Today is our sixth day of the Ravens Draft Review here on the Baltimore Feather. So far we reviewed the entire Ravens 2017 draft as a whole, along with each individual pick from Marlon Humphrey to Tim Williams. If you would like to read any of those articles, which we highly recommend you do, they can be found at the end of this article, under the title of “Previous Draft Reviews”. Today we will be taking an in depth look at the fourth round selection by the Baltimore Ravens, Nico Siragusa. Siragusa is a guard from San Diego State. He was selected in the fourth round, at the 122nd overall pick. Siragusa was the first offensive player taken in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens, as the previous four were all defensive players. Siragusa has great potential and will be a solid player for the Ravens. Today, in this article, we will be reviewing Siragusa’s skill set and his fit in Baltimore. We will also make predictions for Siragusa, and grade the selection by the Ravens.
Skill Set
First and foremost, Siragusa is versatile, as he could end up playing almost anywhere on the offensive line. There is speculation that the Ravens may play Siragusa at center or tackle if needed. Although his preferred position is at guard, he would be able to play at a high level at another position on the offensive line with the right training. At 6’4″, 319 lbs, Siragusa has a good build for an offensive lineman. He is able to use his size to battle toe to toe with defensive rushers well. He is also a talented blocker. At blocking, Siragusa is effective at both pass and rush blocking. He is able to give the quarterback enough time to read the field and make smart decisions, while also being able to open holes for the running game. He has great maneuverability, and uses his weight well to his advantage.
Fit In Baltimore
Siragusa will step into the Ravens offensive line with a great chance to start. With the departures of both Ricky Wagner and Jeremy Zuttah, holes at right tackle and center will have to be filled. He could also end up starting at guard if one of the starting guards is moved out to tackle or center. If this was to happen, I could see either Alex Lewis being moved to right tackle, or John Urschel being moved to center.
Predictions for Siragusa
Siragusa will end up playing for the Ravens extensively on the offensive line this season, and probably will be a starter in the future for the Ravens. Siragusa could start for Baltimore as early as this season. This is because of the current lack of depth on the offensive line. The Ravens love to get offensive linemen in the later rounds and turn them into great players, and they hope to do that with Siragusa.
Selection Grade
The Baltimore Ravens selected Nico Siragusa with the 122nd pick overall in the draft, a fourth round selection. Siragusa was projected by most draft analysts to be picked in either the third or fourth round. I personally projected that the Ravens would take Nico Siragusa in the fourth round in my 7 round mock draft. However, I projected a trade that would give the Ravens the 126th overall pick, and thought they would use that to choose Siragusa. In the 2017 draft class, good offensive linemen were scarce, however Siragusa was an exception to that. He is a good offensive lineman, and selecting him in the fourth round is a pick with solid value for the Ravens. Overall, I give this selection a grade of B. This pick was nothing flashy, but it was a solid pick for a solid player.
