ExtremeRavens Posted Monday at 11:00 AM Posted Monday at 11:00 AM The NFL draft can feel like drinking from a firehose. The three-day event included seven rounds, 257 picks and more storylines than could ever fit on a six-hour telecast. On Day 3, many picks flashed across the ESPN ticker while a commercial played. It’s just the nature of the beast. So for diehard fans and casual consumers alike, there’s a lot of information to sort through. In this exercise, we attempt to boil it down. Here’s one stat to know about each of the Ravens’ 11 draft picks this year: Georgia safety Malaki Starks 42 consecutive starts They don’t get more reliable than Starks, who coach Kirby Smart said was the Bulldogs’ best player at five positions on defense. The 6-foot-1, 197-pound Starks lined up all over the field, playing 271 snaps in the slot, 215 in the box and 400 as a deep safety in 2024. Playing for a team that consistently produces some of the top talent in the country — Georgia had 13 players selected in this year’s draft, just one shy of Ohio State — Starks became an immediate starter as a true freshman and never relinquished his spot. He ended his three-year career with six interceptions and 197 tackles. Marshall edge rusher Mike Green 17 sacks It’s the simplest stat, but it speaks to just how good Green was in his final college season. The 6-3, 241-pound defensive end led the Football Bowl Subdivision with 17 sacks, getting to the quarterback with ease thanks to his combination of power and quickness. According to Pro Football Focus, Green posted a 20.2% pass-rush win rate, which means he was beating his block within 2.5 seconds on basically one out of every five attempts. His 32 run stops (tackles that constitute a “loss” for the offense) also ranked first in the class. LSU offensive lineman Emery Jones Jr. (50) sets up to block against Arkansas during an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods) LSU offensive lineman Emery Jones Jr. 34 1/4-inch arms Arm length matters more for tackles than it does for guards, where Jones projects to play in Baltimore. But when it comes to keeping defenders away from your chest, it certainly helps to have tree trunks that rank in the 76th percentile among the 853 offensive line prospects in the MockDraftable database. Jones’ hands also measure 10 3/4 inches, which ranks in the 92nd percentile. Those big mitts will help when it comes to using his punch and anchoring against talented pass rushers. California linebacker Teddye Buchanan 40-inch vertical jump The 6-2, 233-pound Buchanan is a twitchy, explosive athlete. His athletic testing numbers at the NFL scouting combine prove it. In Indianapolis, Buchanan recorded a 4.6-second 40-yard dash, 26 reps on the bench press, a 10 foot, 5-inch broad jump and – wait for it – a 40-inch vertical jump. Only three wide receivers and one running back matched or exceeded that mark at this year’s combine. Buchanan put that explosiveness to good use with the Golden Bears, recording 25 pressures and five sacks in coach Justin Wilcox’s simulated-pressure packages. He’ll be able to feast on those same opportunities in an aggressive Baltimore defense. Alabama A&M offensive lineman Carson Vinson 247th-ranked offensive guard in 2020 recruiting class Never tell Vinson the odds. The 6-7, 314-pound tackle was a two-star recruit who played his entire senior season at Panther Creek High in North Carolina without a Division I offer before Alabama A&M took a chance on him. On Saturday, he became the program’s first draft pick since 2011 and its first offensive player drafted in over 30 years. Western Michigan defensive back Bilhal Kone runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) Western Michigan cornerback Bilhal Kone 70 tackles After rising up from junior college to Indiana State, Kone transferred to Western Michigan in part to test himself against the premier opponents on the Broncos’ schedule: Iowa, Ohio State and Wisconsin. So you could say that he’s always up for a challenge. That applies to his play style, too. The 6-1, 190-pound Kone was one of only four FBS cornerbacks to record 70 or more tackles in 2024. Arizona kicker Tyler Loop 83.8% career field goal rate As the potential replacement to Justin Tucker in Baltimore and the Ravens’ first draft pick at kicker, there’s a lot of pressure on Loop to succeed. If he can continue his college performance in the NFL, he has a great chance. Loop’s career field goal accuracy would rank 33rd all-time in league history, ahead of reliable veterans such as Adam Vinatieri, Graham Gano, Matt Stover and Matt Prater, to name a few. Loop has already earned renowned special teams coach Randy Brown’s seal of approval. Now he’ll just have to prove it on the field. Colorado wide receiver LaJohntay Wester 326 career catches Wester is most likely going to make his biggest impact in Baltimore as a punt returner, having averaged 11.2 yards per return with two touchdowns in his college career. But don’t overlook his receiving chops, either. Playing at Florida Atlantic for coach Willie Taggart, now the Ravens’ running backs coach, the 5-10, 163-pound Wester ranked second in the FBS with 107 catches in 2023. After recording 74 more catches with Shedeur Sanders in Colorado, he finished his college career with 326 receptions, which ranks sixth all-time in FBS history. Virginia Tech defensive lineman Aeneas Peebles runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Virginia Tech defensive lineman Aeneas Peebles 37 pressures The 6-1, 282-pound Peebles isn’t your typical run-stuffing defensive lineman. His quick first step allows him to knife into the backfield, as evidenced by his 17.8% pass-rush win rate and 91.2 pass-rush grade from Pro Football Focus in 2024. After leading Duke in tackles for loss and sacks in 2023, Peebles only recorded three sacks with the Hokies. But according to The Athletic, he still made a big impact, as his 37 quarterback pressures ranked third among all FBS interior defensive lineman. Rutgers cornerback Robert Longerbeam 42 passes defended While the 5-11, 175-pound Longerbeam is undersized, particularly against NFL competition, there’s no questioning his competitiveness. The former high school quarterback led the Scarlet Knights in passes defended in three of the past four seasons, totaling 42 with five interceptions over that span. Longerbeam’s speed (4.39-second 40-yard dash) is impressive, and he stood out during the East-West Shrine Bowl practices for his work as a slot defender. LSU offensive lineman Garrett Dellinger 80-plus pass-blocking grade The four-year starter primarily played left guard for the Tigers, where it was difficult for defenders to get around him and left tackle Will Campbell, the New England Patriots’ No. 4 overall selection on Friday night. While injuries have been a concern during his career, including tightrope surgery on his right ankle during his senior season, Dellinger has been an extremely reliable blocker. According to PFF, he posted 80-plus pass-blocking grades in three straight seasons and was penalized just once over his final 26 games. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. View the full article Quote
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