 passes for 791 yards and a team-leading 12 touchdowns to earn second-team All-Pac 12 honors. The former track sprinter is a pretty impressive blocker, too. Edge rusher Austin Booker, Kansas: The Ravens were one of several teams to bring Booker in for a visit, perhaps to get a closer look at his unique 6-4, 240-pound frame. Booker didn’t get the chance to show much on tape, playing only 505 snaps in his college career, but his length, speed-to-power rushes and relentless pursuit make him an intriguing Day 2 prospect. Adisa Isaac, Penn State: Isaac is 66th overall on the consensus big board but is ranked 38th by PFF, who writes that the team captain “has the handwork and pass-rush profile of an NFL starter.” The 6-4, 247-pound Isaac needs to get stronger, but he was much more productive than teammate and first-round pick Chop Robinson after recording nine sacks in 2023. A Baltimore native and former St. Frances standout, Alabama edge rusher Chris Braswell had 13 sacks and 33 quarterback hurries last season. (Michael Hickey/Getty) Chris Braswell, Alabama: The Baltimore native and former St. Frances standout earned some first-round buzz earlier this year after a breakout season for the Crimson Tide that included 13 sacks and 33 quarterback hurries. The 6-3, 251-pound Braswell could use some refinement, but his combination of power, speed and length is alluring. Jalyx Hunt, Houston Christian: It’s hard to find a more Ravens-type player in this draft than Hunt, who began his college career as a 6-2, 195-pound safety at Cornell before turning into a 6-4, 252-pound pass-rushing menace. With his explosiveness and length, he racked up 13 1/2 sacks over the past two seasons and was named 2023 Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year. You can bet his versatility will be appealing to the Ravens’ brain trust. Jonah Elliss, Utah: The 6-2, 248-pound Elliss doesn’t have the prototypical size or strength of a standout pass rusher, but his hand usage, agility and high motor made him a productive player. He earned second-team All-America honors in 2023 after leading the team with 16 tackles for loss and ranking sixth in the Football Bowl Subdivision with 12 sacks. Bralen Trice, Washington: The 6-3, 245-pound Trice is another prospect who got first-round love near the end of the season for his relentless and physical play style. His short arm length (32 1/2 inches) hurt both his pass-rushing plan and his ability to wrap up ball carriers, but the team captain was productive (28 1/2 sacks in four seasons) and played with a sense of urgency. NFL draft Rounds 2-3: Friday, 7 p.m. Rounds 4-7: Saturday, noon TV: ABC, ESPN, NFL Network View the full article

When the Dallas Cowboys selected Oklahoma tackle Tyler Guyton one spot ahead of the Ravens with the 29th overall pick in the first round of the NFL draft Thursday night, it basically completed a sweep of the top offensive linemen in the draft. So, the Ravens countered with another strong move by choosing Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins with the No. 30 pick. Besides the offensive line, the Ravens had two other main weaknesses entering the draft: wide receiver and cornerback. Wiggins was generally considered one of the top five at his position in college. The two-year starter at Clemson has enough versatility to play either cornerback or safety and gives the secondary something it definitely lacked a year ago: speed. Wiggins can flat-out fly. At the league’s scouting combine in Indianapolis, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.28 seconds. Combined with a 6-foot-2, 173-pound frame, he might develop into a shutdown cornerback, which the Ravens haven’t had for several years. The Ravens wanted to rebuild an offensive line that had been depleted through free agency with both starting guards, John Simpson and Kevin Zeitler, signing with the New York Jets and the Detroit Lions, respectively. The Ravens also traded starting right tackle Morgan Moses to the Jets in exchange for draft picks. There was speculation that 10 offensive linemen would go in the first round, and nine were gone before the Ravens were on the clock. The addition of Wiggins has to help, not only because of his ability but because he gives the team some options. One of the Ravens’ starting cornerbacks, Marlon Humphrey, is coming off an injury-hampered 2023 season in which he missed seven games. His best days might be behind him. Another starting cornerback, Brandon Stephens, played well last year and turned out to be one of the team’s top defensive players. But Stephens is in the final year of his rookie contract, and if he has another stellar season, he will command a huge payday. So, Wiggins fits perfectly. He also gives the Ravens the luxury of moving Humphrey back inside near the line of scrimmage or over the slot receiver. That’s Humphrey’s best position, which became evident when he got beat outside several times last season. Humphrey no longer has the speed to run with outside receivers, but Wiggins does. It’s impossible to teach. The other things are coachable. Wiggins had 24 pass breakups and three interceptions, including two for touchdowns, in 34 career games at Clemson. According to several draft reports and his film, he has good closing and recovery speed and can change directions well. He played both cornerback and receiver at Westlake High School in Atlanta. There are questions about Wiggins being strong in run support, but that reminds me of Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, who once said, “show me a cornerback that can tackle and I’ll show you a corner who can’t cover.” Wiggins’ size might be a problem to some, but the Ravens have had small cornerbacks who have played well before, such as Duane Starks and Samari Rolle. There have been Hall of Fame players who were “small” for their positions in their rookie seasons but filled out well after a year or two in the weight room. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens draft targets on Day 2: Best available players at positions of need Baltimore Ravens | Three takeaways from the Ravens’ first-round draft pick, Clemson CB Nate Wiggins Baltimore Ravens | Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins on being selected by the Ravens | VIDEO Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis of Ravens’ selection of Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins in first round of NFL draft Baltimore Ravens | Ravens draft Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins at No. 30 overall: ‘Ecstatic that he fell to us’ Besides Starks in 1998, the Ravens have had success with other cornerbacks taken in the first round, including Chris McAlister (1999), Jimmy Smith (2011) and Humphrey (2017). The Ravens have been hit hard by injuries in the secondary over the past couple of years, but they were able to survive in 2023 with Ronald Darby and Arthur Maulet at cornerback. Now, they have Wiggins, a player they rated highly. “We’re very, very excited to draft Nate Wiggins, in my opinion, the best cover corner in the draft,” Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said. He might be right. View the full article

The Ravens drafted Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins at No. 30 overall, adding perhaps the best outside coverage specialist in the class after the top offensive linemen had been taken. Here are three takeaways on the pick. The Ravens didn’t go with the most fun pick, but they chose the guy most likely to help their secondary right away There were two excellent values available when the Ravens picked, and both were cornerbacks. Cooper DeJean of Iowa would have made the most intriguing story. As a big, fast, productive player who would fit at nickel, safety or cornerback and contribute immediately on special teams, DeJean screamed Raven. How tantalizing would it have been to watch new defensive coordinator Zach Orr play around with him and Kyle Hamilton in positionless schemes? Instead, the Ravens went with Wiggins, whose role is clear. “In my opinion, the best cover corner in the draft,” general manager Eric DeCosta said. It’s hard to argue with the logic behind the pick when Brandon Stephens is headed into the last year of his rookie deal and Marlon Humphrey is coming off an injury-hampered season. If they’re both healthy, Wiggins will give Orr an embarrassment of riches at one of the most important positions in football. Humphrey will be able to shift inside in some matchups, as will Stephens. “We’re just going to have a lot of options,” coach John Harbaugh said. Wiggins defended 25 passes in his last 23 games at Clemson and essentially eliminated downfield plays in his last season for the Tigers. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.28 seconds at the NFL scouting combine. He’s long and fluid enough to stick with almost any receiver. At 6 feet 1 and 182 pounds (at his pro day), he is skinny, but Harbaugh said he has no concern Wiggins will vanish in run defense. “When you watch the tape, he comes up and smacks people,” he said. “The weight doesn’t impede him at all.” DeCosta said the Ravens expected Wiggins to be gone in the first 20 picks. When he was still on the board as their choice neared, “if Nate was there, we were going to pick him.” Draft pundits generally concurred with DeCosta’s value assessment. As much excitement as the Ravens might have created with the versatile DeJean, they could not turn away when a potential shutdown corner dropped in their laps at the end of the first round. A first round that skewed heavily to offense led the Ravens right back to defense As much as we speculated about offensive linemen who might drop to No. 30, the top tackles generally went according to projections. Dallas snagged the last of them, Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton, at pick No. 29. It was the defenders who waited and waited as teams lined up to add quarterbacks and pass catchers. The Ravens, fundamentally opposed to reaching for a lesser player just to fill a need, seemed more and more likely to end up with a bargain defensive back or pass rusher. DeCosta said Wiggins was their top priority. If he was gone, the Ravens would have considered another (unnamed) cornerback or traded down. When they gamed out draft scenarios ahead of Thursday, DeCosta kept coming back to one conclusion: If they did not land a potential starting cornerback in round one, they probably would not find him in Rounds 2 or 3. “We felt like we honestly had to come out of the first round with most likely a corner or an offensive lineman,” DeCosta said. The possibility of trading down was real, with as many as eight scenarios on the table. The Ravens picked Wiggins because they felt he was too good to pass up. “When you get a player that you have highly rated, whom you love, who fills a position of need, then you’ve got to take him,” DeCosta said. He added that he’s confident potential starting offensive linemen will still be available in Friday’s second and third rounds. The Ravens didn’t punt on that priority. They simply adapted to the shape of a draft that left significant value on the defensive side of the ball in the last 10 picks of the first round. Positional need, value and opportunity synced up, which is a pretty good summation of the philosophy that has carried the Ravens through 29 years of drafting. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens draft targets on Day 2: Best available players at positions of need Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Ravens draft pick Nate Wiggins can be the shutdown corner they need | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis of Ravens’ selection of Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins in first round of NFL draft Baltimore Ravens | Ravens draft Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins at No. 30 overall: ‘Ecstatic that he fell to us’ Baltimore Ravens | 2024 NFL draft updates: Offensive players dominate in record-setting first round Nate Wiggins’ personality fits his job Elite physical traits only get you so far as an outside corner matched one-on-one with the arrogant supermen who play NFL wide receiver. You have to covet the isolation and the clash of mighty egos. Wiggins clearly does. He talked about being on a coverage island like it’s his true home. “The tape speaks for itself,” he told Baltimore reporters on a Zoom call. Can he match steps with some of the quickest athletes in the world? “I’ve always been the fastest guy on the field,” he said. Such boldness will endear him to Ravens fans raised on several generations of brash defensive superstars. The Atlanta native won’t turn 21 until the end of August but already speaks the same language as many of the great defensive backs who came before him. “It’s a very hard position to play,” DeCosta said. “A lot of guys can’t do it. The biggest thing is — and John [Harbaugh] always says it — you’ve got to actually cover people. You’ve got to guard people. It’s a hard thing, and Nate has proven that he can do that very, very well.” View the full article

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Here’s what The Baltimore Sun staff had to say immediately after the Ravens selected Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins at No. 30 overall in the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday night. Brian Wacker, reporter: A record run of 14 consecutive offensive players going off the board to start the draft meant that the Ravens had a juicy bounty of defensive options by the time they were on the clock with the 30th pick, which is how they incredibly ended up with Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins. At 6 feet 1 and 173 pounds, he is slight, but he can fly. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.28 seconds and had 24 pass breakups, three interceptions (including two returned for touchdowns), two forced fumbles, a sack and a blocked field goal in 1,377 career snaps over 34 career games for the Tigers. Baltimore came into the night with offensive line its biggest area of need, but with all the top tackle options off the board and a boatload of picks needed to trade up, they took their next best option with cornerback, another area of need and a position the Ravens always look to stockpile. The last time they took a cornerback in the first round was when they drafted Marlon Humphrey 16th overall in 2017. Now they might have found his eventual replacement. Childs Walker, reporter: With the top offensive linemen wiped out, the best values left at No. 30 were cornerbacks. The Ravens went with Nate Wiggins, a long, fast confident outside cover specialist out of Clemson. He averaged more than one pass defended per game over his last two seasons and backed that up by running the 40-yard dash in 4.28 seconds at the combine. Wiggins is lean at 6-1, 173 pounds, but he showed plenty of willingness to pursue ball carriers. With Brandon Stephens entering the last year of his rookie deal and Marlon Humphrey coming off an injury-plagued season, this was a good time to draft a young future starter at one of the sport’s premium positions. Wiggins will be another lauded first-round pick for general manager Eric DeCosta. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens select Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins with 30th overall pick in 2024 NFL draft Baltimore Ravens | 2024 NFL draft updates: Offensive players dominate in record-setting first round Baltimore Ravens | Ravens 2024 draft cheat sheet: Picks, team needs, how to watch and more Baltimore Ravens | 2024 NFL mock draft (Version 6.0): Connecting the dots for one last first-round projection Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ 5 biggest needs entering NFL draft and how they could fill them Mike Preston, columnist: Wiggins gives the Ravens speed in the secondary and ran a 4.28-second 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine. He has good size at 6-1 and 173 pounds and might develop into a shutdown corner. He has good recovery speed and also can play safety if needed. A lot of the good offensive tackles were off the board when the Ravens picked in the first round, so this appears to be a good selection. C.J. Doon, editor: This is a bit of a surprise to me. With other standout cornerbacks Cooper DeJean and Kool-Aid McKinstry still on the board, the Ravens go with Wiggins, who weighed in at a paltry 173 pounds at the NFL scouting combine. That ranks in the second percentile among cornerbacks since 1999 in the MockDraftable database. He’s earned praise for his sticky man-to-man coverage skills and plays with a competitiveness the Ravens clearly love, but it’s going to be difficult to hide him in run support in certain situations, even if he puts on more weight. The board didn’t break in the Ravens’ favor after nine offensive linemen went ahead of them — including Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton to the Dallas Cowboys right before Baltimore picked — so it’s understandable why they went in this direction. Corner is a position they needed to address, and adding the consensus 24th-ranked player near the end of the first round is great value. I just wonder whether Wiggins can hold up in a black-and-blue division that loves to run the ball. Tim Schwartz, editor: Speed kills, and that’s what the Ravens are getting with this pick. Wiggins lacks the size you might covet — he’s only 173 pounds — but he ran a 4.28-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine. They had their choice of cornerbacks based on how this draft worked out, but my gut tells me they were eyeing an offensive lineman with the 30th pick, and Baltimore’s selection came just after a run of them. We all scratched our heads last year when they didn’t take a cornerback early in the draft and we all looked silly after Brandon Stephens, Ronald Darby and Arthur Maulet stepped up and did the job. Now they get their guy, someone with enough starting experience at an elite school who can step in right away and help. It’s good insurance, too, with Marlon Humphrey’s contract getting more expensive by the year. View the full article

Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta is fond of saying Baltimore can never have too many cornerbacks, and two weeks ago he conveyed as much by adding that he would love to pick one at some point in this year’s NFL draft. That point came in the opening round Thursday night when the Ravens selected Nate Wiggins from Clemson with the 30th overall pick. It marks the first time they have taken a cornerback in the first round since 2017 when they drafted Marlon Humphrey 16th overall. In drafting Wiggins, they also might have found their eventual replacement for Humphrey, or at least someone who could contribute immediately. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | 2024 NFL draft updates: Quarterbacks, offensive linemen and receivers dominate first round Baltimore Ravens | Ravens 2024 draft cheat sheet: Picks, team needs, how to watch and more Baltimore Ravens | 2024 NFL mock draft (Version 6.0): Connecting the dots for one last first-round projection Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ 5 biggest needs entering NFL draft and how they could fill them Baltimore Ravens | Grading the Ravens’ three most recent drafts, from Rashod Bateman to Andrew Vorhees While the Ravens have a solid duo on the outside with Humphrey and Brandon Stephens, along with Arthur Maulet returning for another season in the slot, Humphrey is coming off an injury-hampered season in which he played 10 games and the fewest defensive snaps (541) of his career after undergoing foot surgery last summer. Stephens performed well last season, but he was initially tabbed for safety before being pressed into cornerback duty and is due to become a free agent after the 2024 season. “That’s a position that typically you never have enough due to injuries and different things — guys will break down through the course of the season,” DeCosta said during the Ravens’ predraft news conference earlier this month. “Our depth has always been tested in the secondary.” In taking Wiggins, a 6-foot-1, 173-pound long and athletic corner with elite speed, the Ravens get a player who had 24 pass breakups, three interceptions (including two returned for touchdowns), two forced fumbles, a sack and a blocked field goal in 1,377 career snaps over 34 games, including 18 starts. He also ran the second-fastest 40-yard dash (4.28 seconds) at the 2024 NFL scouting combine and his wingspan allows him to match up with bigger receivers. Though Wiggins had only three interceptions in his career at Clemson, he had 21 pass breakups the past two seasons, including nine last year. If there is a concern about Wiggins’ ability at the next level, it would be run defense. He is not the prototypical physical cornerback the Ravens covet, though he has added about 10 pounds since the scouting combine and performed well in both man and zone coverage for the Tigers. “The Ravens always value players who can rush the quarterback and guys who can cover pass catchers,” NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah wrote. “Wiggins has outstanding cover ability, but Baltimore will need to help him be a little more of an urgent defender against the run.” This story will be updated. View the full article

The Baltimore Sun’s live coverage of the 2024 NFL draft. Read more. View the full article

The NFL draft has finally arrived. After finishing an NFL-best 13-4 and reaching the AFC championship game last season, the Ravens are poised to add a large rookie class. It all begins Thursday night with the first round in Detroit. Before the Ravens are on the clock, here’s everything you need to know: What time is the draft, and how can I watch? The 2024 NFL draft kicks off in Detroit with the first round Thursday at 8 p.m., followed by Rounds 2-3 on Friday at 7 p.m. and Rounds 4-7 on Saturday at noon. Live coverage will be on NFL Network, NFL+, ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes. What is the draft order? Here is the order of picks for the first round: Chicago Bears (from Carolina) Washington Commanders New England Patriots Arizona Cardinals Los Angeles Chargers New York Giants Tennessee Titans Atlanta Falcons Chicago Bears New York Jets Minnesota Vikings Denver Broncos Las Vegas Raiders New Orleans Saints Indianapolis Colts Seattle Seahawks Jacksonville Jaguars Cincinnati Bengals Los Angeles Rams Pittsburgh Steelers Miami Dolphins Philadelphia Eagles Minnesota Vikings (from Cleveland through Houston) Dallas Cowboys Green Bay Packers Tampa Bay Buccaneers Arizona Cardinals (from Houston) Buffalo Bills Detroit Lions Ravens San Francisco 49ers Kansas City Chiefs How many picks do the Ravens have? After a few trades, including a draft pick swap with the New York Jets in the deal for right tackle Morgan Moses last month, the Ravens have nine total selections. No. 30 (first round) No. 62 (second) No. 93 (third) No. 113 (fourth, from Denver via N.Y. Jets) No. 130 (fourth) No. 165 (fifth) No. 218 (sixth, from N.Y. Jets) No. 228 (seventh, from N.Y. Jets) No. 250 (seventh) What are the Ravens’ biggest needs? Here’s a deeper look at the positions the Ravens are most likely to fill in the draft, including offensive line, wide receiver, edge rusher, cornerback and safety. Who are some of the prospects the Ravens could target? Here’s a look at which players at positions of need could be available for the Ravens when they’re on the clock at No. 30 overall. • Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims • Oklahoma offensive tackle Tyler Guyton • Arizona offensive tackle-guard Jordan Morgan • BYU offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia • Oregon guard-center Jackson Powers-Johnson • Texas wide receiver Adonai Mitchell • Georgia wide receiver Ladd McConkey • Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy • Florida State wide receiver Keon Coleman • Penn State edge rusher Chop Robinson • Missouri defensive lineman Darius Robinson • Iowa cornerback-safety Cooper DeJean • Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry • Georgia cornerback Kamari Lassiter Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | 2024 NFL mock draft (Version 6.0): Connecting the dots for one last first-round projection Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ 5 biggest needs entering NFL draft and how they could fill them Baltimore Ravens | Grading the Ravens’ three most recent drafts, from Rashod Bateman to Andrew Vorhees Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Drafting offensive linemen who can protect Ravens QB Lamar Jackson must be a priority | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens roundtable: Answering NFL draft questions and grading Eric DeCosta Who are the prospects with ties to Baltimore and Maryland? Hat tip to “The Beast” draft guide from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler. • Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams (Bowie/Gonzaga) • Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa • Maryland wide receiver Jeshaun Jones • Maryland wide receiver Tyrese Chambers (Baltimore/Poly) • Bowie State wide receiver James McNeill • Morgan State wide receiver Treveyon Pratt • Morgan State tight end Abdou Diop • Michigan running back Blake Corum (St. Frances/St. Vincent Pallotti) • Maryland offensive lineman Delmar “DJ” Glaze • Maryland offensive lineman Corey Bullock (Accokeek/Gwynn Park) • Maryland offensive lineman Mike Purcell • Maryland offensive lineman Amelio Morán • Maryland offensive lineman Aric Harris • Morgan State offensive lineman Dexter Carr • Penn State offensive lineman Olu Fashanu (Waldorf/Gonzaga) • Connecticut offensive lineman Christian Haynes (Bowie/Bowie HS) • Maryland offensive lineman Gottlieb Ayedze (Germantown/Northwest HS) • Maryland defensive lineman Christian Teague (North Hagerstown/Morgan State) • Maryland defensive lineman Tre Colbert • Towson defensive lineman Jesus Gibbs • Towson defensive lineman Samuel Obiang • Bowie State defensive lineman Cameron Chesley (Fort Washington/Morgan State) • Penn State edge rusher Chop Robinson (Gaithersburg/Quince Orchard) • Alabama edge rusher Chris Braswell (Baltimore/St. Frances) • Charlotte edge rusher Eyabi Okie-Anoma (Baltimore/St. Frances) • Michigan defensive tackle Kris Jenkins (Olney/Good Counsel) • Penn State linebacker Curtis Jacobs (Glen Burnie/McDonogh) • Morgan State linebacker Noah Washington • Morgan State linebacker Devan Hebron (Lanham/Duval HS) • Morgan State linebacker Lawrence Richardson • Maryland safety Beau Brade (Clarksville/River Hill) • Maryland cornerback Tarheeb Still • Maryland cornerback Ja’Quan Sheppard • Morgan State cornerback Jae’veyon Morton • Bowie State defensive back Mychale Salahuddin • Morgan State safety Jordan Toles (Baltimore/St. Frances) • Towson cornerback Robert Javier • Wake Forest cornerback Caelen Carson (Waldorf/North Point) • Notre Dame cornerback Cam Hart (Baltimore/Good Counsel) • Oregon cornerback Khyree Jackson (Upper Marlboro/Wise) • Michigan cornerback Josh Wallace (Bowie/DeMatha Catholic) • Pittsburgh cornerback A.J. Woods (Germantown/Northwest) • Maryland punter Colton Spangler (Pasadena/Chesapeake-AA) • Towson running back-kick returner D’Ago Hunter Who are the Ravens’ most recent first-round picks? 2023: Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers, No. 22 overall 2022: Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton, No. 14 2022: Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum, No. 25 2021: Minnesota wide receiver Rashod Bateman, No. 27 2020: LSU linebacker Patrick Queen, No. 28 2019: Oklahoma wide receiver Marquise Brown, No. 25 2018: South Carolina tight end Hayden Hurst, No. 25 2018: Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson, No. 32 2017: Alabama cornerback Marlon Humphrey, No. 16 2016: Notre Dame left tackle Ronnie Stanley, No. 6 Latest mock drafts • 2024 NFL mock draft (Version 6.0): Connecting the dots for one last first-round projection • Dueling Ravens mock drafts: Two views on how to rebuild a Super Bowl contender • 2024 NFL mock draft (Version 5.0): Ravens beat writer Brian Wacker predicts the first round More Ravens draft coverage • Grading the Ravens’ three most recent drafts, from Rashod Bateman to Andrew Vorhees • Mike Preston: Drafting offensive linemen who can protect Ravens QB Lamar Jackson must be a priority | COMMENTARY • Ravens roundtable: Answering NFL draft questions and grading Eric DeCosta • Why the NFL draft is so important for the Ravens, both this year and next • Mike Preston: Former Terps, River Hill star Beau Brade leans on faith, work ethic entering NFL draft | COMMENTARY • Mike Preston: Ravens would be wise to target Ed Reed’s cousin, Trey Taylor, in NFL draft | COMMENTARY • Ravens draft will be more essential in 2024, offensive linemen abound and playmakers wanted | TAKEAWAYS • Ravens’ John Harbaugh bullish despite questions ahead of NFL draft: ‘We’re going to have a heck of a team’ • The Ravens have hosted a slew of players before the NFL draft. A closer look provides some insight. View the full article

