The Baltimore Ravens started the night with the 22nd pick of the first round. Before the start of the draft, however, there were rumblings that the Ravens were itching to trade down. And trade down they did. Baltimore exchanged the 22nd pick for a bundle from Philadelphia. The Eagles gave the Ravens the 25th pick of the first round, a fourth-round pick (127 overall), and a sixth-round pick, (197 overall). Not only did Baltimore grab two additional picks by moving down three spots in the first round, but Baltimore now has the capital to trade into the second round if they choose to do so. The Ravens currently do not have a second round pick.

The Baltimore Ravens declined to trade down a second time like they did last year. Instead, the Ravens selected Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, cousin of Raiders wide receiver Antonio Brown. Brown is small and skinny, but extremely fast. He showed off at Oklahoma in the past two years, accumulating over 1,000 receiving yards each year while both of his quarterbacks won the Heisman Trophy.

It was well established that wide receiver was Baltimore’s number one need heading into the draft, but uncertainty clouded theories on what the Ravens would do. The notion that they would trade back was dominant, but at that point, who would they select? Brown was often mocked to the Ravens, but other receivers like A.J. Brown, DK Metcalf, and N’Keal Harry were as well. Baltimore ultimately saw the talent that “Hollywood” Brown possessed, and valued him above all the rest. He was the first wide receiver taken off the board this year.

Baltimore’s track record in drafting wide receivers is poor, to say the least. The most recent example of Baltimore’s struggles to find a receiver in the draft came in 2015, when Baltimore selected the speedster, Breshad Perriman. Perriman never panned out for the Ravens, but under new leadership in Eric DeCosta, Baltimore is confident the organization will turn a page with Marquise Brown.

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