ExtremeRavens Posted Tuesday at 10:05 AM Posted Tuesday at 10:05 AM INDIANAPOLIS — The NFL cognoscenti is in the Hoosier State this week, where 329 college players have been invited to partake in the league’s annual scouting combine ahead of April’s draft. Players will be put through tests physical and mental, interview with their prospective future employers and take questions from the media. Coaches, scouts, front office personnel and agents will be buzzing about as well, in Lucas Oil Stadium and the adjacent Indiana Convention Center. In short, this will be the center of the NFL universe through Sunday. For the Ravens, general manager Eric DeCosta is scheduled to meet with the media on Tuesday at 11 a.m., while coach John Harbaugh’s news conference is scheduled for Tuesday at 1 p.m. There will be no shortage of questions for both — from free agency and the draft to those about kicker Justin Tucker. It will be the first time that DeCosta and Harbaugh have spoken since at least 16 massage therapists from several Baltimore-area spas and wellness centers accused Tucker of sexual misconduct between 2012 and 2016, according to The Baltimore Banner. Here’s everything you need to know about the week ahead: Schedule of events and TV info (NFL Network) Thursday: Defensive linemen, linebackers (3-8 p.m.) Friday: Defensive backs, tight ends (3-9 p.m.) Saturday: Quarterbacks, wide receivers, running backs (1-9 p.m.) Sunday: Offensive linemen (1-5 p.m.) Maryland players to watch There are five players from Maryland and one from Navy here this week: Terps wide receivers Tai Felton and Kaden Prather; defensive back Dante Trader Jr.; defensive linemen Jordan Phillips and Tommy Akingbesote; and Midshipmen safety Rayuan Lane III. Of that group, Felton, Prather and Phillips are the most likely to get drafted as possible Day 2 or Day 3 selections, according to draft experts. “The Maryland guys, talking about those two wide receivers with Felton, productive, can play inside-outside. He can wall guys off in traffic, he can build speed, he’s fearless working in the middle of the field. He can go up and get it and high point the football,” NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said last week. “I thought he played a little bit bigger than his size. “Prather has that size outside, wins on a lot of shallow crossers, quick screens. Only had one drop. I just didn’t know if he really had that second gear, so I’m anxious to see him run.” Felton was also a captain, a first-team All-Big Ten selection and finished last season with 96 catches for 1,124 yards and nine touchdowns. Terps wide receiver Tai Felton, right, is expected to be selected in this year’s NFL draft. (Kim Hairston/Staff) Prather, who began his college career at West Virginia before spending the past two years in College Park, had 56 catches for 624 yards and four touchdowns in 2024 and was a Shrine Bowl invitee. Phillips, meanwhile, led all Terps defensive linemen with 17 solo tackles last year and finished with 29 total. Akingbesote, a Largo native, had 32 total tackles, including five for loss, a sack, forced fumble and fumble recovery. Trader, a McDonogh graduate, had 59 tackles, five passes defended and one interception last season. Lane III, who was a first-team All-American Athletic Conference selection at safety last season, was also a first-team All-American on special teams. The Jessup native and Gilman graduate finished his career with 244 tackles, eight tackles for a loss, 1 1/2 sacks, seven interceptions (including two he returned for touchdowns), 21 pass breakups, eight forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. Possible Ravens targets to watch With Baltimore having 11 draft picks and nearly 20 unrestricted free agents, the needs are aplenty for an organization with Super Bowl expectations and a roster that while loaded with talent lacks depth in some key areas. Most notable among them are offensive line, edge rusher, cornerback and safety. Offensive linemen — Oregon’s Josh Conerly Jr., North Dakota State’s Grey Zabel, Ohio State’s Josh Simmons: Conerly’s draft stock shot way up after a dominant performance against Penn State edge rusher and potential No. 1 overall pick Abdul Carter in the Big Ten championship game after what was a slow start to his season. Simmons, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in mid-October, could start immediately, Jeremiah said. Edge rushers — Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart, Marshall’s Mike Green, Tennessee’s James Pearce: With Kyle Van Noy about to turn 34 and Odafe Oweh coming off a career-high 10 sacks and not much else in terms of pass rushers, the Ravens need to find a pass rusher. It’s a deep class, according to draftniks, but Stewart or Pearce could be first-round possibilities. Both are long and athletic and look the part. Pearce was also productive with 17 1/2 sacks over his final two seasons at Tennessee. Green, who is more polished, would probably require Baltimore to trade up in the first round. Cornerbacks — East Carolina’s Shavon Revel Jr., Ole Miss’ Trey Amos, Kansas State’s Jacob Parish: A torn ACL ended Revel Jr.’s season early, but he’s expected to be ready for the start of the 2025 NFL season. He’s also tall and lean (6-foot-3, 193 pounds), fast and physical. The Ravens hit with cornerback Nate Wiggins, who was one of the best cornerbacks in the league over the second half of the season, in the first round last year and could go that route again with Brandon Stephens set to hit free agency and Marlon Humphrey coming off an All-Pro season in the slot. If Baltimore waits, Amos and Paris could be Day 2 possibilities. Safeties — South Carolina’s Nick Emmanwori, Georgia’s Malaki Starks, Penn State’s Jaylen Reed If Emmanwori is available when the Ravens pick near the end of the first round, Jeremiah said he would turn the card in for him. “He’s big. He’s physical,” he said. “Plays more near the line of scrimmage. He makes a lot of plays buzzing underneath the ball, and he’s a physical, firm tackler and an aggressive, aggressive dude. I would be excited about that at the end of the first round.” That could also allow Kyle Hamilton to play more on the back end, as he did last season when doing so helped turn around Baltimore’s shaky pass defense. Reed, meanwhile, projects more as a Day 2 pick. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article Quote
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