Mock draft season is over. The real thing begins Thursday night in Detroit, which means it’s time to put the pencils down and give one last prediction. After sifting through all the information, identifying the best prospects and pondering which teams will be motivated to shake up the board, here’s our best guess at how the first 32 picks will play out: 1. Chicago Bears (via Carolina): Caleb Williams, QB, Southern California With a talented offense and an ascending defense, Chicago has a chance to be good right away with Williams under center. The question is, how aggressive will the Bears be with only three remaining picks at Nos. 9, 75 and 122? 2. Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU Nobody knows for sure what the Commanders will do, but Daniels has emerged as the betting favorite to be new general manager Adam Peters’ first pick. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner said he’d be “blessed” to go to Washington, which has an abundance of picks in the top 100 to build around its franchise quarterback. 3. New England Patriots: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina The Patriots could look to trade down if they are blown away by an offer, but ownership will likely prefer to stick and pick a quarterback. Maye has the mobility, arm strength and poise to be a star, and he could even sit for a while behind Jacoby Brissett as he works on his technique. 4. Arizona Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State The Cardinals have enough draft picks to maneuver up and down the board the way general manager Monti Ossenfort did last year, but sometimes it makes the most sense to stay put. Arizona needs blue-chip talent, and Harrison is the consensus No. 1 player among a database of 96 analysts, according to Arif Hasan of Wide Left. 5. Minnesota Vikings (mock trade via LA Chargers): J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan This is a trade that makes sense for both teams. The Vikings need a quarterback, and new coach Jim Harbaugh and GM Joe Hortiz need more picks to rebuild a depleted roster. McCarthy might not be coach Kevin O’Connell’s preferred prospect, but he’s certainly more exciting than Sam Darnold. 6. New York Giants: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington My guess is the Giants only want to trade up for a quarterback if it means landing Maye, and he’s gone. So why Odunze over Nabers? While not as explosive, Odunze is a better “X” receiver who can win on the outside and make catches in traffic, which would be a better complement to the shifty and fast receivers the Giants already have. 7. Tennessee Titans: Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame As good as this offensive line class is, this pick should be a no-brainer for the Titans. Alt is a tier above the other pass protectors in this class and should be a cornerstone piece for new coach Brian Callahan and his father, renowned offensive line coach Bill Callahan. 8. New York Jets (mock trade via Atlanta): Malik Nabers, WR, LSU Can you name any of the Jets’ wide receivers behind Garrett Wilson and Mike Williams? For this all-in strategy to work, quarterback Aaron Rodgers needs more playmakers. Nabers’ speed and explosiveness trump a desire to draft an insurance policy behind 33-year-old tackles Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses. 9. Chicago Bears: Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas GM Ryan Poles might see the benefit in trading down and acquiring more picks, but there’s also a chance to grab the best defensive player in the draft. Murphy can be the dominant interior penetrator coach Matt Eberflus craves. 10. Atlanta Falcons (mock trade via NY Jets): Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA The Falcons move down a few spots and still get the draft’s top pass rusher. Latu seems to have been given the all-clear after his neck injury in college, giving Atlanta its best edge rusher since John Abraham was in town. 11. Los Angeles Chargers (mock trade via Minnesota): JC Latham, OT/G, Alabama Harbaugh believes the offensive line is the foundation of his team. With his size and strength, Latham might have the highest ceiling of any blocker in this class and can help establish a road-grading mentality on offense. 12. Los Angeles Rams (mock trade via Denver): Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia The Rams have a first-round pick for the first time since 2016, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to be patient. Moving up to pair the versatile, explosive Bowers with Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp is a dream scenario for coach Sean McVay as he seeks another Super Bowl run with quarterback Matthew Stafford. 13. Las Vegas Raiders: Taliese Fuaga, OT/G, Oregon State If the Raiders don’t find a way to trade up for a quarterback, perhaps they’d take one here. But that feels a little rich for Oregon’s Bo Nix or Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., who are outside of the top 30 in the consensus rankings. Las Vegas needs a starting right tackle, and Fuaga can step in immediately. 14. New Orleans Saints: Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, Penn State Offensive line is the most glaring need for New Orleans considering the questionable health of Ryan Ramczyk and the disappointing play of Trevor Penning. Fashanu makes too much sense from both a need and value standpoint. 15. Indianapolis Colts: Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo The Colts could be a surprise team that moves up to draft one of the top wide receivers or Bowers, but cornerback is a much more glaring need. Mitchell is a big, fast and aggressive player who fits the mold for traits-minded GM Chris Ballard. 16. Philadelphia Eagles (mock trade via Seattle): Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama When GM Howie Roseman finds a player he likes, he isn’t afraid to move up to get him. The Eagles’ aging secondary was one of the league’s worst down the stretch last season and could use an infusion of young talent. 17. Green Bay Packers (mock trade via Jacksonville): Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia The Packers need to find a long-term replacement for left tackle David Bakhtiari. There’s a clear tier break after Mims at tackle, which might incentivize Green Bay to trade up and secure a player with rare size and movement skills who can develop into a star. 18. Cincinnati Bengals: Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas Is this too early for Worthy? Probably. Will a team talk itself into getting the most out of his NFL scouting combine-record 4.21 seconds in the 40-yard dash? Absolutely. The Bengals are an intriguing fit for Worthy alongside stars Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, the latter of whom might not be in town beyond this season after requesting a trade. 19. Denver Broncos (mock trade via LA Rams): Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama The Broncos still need a quarterback after trading for Zach Wilson, but they don’t take one here. Turner fills a glaring need at pass rusher for a defense that has few building blocks on top of standout cornerback Patrick Surtain II. 20. Pittsburgh Steelers: Troy Fautanu, OT/G, Washington The Steelers moved up for offensive tackle Broderick Jones last year, but this time they can stick and pick. Fautanu is athletic, aggressive and has the versatility to play all five spots along the line. 21. Arizona Cardinals (mock trade via Miami): Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State With a chance to add one of the draft’s premier pass rushers, the Cardinals make a move. Verse, a former unranked recruit and Albany transfer, has the tools to become the team’s best defensive player sooner than later. 22. Seattle Seahawks (mock trade via Philadelphia): Graham Barton, G/C, Duke As tempting as it might be for new coach Mike Macdonald to build his defense, the Seahawks can’t wait very long to address their offensive line. Barton can slot in at center or guard and has experience at tackle in case of emergency. 23. Los Angeles Chargers (mock trade via Minnesota): Cooper DeJean, CB/S, Iowa New Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter had a lot of success at Michigan with versatile defensive backs such as Dax Hill and Mike Sainristil. DeJean is an elite athlete who could line up all over the secondary and make plays. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ 5 biggest needs entering NFL draft and how they could fill them Baltimore Ravens | Grading the Ravens’ three most recent drafts, from Rashod Bateman to Andrew Vorhees Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Drafting offensive linemen who can protect Ravens QB Lamar Jackson must be a priority | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens roundtable: Answering NFL draft questions and grading Eric DeCosta Baltimore Ravens | Why the NFL draft is so important for the Ravens, both this year and next 24. Buffalo Bills (mock trade via Dallas): Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU After losing Gabe Davis and trading Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans, the Bills see a chance to move up and grab their next impact receiver. Thomas is a dangerous vertical threat who has the traits to develop into a true No. 1. 25. Jacksonville Jaguars (mock trade via Green Bay): Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas It wouldn’t be shocking to see GM Trent Baalke go the other direction and make an aggressive trade up for a cornerback or one of the top wideouts. In this scenario, the Jaguars move down and come away with a prospect who has the size and movement skills to be an All-Pro-caliber receiver with more consistent effort. 26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State Robinson doesn’t have the size or production of a typical first-round pass rusher, but the Gaithersburg native and Maryland transfer has rare athleticism and quickness to consistently beat blockers off the edge. 27. Miami Dolphins (mock trade via Arizona, Houston): Jer’Zhan Newton, DT, Illinois The Dolphins trade down and still come away with a top prospect at a position of need. Newton is a touch undersized for the position, but he can still shed blocks with the best of ’em and would help fill Christian Wilkins’ big shoes in the middle of the defense. 28. Dallas Cowboys (mock trade via Buffalo): Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma There’s a lot of pressure on the Cowboys to come away with multiple starters in this draft, and that starts with figuring out the offensive line. Guyton might not be ready to start at left tackle right away, but his size and athleticism are worth betting on. 29. Washington Commanders (mock trade via Detroit): Jordan Morgan, OT/G, Arizona ESPN analyst Jordan Reid said Washington trading into the first round is the “worst kept secret” in the draft. With several tackle-needy teams ahead of them, the Commanders make a move to secure Morgan, a smooth mover who has the versatility to play guard or tackle. 30. Ravens: Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama Maybe it’s unrealistic to expect the Ravens to land a player as highly ranked as McKinstry, but sometimes that’s just how the board falls. With Marlon Humphrey coming off an injury-riddled season and Brandon Stephens entering a contract year, the Ravens need to bolster their depth at cornerback. 31. San Francisco 49ers: Xavier Legette, WR, South Carolina It would come as a surprise if the 49ers traded Deebo Samuel or Brandon Aiyuk, but neither is signed beyond 2025. Legette is big, fast and explosive with the ball in his hands, and would provide valuable insurance if San Francisco decides to move on from one of its top two receivers. 32. Kansas City Chiefs: Kingsley Suamataia, OT, BYU Entering the draft, the Chiefs’ top option at left tackle is 2023 third-round pick Wanya Morris. Suamataia is far from a finished product, but the former five-star recruit is an explosive athlete with room to grow who can develop into a reliable starter. 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The Ravens’ draft board is mostly set at this point. Save for a few “tweaks,” as general manager Eric DeCosta put it earlier this month, they have a pretty good idea of whom they will draft at No. 30 in the first round and beyond, with adjustments made along the way based on who’s still available. Unlike last year, when Baltimore entered the draft with just five picks — its fewest since 1999 — DeCosta has nine selections this time. Given the various holes on the roster after more than a dozen players from last year’s 13-4 team headed elsewhere because of free agency or other moves, the Ravens will need every one of them. If they are to compete for another AFC North title and their first Super Bowl appearance in more than a decade, they have to find several players who can contribute as rookies, and in some cases significantly so. That’s just one reason DeCosta could look to add even more picks to this year’s haul with a draft day trade or two, with the belief that the more picks he has, the more likely he can find players who can make an immediate impact. “It’s great to have additional picks,” DeCosta said during the team’s predraft news conference two weeks ago. “You certainly have to have players that you covet and that you want to draft. So, that’s always a factor with every draft. “I always think about it as, ‘What picks do you need to get the players that you want to take?’ You can have some great picks, but if the board doesn’t fall the right way, and you’re looking at a bunch of players that aren’t any better than the players you have on your roster, those picks don’t really help you very much. I like the idea of having more picks, but I want to have more picks in a specific range in the draft. If we can get that done, then I could see us being in a good position to really maximize our chances to find good players.” In terms of those players and what the Ravens need most, here’s a look at the positions they’re most likely to fill in the draft, which begins Thursday night in Detroit. Offensive line With three starters from last season’s line having departed via free agency or trade, this is easily the Ravens’ biggest need in terms of sheer volume. Gone are guards John Simpson and Kevin Zeitler, signing lucrative deals with the New York Jets and Detroit Lions, respectively, while right tackle Morgan Moses was dealt to the Jets in a draft pick swap. Coach John Harbaugh said earlier this month that there are “absolutely” young players already on the roster who can step in, but all of them have question marks. Is Daniel Faalele ready to take a sizable leap forward in Year 3 to become an every-down starter at tackle? Did Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu improve enough from his rookie year after getting beaten out by Simpson last summer? How will guard Andrew Vorhees fare after missing his rookie season because of a torn ACL? Baltimore has versatile veterans in Patrick Mekari and Josh Jones, but they are mostly rotational players. The good news for Baltimore is that the two deepest positions of this draft class are offensive line and wide receiver. The Ravens have also drafted at least two offensive linemen in six of the past eight drafts, so don’t expect this one to be any different. Ravens coach John Harbaugh talks with wide receiver Rashod Bateman during practice last season. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Wide receiver There’s certainly an argument to be made that this is the Ravens’ biggest need, with second-year receiver Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and unspectacular but dependable veteran Nelson Agholor the top three on the depth chart and the group thin after that. The only other receivers on the roster are Tylan Wallace, who has played mostly on special teams his first three seasons, and Sean Ryan, who played zero snaps as a rookie last year. The good news is, it’s a deep class. There should be plenty of opportunities for the Ravens to add an immediate contributor to this group, whether that’s early in the draft or in the middle rounds. Given the abundance of offensive linemen and receivers, it’s possible Baltimore could trade out of the first round, acquire an extra pick or two and bolster both positions. Edge rusher The Ravens made a smart decision to bring back veteran outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy, who had a career-high nine sacks last season. Signed for $9 million over two years, he’s a much more affordable option than Jadeveon Clowney, whom the Carolina Panthers are paying $20 million over two seasons after he recorded 9 1/2 sacks for the Ravens last year. There are questions about the rest of the Ravens’ pass rushers, though, including whether Odafe Oweh can somehow find consistency in Year 4 and if David Ojabo can remain healthy after essentially missing his first two seasons because of injuries. Baltimore has a history of signing veteran pass rushers during the summer and it’s a route they’ll likely take again with some options still out there, including Emmanuel Ogbah, Yannick Ngakoue and Shaq Lawson. Unlike the offensive line and wide receiver class, this is not a deep draft or even one with high-end talent. Consider the strong chance that the top pass rushers will likely be off the board before the Ravens are on the clock, and it’s less likely they’ll find a major contributor via the draft. With safety Geno Stone, right, in Cincinnati and cornerback Brandon Stephens, left, entering the final year of his deal, the Ravens need reinforcements in the secondary. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Cornerback The Ravens are in good shape with Marlon Humphrey and Brandon Stephens on the outside and Arthur Maulet returning in the slot. Baltimore also signed free agent Ka’Dar Hollman, though the 29-year-old has just two starts across three seasons and has mostly played special teams and as a depth piece in the defensive backfield. Beyond that, the group, much like the receiving corps, is thin. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | 2024 NFL mock draft (Version 6.0): Connecting the dots for one last first-round projection Baltimore Ravens | Grading the Ravens’ three most recent drafts, from Rashod Bateman to Andrew Vorhees Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis of the Ravens’ contract extension for WR Rashod Bateman Baltimore Ravens | Ravens WR Rashod Bateman signs contract extension, keeping him in Baltimore through 2026 Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Drafting offensive linemen who can protect Ravens QB Lamar Jackson must be a priority | COMMENTARY Things only get more concerning when factoring in Humphrey’s age (he turns 28 in July), recent injuries (foot and calf in 2023) and pricey contract ($22.8 million cap hit in 2024). Stephens, meanwhile, is set to become a free agent after this upcoming season and could become cost-prohibitive given rising contract figures and other players who will become extension-eligible at the same time, notably All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton and Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum. Damarion “Pepe” Williams and Jalyn Armour-Davis, meanwhile, have struggled to be consistent, both in their play and ability to stay on the field. The Ravens like to say they take a “best player available” approach in the draft, and a cornerback such as Alabama’s Kool-Aid McKinstry might check that box near the end of Round 1. Safety Much like cornerback, Baltimore has no concern with its top two players at the position, Hamilton and Marcus Williams. But the Ravens like to use three safeties, and Geno Stone’s departure to the AFC North rival Cincinnati Bengals leaves a void. The Ravens have Ar’Darius Washington, but he was used primarily in the slot last season. Stephens, originally tabbed for a safety role last year, gives them flexibility, but moving him would stress the outside. If either Hamilton or Williams gets injured, as the latter did last year, there would be a big problem. Adding another player to the rotation either in free agency or the draft makes sense. NFL draft Round 1: Thursday, 8 p.m. Rounds 2-3: Friday, 7 p.m. Rounds 4-7: Saturday, noon TV: ABC, ESPN, NFL Network Ravens draft picks Round 1: No. 30 Round 2: No. 62 Round 3: No. 93 Round 4: No. 113 (from Denver Broncos through Jets) Round 4: No. 130 Round 5: No. 165 Round 6: No. 218 Round 7: No. 228 (from Jets) Round 7: No. 250 View the full article

