I, for one, am shocked…

The Baltimore Ravens threw a curveball and drafted Penn State quarterback, Trace McSorley, the dual-threat monster, in the sixth round with the 197th overall selection – the team’s last pick.

Not many people thought that the Ravens were in the quarterback market. I, like most, assumed that Baltimore would continue with Robert Griffin III as the undisputed backup with no other on the roster. But the Ravens were thinking differently. As a fast, dual-threat quarterback, McSorley can run the Lamar Jackson tailored offense should the starting quarterback go down. However, the Ravens envision McSorley playing a larger role. In an interview on the NFL Network, coach Harbaugh said that McSorley would be a “quarterback first,” but also play a role similar to Taysom Hill of the New Orleans Saints.

The Ravens are not the first to conceive of a Swiss army knife role for McSorley. At the NFL Combine, McSorley was asked if he wanted to work out as a defensive back. He declined, solidifying his position as a quarterback.

McSorley took over a lethargic Penn State team after the departure of Christian Hackenberg. In his three years as a starter, he passed for 9,714 yards, 75 touchdowns, and 25 interceptions. McSorley also rushed for 1,697 yards and 30 touchdowns in his collegiate career. He led the Nittany Lions to a Big Ten championship, and three bowl games, a Rose Bowl, a Fiesta Bowl, and a Citrus Bowl. Despite the success, Penn State only won the Fiesta Bowl.

The surprise pick concludes the Ravens 2019 Draft class, but Baltimore is not done adding players. The Ravens will scramble to acquire priority undrafted free agents once the draft concludes. If history tells us anything about the upcoming additions, it is that at least one will likely make the roster. Baltimore has kept an undrafted free agent on the roster in the regular season every year since the Brian Billick era.

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