The Baltimore Ravens this year are going into the draft with high hopes. The Ravens and general manager Ozzie Newsome have a great track record in the NFL draft, and are considered one of the best in the business. In total, the Ravens have drafted 23 Pro Bowlers since 1996, roughly one per season. The Ravens are coming off yet another season on the outside of the playoffs looking in. In fact, the Ravens have missed the playoffs three out of the last four seasons. This is a breaking point for the Ravens, if they fail to miss the playoffs yet again in 2017, the Harbaugh era will likely come to an end. Baltimore will need a solid draft to fill some of the holes left open this offseason, in order to get back to the playoffs in 2017. This is a breaking point for the Ravens, they need to score in this year’s draft. Here is the best, case scenario for Baltimore in this year’s NFL Draft.
Round One
Baltimore scores big in the first round, adding a big time wide receiver prospect, either Mike Williams, Corey Davis, or John Ross. My personal choice would be John Ross, his elite speed would be an incredible matchup for Joe Flacco. He would make an excellent duo with Mike Wallace, and would fill the void that is still vacant from Torrey Smith departing, that Breshad Perriman should have filled by now.
Round Two
Baltimore gets a huge steal in drafting Washington Cornerback Sidney Jones. Jones had been projected to be a first round cornerback, before sustaining an achilles tendon tear at his pro day. Originally, this injury was thought to be a potential season ending injury. However, today his doctor in a report stated that Jones could be ready by September. This is a drastic change from his previous timeline. In this scenario, Baltimore picks him up with the 47th pick in the draft, and he is ready to go by the opening game in Cincinnati.
Round Three
The Ravens get lucky in the third round where they have both the 74th overall pick and the 78th overall pick. With pick 74 they select Temple offensive lineman Dion Dawkins. Dawkins is seen by many scouts and analysts as both a guard and a tackle. In this case, the Ravens chose him as a tackle to hopefully replace outgoing right tackle Ricky Wagner. The Ravens have found offensive line talent in the third round before in Marshall Yanda. They hope to strike gold again with picking Dawkins. With the 78th pick the Ravens snag D’Onta Foreman who is somehow still on the board. Foreman, a running back from Texas, is a big downhill runner. He eclipsed 2,000 yards last season, receiving All-American honors and winning the Doak Walker award for the NCAA’s best running back. Foreman would help to bring back the running game the Ravens have been missing for the past couple of years.
Round Four
Another lucky break for the Ravens, Florida State defensive end DeMarcus Walker slips through the cracks and falls into the palm of Ozzie Newsome’s hand in the fourth round. In this scenario the Ravens find a gem. Walker, who is projected to go as high as the second round by some, has starting potential. He had an extrodinary season in 2016, totaling 67 tackles, 19.5 for a loss, and 16 sacks. Walker will instantly be inserted into the lineup and contribute in 2017. He would gain valuable experience, and be the heir apparent to Terrell Suggs.
Round Five
With the departure of Kyle Juszczyk, the Ravens need to find a versatile fullback who can fill all the roles Juszczyk filled. They need a fullback who can run, receive, and block. Sam Rogers is that player. The Virginia Tech player was a big part of their offense. In 2016, he scored a total of 6 touchdowns for the Hokies, 4 receiving, 2 rushing. He also had 584 total yards in 2016. A versatile player like Rogers would be an excellent choice for the Ravens.
Round Six
For the final pick in the NFL Draft for the Ravens in this best-case scenario, they grab another cornerback in Jalen Myrick, from Minnesota. A solid cornerback in one of the toughest conferences in college football, Myrick was not flashy, but did his job well. He is very, very fast, as he ran a 4.28 second 40 yard dash at the combine. He has solid coverage skills, and would be a great depth player for the Ravens to add.
This is my best case scenario for the Baltimore Ravens in the 2017 NFL Draft. I excluded trading and went just by the picks that Baltimore currently owns. When the draft starts, I would not be surprised if the Ravens make the moves to trade for more picks. Also, for our full, 7 round mock draft of every pick in every round, check in tomorrow at 7 PM EDT. You can sign up for our mailing list if you’d like to receive it in your inbox.