Different drafts serve different purposes for the Ravens as they persist with their mission to contend every season. Last year, with no second-round pick and only six picks total, general manager Eric DeCosta went looking for bets that might pay off in 2024 or 2025. Going into this year, DeCosta has made it plain that he sees the next two pick-rich drafts as major opportunities to restock his roster depth. As we guess how DeCosta might go about that mission, it’s useful to look at his recent past as a drafter. Which picks did he nail? Where were his blind spots? Did the Ravens get what they needed out of each draft? With that in mind, let’s review every one of the team’s picks and every one of its drafts as a whole going back to 2021. 2021 Rashod Bateman (Round 1, pick 27) Bateman was a durable, productive pass catcher at Minnesota, praised for his attention to detail as a route runner and capable of busting free downfield. He was expected to fit seamlessly with Marquise Brown to give Lamar Jackson an exciting set of young targets. Over three seasons, we have seen all the talent that put Bateman in this spot, but his rookie totals of 46 catches and 515 yards remain career highs, in part because of terrible injury luck and in part because his chemistry with Jackson has yet to click consistently. Data showed Bateman routinely separating from defensive backs last season, but he did not see increased targets and finished with just one touchdown catch. DeCosta and coach John Harbaugh have said they expect a major leap from Bateman this season, and the Ravens backed up those statements by signing him to an extension through 2026. Grade: C Odafe Oweh (Round 1, pick 31) With a pick they obtained by trading starting right tackle Orlando Brown Jr., the Ravens took one of the draft’s most spectacular physical talents. The two numbers everyone knew about Oweh? Zero sacks in his final season at Penn State and the 4.36-second 40-yard dash he ran at 6 feet 5 and 257 pounds. In reality, he has been neither boom nor bust over three seasons in Baltimore. The Ravens probably hoped for more than 13 sacks in 45 games, but Oweh’s underlying pressure numbers are better than that, and last season was his best. He’s a candidate to break out, much as his pal, Justin Madubuike, did in 2023. The Ravens face a vexing decision on his fifth-year option. Grade: B- Ben Cleveland (Round 3, pick 94) Harbaugh gushed about this pick, believing the Ravens had obtained a perfect inside mauler to clear space for their runners. Cleveland has struggled to get on the field, however, because of injuries, lackluster conditioning and subpar mobility. To his credit, he has held up fairly well when called to duty, and he will have a real chance to start at guard in the last season of his rookie deal. Grade: C- Brandon Stephens (Round 3, pick 104) Stephens’ versatility and pugnacious style made him an intriguing developmental prospect for the secondary, but the converted running back was an obscurity to many draft watchers. Stephens blossomed in his third season, erasing fears over the team’s lack of secondary depth by seizing a starting cornerback job and delivering above-average performance. He will enter 2024 as a starter at a premium position with a chance to earn a tasty deal next offseason. Grade: A- Ravens vs. LionsKenneth K. Lam/Baltimore SunRavens cornerback Brandon Stephens blossomed in his third season. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Tylan Wallace (Round 4, pick 131) Pundits and fans loved Wallace as a potential value play at wide receiver coming off a productive career at Oklahoma State. He didn’t play much his first two seasons but fought his way off the roster bubble last summer and made one of the most exciting plays of 2023 with his walk-off punt return against the Los Angeles Rams. Grade: C+ Shaun Wade (Round 5, pick 160) Once regarded as a potential first-round pick based on his decorated career at Ohio State, Wade never made a push for snaps with the Ravens, who traded him for a pair of late-round picks at the end of his rookie summer. Grade: D Daelin Hayes (Round 5, pick 171) The odds of finding a starting edge rusher in the fifth round are minuscule, but Hayes arrived with a nifty set of moves and flashed in summer workouts. He could never translate that performance to training camp, and injuries derailed his development. Grade: D Ben Mason (Round 5, pick 184) The Ravens steered into their image by drafting a fullback who played for Harbaugh’s brother at Michigan. Mason showed good hands in training camp and hung around the team’s practice squad but never threatened to displace Pat Ricard. Grade: C- Overall: The Ravens’ top needs coming off a season that ended in the AFC divisional round of the playoffs were a dynamic wide receiver, a productive edge rusher and blockers who could keep Jackson upright against a playoff-quality defense. DeCosta went right at those holes with his first three picks, but the results have been uneven at best. His second third-round pick, Stephens, prompted the most chin-scratching on draft day but returned the best value last season. The Ravens got no game day production from Wade, Hayes or Mason. If neither Bateman nor Oweh breaks out, this could go down as DeCosta’s weakest draft. Grade: C 2022 Kyle Hamilton (Round 1, pick 14) Some questioned the Ravens using such a high pick on a safety when they already had two starters at the position and when Hamilton’s exact fit was unclear. What we’ve learned over two seasons is that Hamilton fits anywhere because he can do almost anything, from covering tight ends to dropping running backs to rushing off the edge. He might be the best safety in the league and the most important player on the Ravens’ defense. Grade: A+ Kevin Richardson / Baltimore SunThe Ravens nailed their first two picks in the 2022 draft with safety Kyle Hamilton, second from left, and center Tyler Linderbaum, second from right. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Tyler Linderbaum (Round 1, pick 25) Some second guessers wondered why the Ravens would use the payoff for trading Marquise Brown on a center. But Linderbaum has been exactly as advertised, starting since the minute he showed up, making the Pro Bowl in his second season and giving the Ravens a building block for their offensive line. Grade: A David Ojabo (Round 2, pick 45) This was the Ravens’ big value play as they stashed an edge rusher who would have gone in the first round had he not torn his Achilles tendon during his pro day at Michigan. The hope was that Ojabo would bust out in his second season, but knee surgery shut him down again, and he’s back to the drawing board as he prepares for another shot in 2024. There’s still time for DeCosta’s risk to pay off. Grade: C- Travis Jones (Round 3, pick 76) The Ravens have always loved using mid-round picks to accumulate future starters for their defensive interior, and the 6-4, 338-pound Jones is on track after he took a step forward in 2023. He’s still projected to share time with Michael Pierce but has the talent to become a more frequent playmaker. Grade: B Daniel Faalele (Round 4, pick 110) The biggest player in the draft wasn’t ready when thrust into an emergency start at tackle as a rookie. The Ravens liked Faalele’s progress going into Year 2, and he helped them by rotating in for a hurting Morgan Moses late in the season. Will he have a real chance to start in 2024, or will the Ravens fill Moses’ shoes in this draft? Grade: B- Jalyn Armour-Davis (Round 4, pick 119) Armour-Davis had the speed to be another first-round cornerback out of Alabama but could not stay on the field consistently. That has been the story of his NFL career as well, and he might be running low on chances. Grade: C- Charlie Kolar (Round 4, pick 128) The Ravens saw Kolar as a possession target who could relieve Mark Andrews. Then, they hoped he might add strength and polish his blocking to fit an in-line role. He has yet to find his niche and could be on the roster bubble going into training camp. Grade: C- Jordan Stout (Round 4, pick 130) Stout’s big leg and all-around athleticism made him the Ravens’ choice to succeed franchise institution Sam Koch at punter. He’s locked in as the team’s starter but still searching for the consistency, especially on more tactically delicate punts, that set Koch apart. Grade: B Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely flashed star potential as a pass catcher from the moment he stepped on the practice field in the summer of 2022. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) Isaiah Likely (Round 4, pick 139) Likely flashed star potential as a pass catcher from the moment he stepped on the practice field in the summer of 2022 and was a major reason why the Ravens thrived in Andrews’ absence last year. The trick now will be to get him and Andrews producing at the same time. Either way, Likely is integral to the Ravens’ plans for giving Jackson a dynamic set of targets. Grade: A- Damarion Williams (Round 4, pick 141) Williams has potential as an option to cover slot receivers, but injuries wiped out his opportunity to show it in 2023. Grade: C Tyler Badie (Round 6, pick 196) Badie couldn’t find an opportunity with the Ravens, and the Denver Broncos signed the running back off their practice squad in December 2022. Grade: C- Overall: DeCosta took an unusual approach, steering away from premium positions with his first two picks, but it’s hard to argue with any draft that yields a pair of Pro Bowl selections in the first round. The gamble on Ojabo has yet to pay off, and the six fourth-round picks are a mixed bag, as one might expect. Jones and especially Likely could provide outstanding value. Grade: A 2023 Zay Flowers (Round 1, pick 22) DeCosta used his first pick on a wide receiver for the third time in five years, and Flowers proved to be a good one, leading the Ravens in catches and receiving yards as a rookie. He also produced in the playoffs, though his goal line fumble was a key negative play in the Ravens’ AFC championship game loss. The Ravens are still figuring out how to use Flowers, who was frequently bottled up when Jackson targeted him with quick outside throws. But he’s the team’s No. 1 receiver going into 2024. Grade: A- Trenton Simpson (Round 3, pick 86) The Ravens didn’t have a second-round pick because they traded it for Pro Bowl linebacker Roquan Smith. In the third round, they chose a potential future partner for Smith in the speedy Simpson. With Patrick Queen on the field for almost every defensive snap in 2023, Simpson didn’t play much, but he excelled in the regular-season finale and will be the top candidate to fill Queen’s shoes this year. Grade: B Ravens inside linebacker Trenton Simpson, with the ball, and outside linebacker Tavius Robinson, right, could make the 2023 draft look even better if they can step into bigger roles in 2024. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Tavius Robinson (Round 4, pick 124) Robinson was the steadiest contributor from the class other than Queen. The 6-foot-6, 258-pound outside linebacker didn’t flash much as a pass rusher but was sturdy enough as an edge-setter that the Ravens gave him defensive snaps in every regular-season game. Grade: B- Kyu Blu Kelly (Round 5, pick 157) Even when injuries struck their secondary during training camp, the Ravens never seemed to see Kelly as a viable option to step in at cornerback. They waived him at the end of training camp, and he bounced to three other teams by the end of the season. Grade: D Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | 2024 NFL mock draft (Version 6.0): Connecting the dots for one last first-round projection Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ 5 biggest needs entering NFL draft and how they could fill them Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis of the Ravens’ contract extension for WR Rashod Bateman Baltimore Ravens | Ravens WR Rashod Bateman signs contract extension, keeping him in Baltimore through 2026 Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Drafting offensive linemen who can protect Ravens QB Lamar Jackson must be a priority | COMMENTARY Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu (Round 6, pick 199) The Ravens treated the 6-5, 325-pound Aumavae-Laulu as a potential starting guard going into training camp, but he quickly fell behind in that competition and was regularly inactive on game days once the season started. He’s rarely mentioned as a candidate to fill one of the three open starter jobs on the Ravens’ offensive line, a sign of how raw he proved to be. Grade: C+ Andrew Vorhees (Round 7, pick 229) DeCosta pulled a nifty move, jumping back into the last round to add an experienced, powerful offensive lineman who would have been picked several rounds higher if he was healthy. Vorhees is back from that torn ACL and is expected to compete for snaps at guard this summer. Teams don’t find many starters in the last round, so the upside here is significant. Grade: B Overall: This is the most difficult draft to grade because two of the key picks, Simpson and Vorhees, could jump into significant roles this year. If both of them join Flowers in the starting lineup, that would be a great payoff for six total picks, but we can’t say for sure. Grade: B- NFL draft Round 1: Thursday, 8 p.m. Rounds 2-3: Friday, 7 p.m. Rounds 4-7: Saturday, noon TV: ABC, ESPN, NFL Network View the full article

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott’s guests to the city’s private suites at M&T Bank Stadium and Camden Yards last year included members of his family, local labor leaders, numerous elected officials and a few donors to his campaign, records released by the city show. As part of lease agreements with the Maryland Stadium Authority, the Baltimore mayor, as well as the governor, are provided with skyboxes — valued at thousands of dollars per game — at the Ravens and Orioles stadiums. There are no restrictions on who the officials can invite. Records obtained by The Baltimore Sun via a Public Information Act request show Scott was a frequent attendee at games held at both sports stadiums as was his mother, Donna Scott, and fiancée Hana Pugh. At Camden Yards, Scott occupied the city’s third base side suite Opening Day and during 12 additional games that season. He attended two late-season games against division rivals the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox. In July, he sat in the suite with women’s basketball star Angel Reese. The city’s suite package includes additional tickets to each game located behind home plate. Scott’s spokesman Bryan Doherty said the mayor has used those seats for some games, while he has personally purchased tickets in that area for others. Records provided to The Sun do not indicate how those tickets were allocated. Scott’s office typically distributes tickets for the entire suite at Camden Yards to an agency or group, while suite tickets for M&T Bank Stadium are handed out individually. Scott’s top staffers were repeat guests in both suites in 2023. Chief of Staff Marvin James attended seven Ravens games and occupied the Orioles box for three. City Administrator Faith Leach was invited to five Ravens games and had the Orioles suite for three, records showed. State Del. Caylin Young, who works for Scott as the deputy director of the Office of Equity and Civil Rights, received two suite passes each to two Ravens games in September and December. Suite passes require the holder to have a ticket for a seat elsewhere in the stadium, but grant access to the stadium’s suite level. Calvin Young, Caylin Young’s brother and Scott’s campaign treasurer, received suite passes to four Ravens games. Elected officials were often recipients of tickets for both the Ravens and Orioles suites. Every member of the Baltimore City Council received tickets for the Orioles box for at least one game in 2023 except for Councilman Zeke Cohen. Cohen said he has a policy of not accepting free tickets. Council President Nick Mosby was the most frequent council guest at Camden Yards. He received suite tickets for three games during the 2023 season. Baltimore County Executive John “Johnny O” Olszewski Jr., Baltimore County Councilman Pat Young, state Del. Luke Clippinger and Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates also used Orioles suite tickets. All are Democrats. Mosby was also the council’s most frequent attendee at M&T Bank Stadium. The council president received two tickets to 10 football games including one playoff game. Eight other members of the Baltimore City Council went to at least one game in 2023, but most attended more. Councilman Antonio Glover attended four games through a combination of tickets and suite passes. Five members of the council attended the divisional round playoff game on Jan. 20 as did Comptroller Bill Henry, records showed. Other elected officials who were guests of the mayor at M&T Bank at least once last season included: Bates, state Del. Stephanie Smith, state Sen. Cory McCray, state Sen. Antonio Hayes and state Sen. Arthur Ellis, a representative of Charles County. Former Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, who first hired Scott and has served as a mentor to the mayor, received suite passes to two Ravens games. City employees were also regular guests, particularly at Orioles games. More than a dozen city offices were given tickets to the box during the 2023 season. At least one city labor leader was generally in attendance at each Ravens game in 2023. Tickets went to Josh Fannon and Matthew Coster, presidents of the two city fire unions; Antoinette Ryan, president of City Union of Baltimore; Clyde Boatwright, president of the Maryland State Fraternal Order of Police; Diamonté Brown, president of the Baltimore Teachers Union; and Ricarra Jones, political director for SEIU Local 1199 United Healthcare Workers East. Mike Mancuso, president of the Baltimore Fraternal Order of Police, received a suite pass to one game. SEIU Local 1199, the Baltimore Teachers Union and both fire unions have endorsed Scott during his bid for reelection. The primary is May 14. Several donors to Scott’s campaign were among suite guests at Ravens games. Phillip Stokes, a principal with media company greiBO solutions, attended four games in the city’s Ravens suite in 2023. Stokes gave $1,500 to Scott’s campaign earlier this year. Jeffrey Hargrave, founder and president of commercial construction firm Mahogany Inc., was the recipient of two tickets to the Ravens suite in September. Hargrave gave the Scott campaign $6,000. Mahogany gave $2,500. Brandon Wylie, co-owner of florist Fleurs D’Ave, was a guest in the Ravens suite for the divisional round playoff game as was Al Wylie, owner of Wylie Funeral Home. Wylie Funeral Home contributed $1,000 to Scott’s campaign in January 2023. Brandon Wylie contributed $10,000 to Scott’s campaign during the current election cycle, above the $6,000 individual maximum. Following a Sun story about the overage, the campaign said it has issued Wylie a refund for $4,000. Scott’s mother attended nine football games in 2023 including the divisional round playoff game against the Houston Texans. (The Sun’s record request did not include the conference championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs.) Pugh attended six regular season football games and one preseason game. Pugh’s son, Ceron, attended four games. Other notable guests to Ravens games included: Robyn Murphy, owner of a media consulting company that founded a legal-defense fund to benefit Nick and Marilyn Mosby. Murphy received a ticket to a game in November and three tickets to a game in January; Brittney Verner, a then-reporter for television station WMAR. Verner attended a game in the mayor’s suite on Nov. 16. She has since left the station, but published a story about Scott in December; Ike Carter, an organizer behind 300 Men March, a group co-founded by Scott. Carter received suite passes to 11 Ravens games. In addition to the better-known guests to the Ravens suite were numerous community members who were also selected to attend. Youth from the city’s Brooklyn Homes neighborhood were invited to a preseason game in August one month after a mass shooting there killed two and injured 28, many young people. Community groups were frequent recipients of the city’s suite at Camden Yards, too. Church groups and faith leaders received tickets as did the Fund for Educational Excellence, Uproar Care Foundation, Mt. Washington School and College Bound. Scott said he has made a point to try to get more tickets into the hands of average city residents since he became mayor. “If you look at my record on how we give out the city’s tickets to sporting events, and you compare them to folks that came before me, a lot more average Baltimoreans are getting those tickets, sometimes much to the chagrin of other elected officials,” he said. Use of the city’s suites at M&T Bank Stadium and Camden Yards came under a spotlight during the administration of Rawlings-Blake after she rescinded an offer of tickets to then-City Council President Bernard C. “Jack” Young to a playoff game in 2012 after he publicly criticized her. Public records requests filed by The Sun at the time showed Rawlings-Blake was using the box primarily for city employees, prominent business leaders, donors to her campaign and family members. Henry, the city’s comptroller who had suite tickets for two Orioles games in 2023, said he has seen a shift during the Scott administration to include more non-elected officials and community leaders in the suites than his predecessors. “It’s a very, very important thing for me,” Scott said. “I try to … help those families, especially families that have been through a lot, people who quite frankly need a little bit of good in their life.” View the full article

