Ravens Insider: 5 things we learned about the Ravens and the draft at NFL scouting combine

[ExtremeRavens]

INDIANAPOLIS — The week at the scouting combine carried a subtly altered rhythm for the Ravens. A franchise that prides itself on continuity arrived this year with a new staff led by first-year coach Jesse Minter.

Still, much of what unfolded inside the city’s convention center and at Lucas Oil Stadium felt familiar. Team executives, coaches and scouts moved through the annual rituals of measuring, testing and interviewing prospects and exchanging intelligence the way the organization has long preferred to operate: deliberately and with an eye on value.

“We’ve always been a best-player-available team, and that’s important to me,” general manager Eric DeCosta said. “That’s in my DNA.

“You’ve got to have the roster size, you’ve got to understand positional — how many players in each position — but all things being equal, I think you draft the best available player.”

With that as the backdrop — and alongside updates on contract conversations involving quarterback Lamar Jackson and center Tyler Linderbaum — here are five things that emerged from last week.

Where will the Ravens find a pass rusher?

Baltimore’s offseason priorities are not difficult to identify, with the most urgent being on the edge of the defense. The Ravens finished last season with only 30 sacks, the third-fewest in the league, and ranked near the bottom in pass-rush win rate. After the midseason trade of Odafe Oweh and with three other outside linebackers (Dre’Mont Jones, Kyle Van Noy, David Ojabo) slated for free agency, the cupboard is bare.

There is promise in Mike Green, who improved as his rookie season progressed, but Tavius Robinson has shown value more as a run-setting presence than a consistent threat to the quarterback.

The draft offers possibilities. However, NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah noted that this class lacks the obvious blue-chip edge prospects of recent years, such as Myles Garrett or Nick Bosa.

That reality inevitably shifts the conversation toward more expensive avenues.

One possibility is Trey Hendrickson, who led the league in sacks in 2024 and could hit free agency if the Cincinnati Bengals choose not to secure him with the franchise tag, though that seems unlikely.

“We have resources to attack the offseason in a big way,” Bengals personnel chief Duke Tobin said at the combine, declining to elaborate on the team’s plans.

Another name that continues to circulate is Maxx Crosby, though Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek reiterated that he expects Crosby to remain with the team.

Even if the Raiders were willing to listen, the price — likely multiple first-round picks — would run counter to DeCosta’s long-standing inclination to collect and protect draft capital.

Could Baltimore draft another cornerback in Round 1?

Cornerback has become another area worth monitoring. Last season, Marlon Humphrey allowed more receiving yards than any cornerback in the league, according to Next Gen Stats. He will turn 30 this summer and is scheduled to carry a $26.3 million cap hit, which ranks third-highest in the league.

Yet both Humphrey and DeCosta have said that the veteran is expected to remain in Baltimore, though perhaps with a reworked contract. His presence, experience and voice in the locker room still matter to a young secondary.

Even so, the depth chart thins quickly behind him and Nate Wiggins. Baltimore has long treated cornerback as a position worth stockpiling — DeCosta once likened the position’s durability to that of a finely tuned sports car that is also apt to break down.

One potential fit could be LSU’s Mansoor Delane, widely viewed as one of the top players at the position. Delane, a Silver Spring native and Spalding graduate who transferred from Virginia Tech, skipped on-field workouts at the combine, confident that his game tape spoke clearly enough.

“You know, if I had a choice, I’d have played middle linebacker in college,” said Delane, who grew up a Ravens fan. “I just love physicality. I love tackling. I love being in the box. … A lot of corners might be scared to tackle, but I love that.”

Placed opposite Wiggins, Delane could allow Humphrey to slide inside, where he has previously played at an All-Pro level.

Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson is among a handful of wide receivers seen as first-round talents. (Gregory Payan/AP Content Services for NFL)

Don’t rule out Ravens doing the unexpected

History suggests Baltimore will keep its options open. In 2022, when the team last held the 14th overall pick, it selected safety Kyle Hamilton — despite having recently signed Marcus Williams and already employing defensive signal-caller Chuck Clark alongside him.

Hamilton has since become one of the league’s premier defenders, a reminder that organizational philosophy often outweighs short-term need.

The same dynamic could surface again next month.

Baltimore’s draft position places it in a pocket where players sometimes slide unexpectedly. If a top wide receiver were available — even with Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman already in place — or if a dominant interior lineman or defender dropped down the board, the Ravens have shown a willingness to pivot.

It is, in many ways, a hallmark.

Guard draws strong reviews

Among offensive linemen, one prospect in particular generated high praise during the week: Penn State guard Vega Ioane. Jeremiah described him as the best offensive lineman in the entire class, naturally leading to speculation about Baltimore’s interest.

The Ravens’ starting guards last season, Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele, struggled mightily, and the organization has long leaned on drafting and developing linemen rather than paying premium prices across the board — something that could shift somewhat given the extension discussions with Linderbaum.

Ioane’s skill set — powerful and well-suited to inside zone or gap concepts — would perhaps raise interesting questions about scheme fit, however. Baltimore is also optimistic about second-year lineman Emery Jones Jr., whose development could influence how aggressively the team addresses the position.

Still, the Ravens have a history with Penn State, having selected more players from the school (four) since 2019 than any other in that span.

Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles was one of the most impressive players during the on-field workouts at the NFL scouting combine. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Sonny Styles’ combine moment

Every combine produces a player who seems to capture the week’s imagination. This year, that role belonged to Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles.

At 6 feet 5 and 244 pounds, Styles delivered a performance that quickly turned heads. His 4.46-second 40-yard dash, 43.5-inch vertical jump and 135-inch broad jump were among the most explosive performances of the week.

Though it seems unlikely Styles would be available when the Ravens pick, he’s also the kind of best-available player Baltimore would pounce on, even with Roquan Smith still on the team for at least another season.

The numbers also inevitably prompted comparisons — particularly with San Francisco 49ers star Fred Warner, the gold standard of the position — though Styles emphasized that what he admires most about elite linebackers is not just their physical gifts.

He mentioned studying both Warner and Luke Kuechly, whose career with the Carolina Panthers was defined as much by anticipation and intelligence as by speed and will land him a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer.

“He was so smart that people forgot he was such a great athlete,” Styles said of Kuechly. “And that’s kind of what I want for myself. I think I’m a great athlete, but I want my football intelligence to stick out more than my athleticism.”

But in a week devoted to measurables, it was a reminder of what teams ultimately search for beyond them, and why Baltimore, even in a year of transition, still looks very much like itself.

Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1.

View the full article