In suites reserved for Wes Moore at Maryland’s publicly owned sports stadiums, the governor welcomed more than 1,000 different individuals or groups during the Orioles’ and Ravens’ 2023 seasons — making up a list filled with government staffers and political allies, friends and family, community leaders, donors and executives, according to rosters The Baltimore Sun obtained through public records requests. The suites, which typically cost thousands of dollars per game, at Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium are built into contracts between the teams and the Maryland Stadium Authority. They have long been used by governors. Under Moore, a lifelong sports fanatic who played wide receiver at Johns Hopkins University, it was no different for his first year as Maryland’s sports fan-in-chief, the records show. Some visited frequently — one cabinet member went to a quarter of the Orioles’ 81-game home slate. Others showed up for a game or two, like Baltimore native and former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi cheering on the Ravens with Moore at a disappointing AFC Championship game in January, or prominent local developer David Bramble watching the Orioles lose in game 2 of the ALDS in October. Invitations have gone to both the leaders of the powerful teachers’ union — the Maryland State Education Association — and local education-focused groups like Building African American Minds, a nonprofit based in Easton. At the Sept. 28 Orioles game, when Moore surprised the city by announcing the initial agreement on a new stadium lease, the guests included volunteers and staff for We Our Us, a Baltimore group working with young people to avoid violence. More recently, on opening day last month, Moore honored Maryland Transportation Authority Police Officers just days after they stopped traffic on the Francis Scott Key Bridge moments before its collapse. Mar. 28, 2024: At Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Governor Wes Moore shakes the hand of officer Garry Kirts, left, one of the first responders at the Key Bridge collapse. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Pelosi, whose father and brother were both Baltimore mayors, and her husband, Paul, were among several prominent names in the suites for the Ravens playoff games. Those also included former Orioles player Adam Jones, state Senate President Bill Ferguson and Downtown Partnership of Baltimore President Shelonda Stokes at the same Jan. 28 game. Two Eastern Shore Republicans were also there, Wicomico County Executive Julie Giordano and Del. Carl Anderton, along with Baltimore Democratic Sen. Antonio Hayes, according to the guest list. A week earlier, at the Jan. 20 playoff win against the Houston Texans, were Maryland Democratic Party leader Ken Ulman and Montgomery County Councilman Will Jawando, who ran for and dropped out of the ongoing U.S. Senate race a few months earlier. The Orioles disappointing playoff games, meanwhile, featured a who’s who of Maryland politicos at the suite with a view from behind home plate. Invited to the Oct. 7 and Oct. 8 games were U.S. Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin, U.S. Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, former U.S. Rep. Tom McMillen, and state leaders Attorney General Anthony Brown, House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones, Treasurer Dereck Davis and Comptroller Brooke Lierman. All are Democrats. Also among that crowd: Bramble, the Baltimore developer who, three weeks later, stood with Moore and other elected officials to unveil his plans to redevelop Harborplace, which his firm had purchased out of receivership in 2022. Bramble was the only private sector executive aside from John Avirett, a partner at the private equity group Stepstone, on the list for those games. The other standout on those Orioles playoff lists is Paul Edwards, a Republican who heads the Garrett County Board of Commissioners. Edwards said in an interview that he and Moore had bonded over a mutual love of Baltimore sports during one of Moore’s visits to Western Maryland. “He invited me to discuss some priorities. We spent most of that time together talking about childhood memories of the Orioles,” Edwards said, laughing about how they’ve been able to strike a friendship despite their political differences. “We’re about as opposite as you can get. He’s a big city guy and a Democrat and I’m a small-town country boy and a Republican.” Edwards was one of only two Republicans — the other being Rising Sun Mayor Travis Marion — among the 97 individuals who attended at least two Orioles games in the governor’s suite in 2023. Half of those were staff in Moore’s administration. Most of the rest were either elected officials or high-ranking state appointees. Brown, the attorney general, went to four games, as did Labor Secretary Portia Wu and Veterans Secretary Tony Woods. Cardin, Ruppersberger and Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr., a Democrat, each went twice. The most frequent visitor to the governor’s Orioles box, though, was Tisha Edwards, a Moore cabinet member who worked in top roles during his campaign and previously at the education-focused startup he ran, called BridgeEdU. Before that, she was a top Baltimore City government and schools official. Now serving as the governor’s secretary of appointments — a position in charge of vetting and nominating hundreds of appointed positions every year — Edwards attended 21 Orioles games, more than a quarter of the team’s appearances at home. Her partner, Lamont Riley, attended 12, which was the fourth-most of any individual and seven more than any other person who was not a government employee. The records show Edwards, who did not respond to a request for comment through a governor’s office spokesperson, attended two Ravens games. She was one of the 19 individuals or groups — out of 160 total — who attended more than once. There is no formal policy in the governor’s office on how frequently staff can grab a ticket, though staff members “work hard to ensure that as many people as possible have access to games,” said spokesperson Carter Elliott IV. Capacity for the Orioles suite is 22 people and for the Ravens suite it’s 24, Elliott said. Market rates for the suites are between $2,000 and $6,000 at Oriole Park and between $8,000 and $25,000 at M&T Bank Stadium, according to Suite Experience Group, an online marketplace that sells tickets. Others scattered throughout the guest lists are friends or donors to Moore. The July 28 game against the Yankees, for instance, included a small list of wealthy investors and their spouses from New York and elsewhere who have also donated to Moore’s campaign or his inauguration. That included investor David Kleinhandler, hedge fund manager Paul Touradji and private equity firm manager Ernest Lyles. Moore was previously a New York-based investment banker and chief executive of Robin Hood, one of the country’s largest anti-poverty nonprofits. His predecessor, Republican Larry Hogan, had similarly entered office in 2015 from a successful private business career running the real estate-focused Hogan Companies. In Hogan’s early years in office, he frequently invited Hogan Companies employees to the stadium suites, according to previous Baltimore Sun reporting. Moore’s family has also attended games in the suites. His mother, Joy Moore, went to four Ravens games while his sisters, Shani Moore and Nikki Moore, went to three and two, respectively. Moore himself attended several Orioles games and most of the Ravens games in his first year in office. An enthusiastic cheerleader for the teams and their role in Baltimore, he’s thrown out the first pitch on opening day, tossed footballs with Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and talked about his pride in securing the Orioles’ new lease that will keep them at Camden Yards for up to three more decades. “I’m really proud that 20 years from now, hopefully, I’ll be able to hang out with my kids and grandkids at Camden Yards, watching the Orioles play,” Moore said in an interview earlier this year. View the full article

Here’s what The Baltimore Sun sports staff had to say immediately after wide receiver Rashod Bateman signed an extension with the Ravens through the 2026 season on Wednesday before Thursday night’s NFL draft. Brian Wacker, reporter: Giving Bateman an extension is a calculated but risky move. In three years in Baltimore, he’s had just one fully healthy season, which came last year when he had 32 catches for 367 yards and only one touchdown. That’s middling production at best, though not all of it should be pinned on Bateman, who was open often but rarely in rhythm with Lamar Jackson, a disconnect that was at times seemingly on the quarterback. There’s no denying Bateman’s talent — he’s a fluid and fast route runner with excellent hands who can take the top off defenses. But foot injuries are unpredictable and who knows whether Jackson and Bateman can ever be consistently in sync. That said, the Ravens need Bateman and need him engaged. Beyond him, Zay Flowers and Nelson Agholor, the receiving corps gets thin quickly. They could draft a receiver, but finding an immediate contributor is anything but a guarantee. Declining his option would have signaled they were ready to move on from him and picking it up would have been even more expensive. With Baltimore showing Bateman it believes in him by extending him now, perhaps he’ll be poised to break out. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens WR Rashod Bateman signs 3-year contract extension Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Drafting offensive linemen who can protect Ravens QB Lamar Jackson must be a priority | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens roundtable: Answering NFL draft questions and grading Eric DeCosta Baltimore Ravens | Dueling Ravens mock drafts: Two views on how to rebuild a Super Bowl contender Baltimore Ravens | Why the NFL draft is so important for the Ravens, both this year and next Childs Walker, reporter: The Ravens like their draft week surprises, and this was another one, given that some fans had convinced themselves Bateman would be traded. A skeptic might look at Bateman’s production through three seasons and say there’s no way he merits an extension. An optimist would counter that he has flashed plenty of talent for getting open downfield and that the interruptions to his career have been beyond his control. The bottom line is it’s a reasonable bet on a pass catcher with so much upside. On a human level, it’s cool to see the Ravens show faith in a guy who has done his best to stand tall through maddening injuries and personal anguish. Bateman is in line to start and be Jackson’s top deep target this season. This is his time. Mike Preston, columnist: General manager Eric DeCosta must have seen something in Bateman’s performance a year ago that warranted an extension. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen that. Bateman has always been a player with great potential, but never lived up to the reputation. This was a surprising move. C.J. Doon, editor: I was wondering whether the Ravens would trade Bateman during the draft, let alone pick up his fifth-year option before the May 2 deadline, so this is pretty surprising to me. That said, it makes a ton of sense. Bateman’s stats haven’t been what many expected since he was drafted in the first round in 2021, but his underlying numbers and performance on film suggest better days are ahead. In ESPN’s receiver tracking analytics, which use player-tracking data from NFL Next Gen Stats to evaluate every route a pass catcher runs, Bateman posted an “open score” of 62 (on a 0-99 scale) last season that ranked 37th in the league. He might never become the true No. 1 outside receiver the Ravens and their fans have always craved, but he’s only 24 years old. The Ravens are betting he’ll ascend, and that’s probably a smart bet. And given the exploding wide receiver market (Amon-Ra St. Brown just got $120 million over four years with $77 million guaranteed from the Detroit Lions), signing a young player to a reasonable deal is prudent team building. Tim Schwartz, editor: Well, this one is a surprise. I think the terms of the deal are important here. The scuttlebutt was that the Ravens might be looking to trade their 2021 first-round pick for some draft capital this weekend or for 2025, but clearly they view Bateman as someone who fits Todd Monken’s scheme and has likely run into some bad luck since arriving in Baltimore. At the least, this gives quarterback Lamar Jackson some much-needed continuity after so much transition at the position. While Bateman has not been stellar with the Ravens, he likely has not reached his ceiling, and perhaps the peace of mind of this contract pushes him to the next level. It’s likely this deal gives the Ravens some cap room in 2025, too, considering his fifth-year option would have been fairly expensive. This feels like it could be a boom or bust move for Baltimore. View the full article

When Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta was asked earlier this month if he’d made a decision about wide receiver Rashod Bateman’s fifth-year contract option, he said he had about a month to make that decision before the May 2 deadline. He didn’t wait that long. On Wednesday, the team announced a contract extension with Bateman, keeping the 2021 first-round draft pick in Baltimore through 2026. Terms of the deal were not announced. The move comes just eight days before the Ravens had to decide whether to pick up or decline his option. Declining it would have made Bateman, 24, a free agent after the 2024 season. In three injury-filled seasons with the Ravens, Bateman has 93 catches for 1,167 yards and four touchdowns, though 2023 marked the first season in which he was healthy for an entire campaign. “Congratulations to ‘Bate’ and his family,” DeCosta said in a statement. “This is a good day for the Ravens.” This story will be updated. View the full article

The Ravens are looking for offensive linemen in the NFL draft, but their philosophy should change. Instead of looking for the dominant, physical maulers up front, they should seek versatile performers who can balance run and pass blocking. In recent seasons, the Ravens have been one of the best — if not the best — in the NFL at running the ball, but they can’t get to the Super Bowl because of their inability to protect quarterback Lamar Jackson. It hasn’t mattered who has lined up under center, the results have been the same. In the gut-wrenching wild-card playoff loss to the Cincinnati Bengals two seasons ago, backup Tyler Huntley was sacked twice and hit five times. In the 17-10 AFC championship game loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Chiefs, Jackson was sacked four times in a game that was reminiscent of the 23-17 wild-card-round loss to the Los Angeles Chargers after his breakthrough 2018 rookie season. The Ravens should stress more versatility with their offensive linemen and draft players who can do more than maul people in the running game. There are several holes to fill, including both guard spots and right tackle. This draft presents them with several opportunities to find a starter, or more than one. “It’s a very deep pool of players,” Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said of the offensive linemen class in this draft, which begins Thursday night in Detroit. “We see a lot of different opportunities in different rounds to get players at tackle, guard and center, and we’re excited about that.” It’s still possible that the Ravens might want to trade down from their No. 30 overall spot in the first round to acquire more picks in later rounds or for next year’s draft, which is already considered to be one of the strongest in a while. They might also want to select a receiver or a cornerback, but filling out the offensive line is the more pressing need. One of the main reasons the Ravens have struggled in the postseason is because they either can’t keep pace with opposing quarterbacks or have panicked out of fear. In the playoffs, the Ravens have to face quarterbacks such as the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes or the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen. The Houston Texans’ C.J. Stroud isn’t going away and the Chargers’ Justin Herbert, with new coach Jim Harbaugh, should be formidable. Those quarterbacks excel in the passing game, and a 10-point lead might seem insurmountable against some of those top signal-callers. That’s what happened to the Ravens in the AFC title game — Baltimore panicked and its top two running backs, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill, had only six rushing attempts. Ravens training campKevin RichardsonRavens offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris gives instructions to guard Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, right, during training camp last year. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) The Ravens’ struggles haven’t just been in the postseason, either. For most of the 2023 regular season, right tackle Morgan Moses had problems with speed rushers. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley was constantly overpowered. The Ravens traded Moses in March to the New York Jets in exchange for draft picks, and Stanley’s monstrous contract was renegotiated to make it more salary cap friendly. The Ravens also lost their two starting guards in free agency in John Simpson to the Jets and right guard Kevin Zeitler to the Lions. So, rebuilding on the offensive line and protecting their star quarterback is the priority. The Ravens might have some capable replacements in 6-foot-8, 380-pound right tackle Daniel Faalele and 6-6, 370-pound right guard Ben Cleveland, but neither bend well at the knees and have struggled in pass protection in limited action. Perhaps if both have strong offseasons in the weight room, that will change. Stanley, in his ninth season, has struggled since his 2020 ankle injury and his best years are probably behind him. That leaves the Ravens with Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum, swing lineman Patrick Mekari and possibly Andrew Vorhees, who missed all of his rookie season while recovering from an injury, as their starting left guard. Merkari can play any position on the line, but his body probably can’t hold up for an entire season as a starter. He’s more valuable in his current role. Center Tyler Linderbaum, left, and swing tackle Patrick Mekari will be playing next to new guards in 2024. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Vorhees, who had a stellar career at Southern California before the Ravens selected him in the seventh round, might be a sleeper. He was projected to be a fourth-round pick before tearing his ACL at the scouting combine. “Andrew was a guy that I’ve seen on tape, and I thought that he was a good player and that he would have a chance long term to be a player for us and be a starter for us potentially,” DeCosta said. “He’s a physical, tough guy that loves football. He’s done a fantastic job with rehab. The strength coaches and the trainers and the doctors are all very excited about him. So, we’ll see what he does.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens roundtable: Answering NFL draft questions and grading Eric DeCosta Baltimore Ravens | Dueling Ravens mock drafts: Two views on how to rebuild a Super Bowl contender Baltimore Ravens | Why the NFL draft is so important for the Ravens, both this year and next Baltimore Ravens | 2024 NFL mock draft (Version 5.0): Ravens beat writer Brian Wacker predicts the first round Baltimore Ravens | NFL won’t discipline Ravens WR Zay Flowers after investigating alleged domestic violence incident It will be interesting to see what the Ravens do in the first round. According to some draft experts, there could be as many as 10 offensive tackles taken in the first round. The Ravens might end up with Alabama’s JC Latham, Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton or Georgia’s Amarius Mims. All could help immediately, and all of them are huge. The Ravens certainly have some inside connections with executive vice president of player personnel Ozzie Newsome being an Alabama alumnus and offensive coordinator Todd Moknen having spent three years in the same capacity at Georgia. After a tackle, the Ravens might target a guard, such as Kansas State’s Cooper Beebe or Connecticut’s Christian Haynes, in the second round. Regardless, though, the Ravens need to get out of that old-school mindset when it comes to evaluating offensive linemen. They had the prototype for years in Hall of Fame left tackle Jonathan Ogden, who was far from one-dimensional. They also had another possible Hall of Famer in right guard Marshal Yanda who, like Ogden, was mean, nasty and preferred run blocking over being in a pass set. But they could do both. The Ravens need more linemen like them. NFL draft Round 1: Thursday, 8 p.m. Rounds 2-3: Friday, 7 p.m. Rounds 4-7: Saturday, noon TV: ABC, ESPN, NFL Network View the full article

For Eric DeCosta, the stakes are clear entering the 2024 NFL draft. “There’s going to be some spots that need to be filled,” the Ravens general manager said during the team’s annual predraft luncheon earlier this month. “The burden is on me to find those players.” With nine picks, the Ravens must restock a roster that was raided in free agency after an NFL-best 13-4 regular season and the franchise’s first trip to the AFC championship game in a decade. Baltimore is expected to target players at offensive line, cornerback, running back and wide receiver, among other positions, but how those picks are spent — and where they are ultimately made — remains a mystery. Before the first round starts Thursday, Baltimore Sun reporters Brian Wacker and Childs Walker and columnist Mike Preston answer questions about positions of need, potential trades, late-round targets and DeCosta’s draft history. Which positions — offensive line, wide receiver, cornerback and edge rusher — should the Ravens target early, and which prospect is the best fit? Wacker: All options being equal, they should target the offensive line. It’s their biggest need with three starting positions to fill and they have a chance to land a top prospect they can plug in for years to come. Washington’s Troy Fautanu, who can play tackle or guard, would be ideal, but he’s unlikely to be available by the time Baltimore picks at No. 30. The next best option is Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton. He has the size (6 feet 8, 322 pounds), length, footwork and tools to be a highly productive pass protector who Baltimore can start at right tackle this year before sliding him over to the left side whenever the Ravens move on from Ronnie Stanley. Guyton had just 14 career starts in college, but the tape and results speak for themselves with the Sooners star allowing just two sacks over three seasons, including two in which he allowed none. Walker: The Ravens won’t lock in on one position, and that approach has led to a very good track record in the first round. That said, an offensive lineman makes a lot of sense given their need for multiple starters, their draft position and the depth of quality tackle prospects. Arizona’s Jordan Morgan, a potential Day 1 starter at right tackle or guard, has become the player most linked to the Ravens in mock drafts, and it’s hard to argue with his versatility. But they would be tempted by the greater upside of Georgia’s Amarius Mims or Guyton if either tackle prospect slides to No. 30. Preston: It all depends on how the draft is going and whether there are runs on certain positions in the first round. The Ravens need offensive linemen, but the consensus is that this draft is filled with quality linemen, so there might not be a sense of urgency, at least in the first round. If there is a receiver or edge rusher who the Ravens have rated highly and is available when they pick in the first round, they should go with their draft board because they can’t go wrong with a top player at either position. It’s easier to make that decision when a team has a pick in the top four, but much harder near the tail end of the first round. With that said, I’ve always been an advocate of building strong interior lines on both sides of the ball. The Ravens could target Oklahoma offensive lineman Tyler Guyton with the No. 30 overall pick in the NFL draft. (Alonzo Adams/AP) Given the state of the roster, should the Ravens trade up in the first round for a premium player or trade down to amass more picks? Wacker: Picks, picks and more picks. That’s the Ravens way and that should be the objective this year if their top player isn’t on the board when they’re on the clock, especially given the depth of the offensive line and wide receiver classes. They could slide out of the first round for a quarterback-needy team, acquire an extra pick and still get a starting-caliber cornerback, offensive lineman and wide receiver. It’s not a deep draft, but there is value in the early-to-middle rounds. Walker: A trade up would be a major upset and a sign that some prospect the Ravens love is plummeting, whereas a trade down seems very much in play given that there will likely still be excellent offensive line prospects available around pick No. 40. The Ravens never want to reach for a player when they can squeeze more total value out of a draft, and DeCosta has made it clear the next two years will present a major opportunity to rebuild the team’s roster depth. That said, the Ravens have plenty of picks in a draft that’s not deep overall. They need to come away with a starting offensive lineman, so if a candidate they fancy is sitting there at the end of the first round, they should not get too cute. Preston: If the Ravens are using this draft with the primary purpose of building the offensive line, then it might be in their best interest to trade down and acquire more picks, and certainly more talented offensive linemen. Passing on an offensive tackle such as Guyton in the first round, though, would be a tough decision. I don’t see the Ravens trading up. The history of this organization has always been to acquire more picks, so I think they will either stay put or trade down. South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette could be a player the Ravens target in the second or third round. (Artie Walker Jr./AP) Which Day 2 or Day 3 prospect are you most interested in as a potential Ravens target? Wacker: There will still be plenty of tantalizing wide receiver options in what is a deep class if the Ravens don’t go that direction in the first round. Michigan’s Roman Wilson is small (5-11, 185 pounds) but a dynamic, explosive and efficient slot weapon perfect for today’s NFL. South Carolina’s Xavier Legette is big (6-1, 221 pounds) with enough speed to be a deep threat and a good complement to the smaller Zay Flowers. Central Florida’s Javon Baker, who reportedly had a predraft visit with the Ravens, is also on the bigger side (6-1, 202 pounds) with a wide catch radius and was one of the best in the country in yards per route run (5.07) last season. Another player to keep an eye on later in the draft will be Marshall running back Rasheen Ali, an instinctive runner with good burst who can also line up out wide. Walker: We’ve talked so much about offensive linemen, but this draft is also rich in wide receivers, and the Ravens need another one of those with Rashod Bateman potentially approaching the last year of his rookie deal. Legette is a big, fast (4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash) outside target who would complement Flowers after developing for a year as the team’s No. 3 or No. 4 option. He would also be an immediate candidate to help on special teams, either as a returner or in coverage, and we know how much the Ravens value that quality in rookies. Preston: Oregon cornerback Khyree Jackson, Georgia cornerback Kamari Lassiter or safeties Beau Brade of Maryland or Trey Taylor of Air Force. Southern California running back MarShawn Lloyd is also worth a look. After saying goodbye to Tyler Huntley, the Ravens have Josh Johnson and Malik Cunningham as Lamar Jackson’s backups. Should they invest a middle or late-round pick on a quarterback? Wacker: Only if they fill all their other needs and/or if the players they want are off the board at that point. Then, if someone like Florida State’s Jordan Travis falls to them, it would be good to snap him up. Walker: Never rule out a late-round quarterback, but it’s not a priority given their need to add young depth in the secondary, on the edges of their defense and at running back. Remember, Huntley was an undrafted free agent. It seems more likely the Ravens will go that route to add another arm for training camp. Preston: I would. It’s always good to have four arms in training camp, primarily to keep the starter fresh. But the Ravens brought in Todd Monken as the offensive coordinator last season, so allow him to make a selection. If he can find a quarterback to work with in those rounds, that’s a major positive for the future. DeCosta is about to oversee his sixth draft as Ravens general manager. How would you grade his performance thus far? Wacker: A former colleague once described DeCosta as a .275 hitter with occasional pop, though that was also taking into account the totality of his work and before last year’s draft and free agent signings. I’d go a bit higher and give him a B, given the immediate impact Flowers had last season, a highly successful 2022 class that included All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton, Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum and fourth-round tight end Isaiah Likely. There have been several misses, too, particularly in the middle and late rounds, but no one has a high success rate in those rounds. And trading a second- and fifth-round draft pick for All-Pro inside linebacker Roquan Smith turned out to be a steal for Baltimore. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Drafting offensive linemen who can protect Ravens QB Lamar Jackson must be a priority | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Dueling Ravens mock drafts: Two views on how to rebuild a Super Bowl contender Baltimore Ravens | Why the NFL draft is so important for the Ravens, both this year and next Baltimore Ravens | 2024 NFL mock draft (Version 5.0): Ravens beat writer Brian Wacker predicts the first round Baltimore Ravens | NFL won’t discipline Ravens WR Zay Flowers after investigating alleged domestic violence incident Walker: DeCosta has yet to miss badly on a first-round pick, though the Ravens need a breakout year from Bateman for him to go down as a successful choice. Hamilton and Linderbaum both made the Pro Bowl in their second seasons, so the 2022 draft is DeCosta’s magnum opus. The jury remains out on his 2023 class, with players such as Trenton Simpson and Andrew Vorhees in line for major opportunities this season. DeCosta has missed on plenty of later-round picks, as most general managers do, but he usually pulls at least one major value from the middle rounds, whether we’re talking Justin Madubuike in 2020, Brandon Stephens in 2021 or Likely in 2022. Let’s go B+ overall. Preston: B. DeCosta got off to a slow start, which was to be expected because the pressure is greater being in the GM’s chair as opposed to being the top assistant. He has drafted some top players at their positions in Linderbaum, Hamilton and Madubuike while snagging some good mid- to late-round picks such as safety Geno Stone, punter Jordan Stout and Likely. The Ravens have as much depth as any team in the NFL. They’ve proved it over the past four or five years. NFL draft Round 1: Thursday, 8 p.m. Rounds 2-3: Friday, 7 p.m. Rounds 4-7: Saturday, noon TV: ABC, ESPN, NFL Network Ravens 2024 draft picks No. 30 (first round) No. 62 (second) No. 93 (third) No. 113 (fourth, from Denver via N.Y. Jets) No. 130 (fourth) No. 165 (fifth) No. 218 (sixth, from N.Y. Jets) No. 228 (seventh, from N.Y. Jets) No. 250 (seventh) View the full article

The NFL draft kicks off Thursday in Detroit. After a dearth of picks in last year’s draft, the Ravens have a healthy nine selections this year, beginning with No. 30 overall. Given more than a dozen departures from last year’s team and the financial breakdown of the current roster, this will be an important draft for Baltimore if it’s going to match or surpass the success of last season when it reached the AFC championship game. How could it unfold? While Ravens officials always have contingency plans, there’s no way to take into account every option. Still, their needs — offensive line, receiver, cornerback and edge rusher being the most obvious — have been well-documented. Using Pro Football Focus’ simulator and taking into consideration Baltimore’s needs along with other scouting and draft projection information, Baltimore Sun reporter Brian Wacker and editor C.J. Doon played the role of general manager and picked their own rookie class. Here’s whom they took. Brian Wacker’s picks No. 30 (Round 1): Oklahoma OT Tyler Guyton It would not be a surprise to see the Ravens trade out of this spot, either back into Round 2 or possibly up with the thought that the overall draft class is not as deep as they like. It is, however, a deep tackle class and staying put will give the Ravens someone they can plug in as a starter on the right side of the line this season and eventually move to the left side. If the 6-foot-8, 322-pound Guyton is still available here, they get a large and athletic player who immediately checks that box. He didn’t allow a sack in more than 350 pass-blocking snaps at right tackle last season for the Sooners and would give quarterback Lamar Jackson the protection he needs for years to come. Also considered: Arizona OT/G Jordan Morgan, Florida State WR Keon Coleman, Clemson CB Nate Wiggins South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette runs away from Mississippi State safety Shawn Preston Jr. on Sept. 23. (Artie Walker Jr./AP) No. 62 (Round 2): South Carolina WR Xavier Legette Baltimore could go in several directions here. If the Ravens take a wide receiver or cornerback in the first round, expect them to go offensive line in the second. If they go offensive line in the first round, it seems like they will go with a cornerback or wide receiver in Round 2. Though the receiver class is deeper than the cornerback class, Legette (6-1, 221 pounds) is an NFL-sized target who can make contested catches and has tremendous speed, reaching 22.3 mph on one play last season. His route running isn’t as smooth, but his size and ball skills give Jackson a great target opposite Zay Flowers, especially with Rashod Bateman’s future murky if the Ravens decline his fifth-year option. Also considered: Georgia CB Kamari Lassiter, Kansas State G Cooper Bebe, Western Kentucky WR Malachi Corley No. 93 (Round 3): Oregon CB Khyree Jackson As mentioned, I could certainly see the Ravens taking a cornerback before a wide receiver. But Jackson’s size (6-3, 195 pounds) and physical nature make him an intriguing option, and here he falls into their lap in Round 3. The Ravens are in good shape with Marlon Humphrey and Brandon Stephens on the outside, but they’ve made it clear they never have enough corners and Stephens will be a free agent after this season. Jackson is a reliable tackler who graded well against the run and is a Maryland native, having starred at Henry A. Wise High School in Upper Marlboro. Also considered: Washington WR Jalen McMillan, Boston College G Christian Mahogany, Illinois OT/G Isaiah Adams No. 113 (Round 4): Miami S Kamren Kinchens Kinchens had a less-than-stellar scouting combine, turning in a 40-yard dash time of 4.65 seconds, which has caused him to possibly slide on some boards. But he brings athleticism, experience and good ball skills. He played in a dozen games as a freshman before taking over as the full-time starter in 2022 and 2023 and had 12 career interceptions, five of which came last season. With Geno Stone having bolted for the Bengals in free agency, Kinchens gives the Ravens a solid third safety option. Also considered: Washington State EDGE Brennan Jackson, Wake Forest S Malik Mustapha, Georgia S Tykee Smith No. 130 (Round 4): Washington State EDGE Brennan Jackson With Baltimore having lost outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney in free agency and questions surrounding young pass rushers Odafe Oweh, David Ojabo and others, Jackson is the kind of player who fits the Ravens mold. The 6-4, 264-pound sixth-year senior lacks refined pass-rush moves but plays fast and with high energy. He was always around the football for the Cougars and unsurprisingly led the team with 12 1/2 tackles for loss and 8 1/2 sacks last season while also forcing a fumble and recovering four. He consistently got to the quarterback with 26, 31 and 23 hurries over the past three seasons. Also considered: Colorado State EDGE Mohamed Kamara, Notre Dame RB Audric Estimé, Temple LB Jordan Magee Temple linebacker Jordan Magee runs a drill during the NFL scouting combine on Feb. 29 in Indianapolis. (Darron Cummings/AP) No. 165 (Round 5): Temple LB Jordan Magee With Trenton Simpson stepping in to take over for the departed Patrick Queen, the Ravens could use some depth behind last year’s third-round pick. Magee, who is from Dover, Delaware, led the Owls with 80 tackles, including 14 for loss, tied for the team lead with 3 1/2 sacks, recorded four pass breakups and forced a fumble. He’s also fast, with his 4.55-second 40-yard dash time ranking fifth among linebackers at the scouting combine. Also considered: Clemson RB Will Shipley, Monmouth RB Jaden Shirden, Notre Dame LB Marist Liufau No. 218 (Round 6): Marshall RB Rasheen Ali Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said during the team’s predraft news conference earlier this month that there’s a “pretty strong chance” that Baltimore would draft a running back. With Derrick Henry and Justice Hill their only healthy backs on the roster as Keaton Mitchell continues to recover from a torn ACL suffered in mid-December, there’s also a need. Ali had a predraft visit with the Ravens and there’s a lot to like about the elusive 5-11, 206-pound back, who had 1,135 yards and 15 touchdowns on 212 carries last season. He also had 28 catches for 213 yards and another score. In other words, in some ways, he’s this year’s version of Mitchell until Mitchell is healthy enough to return. Also considered: Michigan TE AJ Barner, Illinois TE Tip Reiman, Colorado State TE Dallin Hooker No. 228 (Round 7): Northern Iowa DT Khristian Boyd DeCosta enjoys finding talent at small schools and Boyd also met with the Ravens on a predraft visit. The 6-4, 317-pound 24-year-old is a project to be sure, but if he sticks he would add depth behind Justin Madubuike, Broderick Washington and Travis Jones. Boyd’s stock has also been rising since the Shrine Bowl, and his 38 reps on bench press during his pro day would’ve ranked second at the scouting combine. Also considered: Mississippi DT Jaden Crumedy, Air Force S Trey Taylor, Tennessee CB Kamal Hadden No. 250 (Round 7): Canadian Football League CB Qwan’Tez Stiggers Sticking with the mantra that the Ravens can never have enough cornerbacks, they snag perhaps the most intriguing prospect of the draft. Stiggers essentially went from high school to semipro football to the CFL, overcoming tragedy along the way when his father was killed in a car accident. The 5-11, 204-pound corner was the CFL’s Most Outstanding Rookie last year with the Toronto Argonauts after 53 tackles and five interceptions and ran a 4.45 in the 40-yard dash during his pro day last month. He also recently visited with the Ravens. Also considered: Maryland OT Delmar Glaze, Florida Atlantic DT Evan Anderson, Iowa DT Logan Lee C.J. Doon’s picks No. 30 (Round 1): Arizona OT/G Jordan Morgan The Ravens have no shortage of options in the first round, but I keep coming back to the offensive line. Sure, it’s a deep class at the position, but how long are you willing to wait to find a potential starter? Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Why the NFL draft is so important for the Ravens, both this year and next Baltimore Ravens | 2024 NFL mock draft (Version 5.0): Ravens beat writer Brian Wacker predicts the first round Baltimore Ravens | NFL won’t discipline Ravens WR Zay Flowers after investigating alleged domestic violence incident Baltimore Ravens | Ravens, M&T Bank combine to donate $20 million to College Track, an education nonprofit Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Former Terps, River Hill star Beau Brade leans on faith, work ethic entering NFL draft | COMMENTARY The 6-5, 311-pound Morgan checks all the boxes for me. He’s experienced (37 career starts at left tackle), athletic (seventh in athleticism score among tackles at the scouting combine) and resilient, playing through a high-ankle sprain in 2021 and coming back from a torn ACL suffered late in the 2022 season. Arizona offensive coordinator Brennan Carroll called him a “fantastic role model.” His NFL future might be at guard — a position the Ravens also need to fill — but I’m willing to bet on the 22-year-old’s athletic traits and intangibles to develop into a starting-caliber tackle. Also considered: Florida State WR Keon Coleman, Alabama CB Kool-Aid McKinstry, Oregon C/G Jackson Powers-Johnson No. 62 (Round 2): Kentucky CB Andru Phillips The run on receivers and cornerbacks in the second round took some of my favorite prospects off the board, but I’m not going to call Phillips a consolation prize. What the 5-11, 190-pound corner lacks in size and speed (4.48-second 40-yard dash) he more than makes up for with physicality and toughness. And he’s far from a middling athlete, posting a 42-inch vertical jump and an 11-foot, 3-inch broad jump that both rank in the 97th percentile at the position in the MockDraftable database. With two years of starting experience playing both inside and outside, the strength and mentality to defend the run and the tools to grow into a lockdown press defender, the 22-year-old Phillips brings an intriguing package to a cornerback room that needs to bolster its depth behind Humphrey and Stephens. Also considered: Alabama EDGE Chris Braswell, Connecticut G Christian Haynes, Central Florida WR Javon Baker USC wide receiver Brenden Rice runs for a touchdown past San Jose State linebacker Matthew Tago on Aug. 26. (Keith Birmingham/Pasadena Star-News) No. 93 (Round 3): Southern California WR Brenden Rice Yes, he’s from that Rice family. Brenden is the youngest son of Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice, but those bloodlines are not the only reason to be excited about his potential. The 6-2, 208-pound Colorado transfer was a two-year starter at outside receiver for the Trojans and became one of star quarterback Caleb Williams’ favorite targets, catching a team-leading 12 touchdown passes this past season. While Rice isn’t an outstanding separator downfield, his size, feel for the game, long arms (33 inches, 79th percentile among wideouts per MockDraftable) and strong hands offer starting potential for a team that needs a true outside receiver — especially if Bateman doesn’t return next year. Also considered: Washington EDGE Bralen Trice, Kansas State G Cooper Beebe, Texas Tech S Dadrion Taylor-Demerson No. 113 (Round 4): Notre Dame RB Audric Estimé The fourth round feels like the sweet spot for the Ravens to find their running back of the future. With Henry, Hill and Mitchell leading the way, there isn’t a clear path for a rookie to get many touches this year or next. But Estimé has a tantalizing package of size, athleticism and experience that could push him onto the field. At 5-11 and 221 pounds (and only 20 years old), Estimé might be the hammer the Ravens need to keep Henry fresh and wear down opposing defenses late in the game. He averaged an incredible 6.39 yards on 210 carries last season, using his imposing physique (reportedly 7% body fat), agility and balance to churn through defenders. A whopping 892 of his 1,341 yards came after contact, according to PFF, and he forced 64 missed tackles. While his lack of long speed (4.71-second 40-yard dash) might limit him to being a short-yardage grinder like Gus Edwards, that’s still a valuable role for an offense that runs the ball as much as the Ravens do. Also considered: Texas DT T’Vondre Sweat, Penn State C/G Hunter Nourzad, Pittsburgh OT Matt Goncalves No. 130 (Round 4): Wake Forest S Malik Mustapha After saying goodbye to breakout star Stone, the Ravens are left with no depth behind starting safeties Kyle Hamilton and Marcus Williams. And given how important Stone was when Williams was injured last season, finding a third safety is a must. While undersized at 5-10 and 209 pounds, Mustapha is well-built, reportedly adding 25 pounds of muscle during his time in college. What sets him apart is his ability to fly downhill in run support and cover ground quickly. The Richmond transfer models his game after Arizona Cardinals star Budda Baker and lined up all over the field, including in a hybrid “Panther” position on third downs that ranged from covering the slot to blitzing off the edge. Mustapha might be best served taking on a special teams role as a rookie, but he has the athleticism, versatility and mentality to grow into a dependable part of the secondary. Also considered: Temple LB Jordan Magee, LSU DT Mekhi Wingo, Colorado State EDGE Mohamed Kamara Michigan defensive end Braiden McGregor rushes the passer against Rutgers on Sept. 23. (Paul Sancya/AP) No. 165 (Round 5): Michigan EDGE Braiden McGregor The Ravens still have high hopes for Oweh and Ojabo, but the return of veteran Kyle Van Noy suggests they’re not satisfied with their group of edge defenders. The 6-5, 257-pound McGregor’s production and athletic profile are not very inspiring, but there’s a strong case to be made that his best football is ahead of him. The top recruit in Michigan’s 2020 class improved over the past three seasons and saved his best for last, recording 3 1/2 sacks over his final five games. With just 697 career defensive snaps, the former hockey, basketball and lacrosse player is still raw in terms of technique and might already be maxed out as an athlete, but his first-step quickness and relentless attitude could help him earn playing time. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler said he often wrote “fast” and “violent” in his notes while watching McGregor’s tape, and those traits would be a welcome addition to the Ravens’ group of pass rushers. Also considered: Michigan G Zak Zinter, Tennessee CB Kamal Hadden, Oregon State WR Anthony Gould No. 218 (Round 6): Northern Iowa DT Khristian Boyd The Ravens reportedly brought in Boyd for a top-30 visit, so there’s a chance we might see this match in the real draft. The 6-2, 329-pound Football Championship Subdivision star stood out during the East-West Shrine Bowl, showing off a strong bull rush that proved difficult for offensive linemen to stop. After posting 10 1/2 sacks and 22 1/2 tackles for loss in six college seasons, the surprising combine snub finished with a school-record 38 bench-press reps at his pro day. Boyd is already 24 years old and didn’t face top competition during his college career, but he can be a reliable run defender with the potential to grow into a better pass rusher. Also considered: Mississippi State DT Jaden Crumedy, Utah OT Sataoa Laumea, Tennessee QB Joe Milton III No. 228 (Round 7): Arizona TE Tanner McLachlan Another tight end for the Ravens? Hear me out. Mark Andrews is a star, Isaiah Likely is quickly becoming one and Charlie Kolar has the potential to be a productive player, but none of them are going to earn much praise for their blocking. There’s no guarantee McLachlan will ever become an outstanding blocker, either, but his effort and competitiveness suggest there’s a chance. The 6-5, 244-pound McLachlan is also no slouch when it comes to catching the ball. The Southern Utah transfer’s 79 career receptions in two seasons at Arizona broke Rob Gronkowski’s school record for a tight end, and he did plenty of damage after the catch, too, including some hurdles. He’d face a steep climb to not only make the roster but earn playing time behind the Ravens’ top tight ends, but McLachlan could carve out a role for himself because of what NFL.com scout Lance Zierlein described as a “whatever it takes” mentality. Also considered: NC State C Dylan McMahon, Maryland CB Tarheeb Still, Pittsburgh WR Bub Means No. 250 (Round 7): Wyoming OT Frank Crum We’re in dart-throw territory at the end of the draft, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find a quality player. The 6-8, 313-pound Crum, a third-generation Wyoming player, was a full-time starter for four seasons with the Cowboys and has experience at both tackle spots. He earned the nickname “Frank the Tank” for his prowess as a run blocker, and that showed up at the combine when he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.94 seconds, third-best among offensive linemen. He also posted a vertical jump of 31 1/2 inches (85th percentile, per MockDraftable) and a 9-foot, 6-inch broad jump (93rd percentile), showing off his explosiveness. Ultimately, Crum has work to do to hold up as a pass protector at the next level, but his athletic profile is worth betting on as the Ravens seek a long-term solution at tackle. Also considered: Penn State CB Daequan Hardy, Charlotte EDGE Eyabi Okie-Anoma, Mississippi State LB Nathaniel Watson NFL draft Round 1: Thursday, 8 p.m. Rounds 2-3: Friday, 7 p.m. Rounds 4-7: Saturday, noon TV: ABC, ESPN, NFL Network View the full article

When the NFL draft descends upon Detroit on Thursday, it will mark the 89th time the league’s franchises have gathered to select newly eligible players. It will also mark both a turning point and an important juncture for the Ravens. “This whole draft landscape has changed,” general manager Eric DeCosta said earlier this month. He was referring to the impact name, image and likeness deals, along with the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA in 2020 in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, are having on this year’s class. And, at least in the case of NIL, likely future ones, too. “There are less players in the draft this year,” he said. “There are less probably ‘draftable’ players this year on our board, less juniors, less underclassmen.” Indeed. Because of the perfect storm of the pandemic and newfound financial gains for players who might previously have been inclined to enter the draft early, this year’s class includes just 58 players who still had college eligibility remaining. That’s the fewest since 2011. Only five years ago, there were a record 135 players who entered the draft early. How all of it impacts the Ravens remains to be seen, but with nine picks this year and a projected 11 in 2025, the upcoming drafts will be particularly important for Baltimore for a couple of reasons. For one, they lost more than a dozen players, including many significant contributors, in free agency or other roster moves from last season’s 13-4 team that reached the AFC championship game. They brought back some key contributors and added new players, including four-time Pro Bowl running back Derrick Henry, but replicating the kind of success they had with their free agent signings last offseason is anything but a guarantee. For another, the Ravens’ handful of core stars are only going to get more expensive over the next three years and beyond. For example, quarterback and two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson ($32.4 million), inside linebacker Roquan Smith ($13.5 million) and defensive tackle Justin Madubuike ($11 million) already account for more than 20% of the team’s salary cap this year after signing lucrative extensions. Meanwhile, veteran cornerback Marlon Humphrey ($22.9 million) has the second-biggest cap hit on the roster behind Jackson, and All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton and Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum will become eligible for extensions beginning next year. That means a handful of players will chew up an increasingly larger percentage of cap space, thus leaving less money for all the Ravens’ other needs. Enter this year’s draft, which isn’t particularly deep, and next year’s, which should be much more so, especially at running back. That’s a position Baltimore might address with Henry only signed for two years and already 30 years old. “[This is what happens] when you have a quarterback no longer on a rookie deal plus a lot of other really, really good players on your roster who have already been paid or are soon to be paid,” ESPN draft analyst and former NFL scout Field Yates told The Baltimore Sun. “But this is all part of a larger, more complicated web that they have always done an excellent job of managing. The draft is going to end up being a friend in a lot of ways.” Yates added that he also doesn’t sense panic from Baltimore amid its current landscape. DeCosta isn’t worried, either, and is confident about how he’ll be able to replenish all those missing parts. “We’ve always been a team that’s built through the draft primarily,” said DeCosta, who will oversee his sixth draft for Baltimore this year. “We feel that’s the best way to build your team long-term from a cost standpoint — obviously cheaper players, but also young players that you know a lot about who can develop and become good players. “We see this year’s draft and we see next year’s draft as real opportunities for us to begin to build that depth up again.” Baltimore Ravens training camp, Aug. 3Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore SunRavens general manager Eric DeCosta, from left, and coach John Harbaugh talk with owner Steve Bisciotti during training camp. DeCosta jokingly described trading for draft picks in future years as “The Bisciotti Reign of Terror.” (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) The good news is that this year’s class is deep in some areas, and they align with the holes the Ravens need to fill, particularly on the offensive line, wide receiver and to some extent cornerback. Baltimore has both starting guard spots open after John Simpson and Kevin Zeitler left in free agency. Right tackle Morgan Moses, meanwhile, was traded to the New York Jets. There is also a need at cornerback, with question marks beyond Humphrey and Brandon Stephens, who is set to become a free agent after this season. With three picks among the top 100, including No. 30 in the first round and No. 62 in the second, finding a starting caliber offensive lineman, a cornerback and wide receiver who can contribute immediately will likely be a priority. “Cornerback and offensive tackle are not exactly spots in free agency where a lot of great players hit the open market, so the Ravens might feel their best way to attack those two positions is in the draft,” Yates said. “The offensive tackle class I do think there are possibilities of players that last late into the late portion of the second round, but both of those [positions] are areas where 30 is the only place where I feel confident they could address one of those two issues.” Fellow ESPN draft analyst and Baltimore native and resident Mel Kiper Jr. agrees, which is why he projects Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry to the Ravens in the first round and Kansas State guard Cooper Beebe to them with the 62nd overall pick in Round 2. “Cornerback is their biggest need and the offensive line would be right there,” Kiper told The Sun. “Kool-Aid ran 4.47 [seconds in the 40-yard dash] with that Jones [foot] fracture [when] everyone thought he would be a 4.55 guy. He was better than that, even with the injury. He’s been a starter since Day 1. He was better than [teammate] Terrion Arnold most of his career … Kool-Aid at the end of the first round, that’s a heck of a pick there in terms of where they were, where they are now in terms of value. “Cooper Beebe can play left tackle, right tackle, but he’s got shorter arms than I prefer; that’s why I moved him down into the late second. He’s more of a guard I believe in the NFL. … That gives them the versatile piece that they could use as a starter at guard or kick to right tackle.” Given DeCosta’s penchant for viewing draft picks as lottery tickets, there’s also the possibility the Ravens could instead trade back out of the first round to acquire more picks. “There’s a way you could work it where you could move out of the first round and all of a sudden you could get an additional several picks and still get a good corner,” Kiper said. Added Yates: “There is always the possibility for a team wanting to secure the fifth-year option for a quarterback pick at the end of the first round. Any of those teams picking in the last five or six spots are worth watching.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | 2024 NFL mock draft (Version 5.0): Ravens beat writer Brian Wacker predicts the first round Baltimore Ravens | NFL won’t discipline Ravens WR Zay Flowers after investigating alleged domestic violence incident Baltimore Ravens | Ravens, M&T Bank combine to donate $20 million to College Track, an education nonprofit Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Former Terps, River Hill star Beau Brade leans on faith, work ethic entering NFL draft | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Former Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins signing with Chargers, reuniting with Greg Roman Of course, it depends on the perceived value of those picks in DeCosta’s eyes when it comes to acquiring them, particularly when he’s already said he does not view this as a deep class. “It’s great to have additional picks,” he said. “You certainly have to have players that you covet and that you want to draft. “You could have 15 picks, and sometimes you’re there at the end of the draft and you’re looking at the [board and you have no idea who you want to pick. You just don’t see anybody that you really covet. I always think about it as, ‘What picks do you need to get the players that you want to take?’ You can have some great picks, but if the board doesn’t fall the right way, and you’re looking at a bunch of players that aren’t any better than the players you have on your roster, those picks don’t really help you very much. “I like the idea of having more picks, but I want to have more picks in a specific range in the draft.” Which could mean the Ravens might not end up using nine picks after all if, for example, they decide to move some of their late-round picks in exchange for picks next year. “We’ve done it a couple of times, but that’s always an interesting thing,” DeCosta said. “I think [owner] Steve [Bisciotti] would love us to do that. He’s excited about that. His idea would be — not to give anything away — but he has what he calls ‘The Bisciotti Reign of Terror,’ and that would basically be that you trade a seventh-round pick in any given year for a sixth-round pick next year, and then take that sixth-round pick and trade it for a five, and then trade that five for a four. And so in seven or eight years, you’d have a first-round pick. We’ve always talked about that, but we never get to that point.” Asked how often it has worked, DeCosta laughed and said, “That’s why it’s called ‘The Bisciotti Reign of Terror.’ It’s unique.” A lot like this year’s draft. View the full article

With less than a week before the 2024 NFL draft begins Thursday night in Detroit, Ravens beat writer Brian Wacker predicts all 32 picks in the first round. 1. Chicago Bears (from Carolina): Caleb Williams, QB, Southern California After Chicago traded Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner is the next man up in the Bears’ seemingly never-ending search for a franchise quarterback. 2. Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU With comparisons to Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson for his dual-threat ability, the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner gives Washington its franchise quarterback. 3. New England Patriots: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said there’s “no ceiling” for the 2022 ACC Player of the Year. With Daniels off the board, New England sticks with Maye. 4. Arizona Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State The consensus best receiver, and perhaps best overall prospect, Harrison won’t get by the receiver-needy Cardinals. 5. Los Angeles Chargers: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU Coach John Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz give quarterback Justin Herbert a much-needed target who has drawn comparisons to the Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase. 6. New York Giants: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington Another team that desperately needs a wide receiver and an injection of life on offense after running back Saquon Barkley bolted for division rival Philadelphia, the Giants snag Odunze, who has drawn comparisons to Davante Adams and Larry Fitzgerald. 7. Tennessee Titans: Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame With second-year quarterback Will Levis and the addition of receiver Calvin Ridley, the Titans’ biggest focus will be improving what was one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL last season. The best tackle prospect in the draft helps them do so immediately. 8. Atlanta Falcons: Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama To help a defense that was 26th in pass-rush win rate (37.6%) and last in quarterback pressure percentage (.249), the Falcons get the best pass rusher in a class light on them. 9. Chicago Bears: Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State What better way to protect your No. 1 pick and franchise quarterback than by taking a tackle who didn’t give up a sack in college and grades as a highly effective run blocker? Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | NFL won’t discipline Ravens WR Zay Flowers after investigating alleged domestic violence incident Baltimore Ravens | Ravens, M&T Bank combine to donate $20 million to College Track, an education nonprofit Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Former Terps, River Hill star Beau Brade leans on faith, work ethic entering NFL draft | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Former Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins signing with Chargers, reuniting with Greg Roman Baltimore Ravens | As Ravens offseason workouts begin, new RB Derrick Henry has one goal: ‘Hold that trophy up’ 10. New York Jets: Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia After the Jets added right tackle Morgan Moses and guard John Simpson from the Ravens to help protect Aaron Rodgers, they give the veteran quarterback an elite pass-catching tight end who is also a capable blocker. 11. Minnesota Vikings: J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan Kirk Cousins left for the Falcons in free agency, so the Vikings get his replacement in the national championship-winning quarterback. Don’t be surprised if Minnesota trades up to ensure it, either. 12. Denver Broncos: Bo Nix, QB, Oregon With Russell Wilson in Pittsburgh and without another pick until the third round, Denver can’t afford to wait and takes last season’s FBS leader in completion percentage (.774). 13. Las Vegas Raiders: Troy Fautanu, OT/G, Washington A native of nearby Henderson, Nevada, Fautanu gives Raiders coach Antonio Pierce a plug-and-play tackle who helped block for the nation’s second-best passing offense (343.7 yards per game) last season. Fautanu was also part of a unit that won the Joe Moore Award recognizing the country’s top offensive line. 14. New Orleans Saints: Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State A first-team All-American and the Big Ten Conference’s Offensive Lineman of the Year, Fashanu gives the Saints the starting-caliber tackle they need. 15. Indianapolis Colts: Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama With the Colts ranking 23rd in yards per pass attempt allowed last season, the need is obvious. Arnold allowed a completion rate of 52% and recorded five interceptions with 13 pass breakups last season. 16. Seattle Seahawks: Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas New coach Mike Macdonald saw the success he had in Baltimore with Justin Madubuike and gets another disruptive force in the middle of the defense in Murphy, who had career highs in tackles (29), tackles for loss (8 1/2), sacks (5) and quarterback hurries (7) last season. 17. Jacksonville Jaguars: Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo The Jaguars had one of the league’s worst pass defenses last season, ranking 26th in passing yards allowed per game and 19th in completion percentage allowed. Mitchell fits the bill as an athletic lockdown corner who stood out at the Senior Bowl. 18. Cincinnati Bengals: JC Latham, OT, Alabama Latham’s size (6-foot-6, 342 pounds) and strength is a good investment in keeping quarterback Joe Burrow upright. Over the past two seasons as the Crimson Tide’s starting right tackle, he allowed only two sacks and four quarterback hits. 19. Los Angeles Rams: Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA Latu, who led the FBS last season in tackles for loss (21 1/2) and tied for fourth in sacks (13), provides an immediate boost to a Rams defense that ranked in the bottom quarter of the league in sacks and bottom third in quarterback pressures. 20. Pittsburgh Steelers: Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU New Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson gets immediate help with Thomas, who had 1,177 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns last season. The LSU star is fast, hitting 22.91 mph on a go route at the scouting combine to lead all receivers. 21. Miami Dolphins: Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State After losing Christian Wilkins and Andrew Van Ginkel in free agency and with Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips working their way back from injury, Miami needs help up front. Verse is a versatile an experienced edge rusher who would be a good fit with new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver. 22. Philadelphia Eagles: Cooper DeJean, CB/S, Iowa The Eagles are one of a handful of teams DeJean reportedly met with on a top-30 visit, and his versatility to play corner or safety makes him a tantalizing option. An explosive athlete who can play all over the field, DeJean had seven interceptions, 13 passes defended, five sacks and three touchdowns in three seasons in Iowa. 23. Minnesota Vikings (from Houston via Cleveland): Jer’Zhan Newton, DT, Illinois After addressing their offense, the Vikings turn to defense and the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Newton recorded a team-high 7 1/2 sacks last season and led all of FBS with four blocked kicks. 24. Dallas Cowboys: Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia While Mims has limited experience and played right tackle at Georgia, he has the athleticism and skill to protect the blindside of quarterback Dan Prescott after the departure of Tyron Smith in free agency. Dallas could also plug Mims in at right tackle if it felt more comfortable with 2022 first-round pick Tyler Smith sliding over to the left side. 25. Green Bay Packers: Graham Barton, G/C, Duke With some turnover up front, the Packers get a versatile player in Barton, who can play anywhere along the offensive line but is projected to line up on the interior given his relatively short arms. That includes center, which would allow the Packers to keep Zach Tom at tackle. 26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State Given a deep offensive line class, the Buccaneers target a pass rusher early instead. Robinson’s stats aren’t great — 11 1/2 sacks the past two seasons, including four in 2023 — but the Maryland transfer does have first-step quickness, athleticism and a strong motor. 27. Arizona Cardinals (from Houston): Darius Robinson, EDGE/DT, Missouri After recording the third-fewest sacks (33) in the league last season, the Cardinals land a versatile pass rusher who has played on the interior as well as the outside. Robinson had 8 1/2 sacks last season. 28. Buffalo Bills: Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas With Stefon Diggs traded to the Houston Texans, Buffalo gets its “X” receiver replacement in Mitchell, a 6-2, 205-pound speedster with a big catch radius who can beat press coverage and make an immediate impact. 29. Detroit Lions: Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama McKinstry is represented by the same firm as Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, had a top-30 visit with Detroit and is a versatile, intelligent corner who can help shore up a secondary that is on the rise after adding Carlton Davis III. 30. Ravens: Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma It would not be a surprise to see the Ravens trade out of this spot — either back into Round 2 or possibly up the board to snag an even higher ranked tackle. But if they stay put and select Guyton, they get a large and athletic player who can immediately fill the need at right tackle and eventually move to the left side. Guyton didn’t allow a sack in more than 350 pass-blocking snaps at right tackle last season for the Sooners. 31. San Francisco 49ers: Jordan Morgan, OT/G, Arizona The offensive line is the biggest area of need for the 49ers and Morgan checks a lot of boxes given his versatility to play guard or tackle. He’s also fast for his size, which speaks to his ability to pull and get to the second level on running plays, and graded as solid pass blocker. 32. Kansas City Chiefs: Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia An elite route runner who is savvy at getting open, quick out of his breaks and capable of picking up yards after the catch, the sure-handed McConkey would be a welcome addition to quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ offense. View the full article

Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers will not face discipline from the NFL after a police investigation into an alleged domestic incident earlier this year, the league announced Thursday. “Following a review, the NFL concluded there was insufficient evidence to support a finding that Zay Flowers engaged in any activity that violated the NFL’s personal conduct policy,” the NFL said in a statement. “There will be no action taken by the league and Flowers remains eligible to participate in all team activities.” The news comes after The Baltimore Sun reported in February that Baltimore County Police suspended the investigation that was connected to Flowers without any criminal charges. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens, M&T Bank combine to donate $20 million to College Track, an education nonprofit Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Former Terps, River Hill star Beau Brade leans on faith, work ethic entering NFL draft | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Former Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins signing with Chargers, reuniting with Greg Roman Baltimore Ravens | As Ravens offseason workouts begin, new RB Derrick Henry has one goal: ‘Hold that trophy up’ Baltimore Ravens | ‘We’re standing up’: Former Ravens RB Willis McGahee pleased with latest ruling on NFL disability lawsuit In January, a woman told police in Acton, Massachusetts, about a “violent domestic incident” in Owings Mills on Jan. 16, in which the “suspect’s brother also drew a firearm.” She declined to name the suspect, other than to say he is an “NFL player.” The woman told police in Massachusetts that she was “physically assaulted” and left with “multiple bruises,” according to the Baltimore County report, and in that interview said she was “living with her boyfriend in a townhouse outside Baltimore, Maryland, when the incident became physical and violent.” She did not take Acton Police up on an offer of a protective order. At the NFL scouting combine in February, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said the team was continuing to assess the situation with Flowers, who led the team in catches and receiving yards as a rookie last season. Ravens team president Sashi Brown said at last month’s NFL owners meetings that there has been no change to the team’s “zero-tolerance” policy on domestic violence. The Ravens began the voluntary portion of their offseason program earlier this week, with players allowed to begin working out at the facility on Monday. Flowers, who has yet to speak with the media since news of the investigation was first reported, was among those in attendance. View the full article

The Ravens and M&T Bank will each donate $10 million to help a national college access nonprofit, College Track, open an education center in Baltimore that seeks to assist under-served youth as they graduate high school and college. The combined $20 million gift is part of a $40 million donation to the Ravens College Access Program over the next decade: $10 million from M&T Bank and $30 million from The Stephen and Renee Bisciotti Foundation and the Ravens, which will be split between three education programs, College Bound, Bridges Baltimore and College Track. College Track, which first started in California, has 12 locations, including one in Prince George’s County — established with the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation — and in Southeast Washington. Ravens president Sashi Brown, who’d first heard of College Track just before the coronavirus pandemic, visited both of those Washington-area locations. One of the things that drew the Ravens specifically to College Track, Brown said, is “that they actually create a physical space where students actually go and the programming is housed there.” Shirley Collado, president and CEO of College Track, said the Baltimore center will eventually support 300 to 350 Baltimore City public high school students. College Track makes a “10-year promise,” according to a news release, and will continue to assist students as they graduate college. Ninety percent of College Track’s students are first-generation college students and 84% come from underserved communities, according to the release. The center is tentatively expected to open in May 2025, but it is not yet publicly known where in Baltimore it will be located. “We target students that are constantly overlooked and underestimated,” said Collado, the former president of Ithaca College. “We want students that are often left behind but have fire in their belly and can do the work if they have the right resources and support.” The Ravens’ venue has been named M&T Bank Stadium since 2003 and, following an extension of that naming rights agreement last year, will keep that name until at least 2037. Augie Chiasera, the bank’s regional president for Greater Baltimore, said their donation is a continuation of their partnership with the Ravens. “We have shared values, we care deeply about the city, and that’s particularly true when it comes to educating our youngest citizens,” he said. The Ravens have a lease to play at state-owned M&T Bank Stadium, which is currently undergoing significant state-funded renovations, until at least 2037. The Maryland Stadium Authority is spending $430 million in bonds, to be paid off with public money generated by the state lottery, over the next three years to bolster the stadium with new suites and clubs, as well as expanded concourses and bathrooms. View the full article