The calendar has formally flipped to April, which might solely imply one factor: It’s time to prepare for the NFL draft.
The first spherical begins April 27 in Kansas City, however till then, the Ravens have lots to determine. Most notably, their contract stalemate with star quarterback Lamar Jackson, who has requested a commerce whereas below the $32.4 million nonexclusive franchise tag. If he will get his want, the Ravens’ draft might look so much completely different.
Baltimore owns 5 picks: Nos. 22 (first spherical), 86 (third spherical), 124 (fourth spherical), 157 (fifth spherical) and 199 (sixth spherical). A blockbuster deal for Jackson would considerably enhance the dimensions of that haul, however the Ravens are assured at the least one extra first-rounder this yr if Jackson indicators a suggestion with one other group earlier than the draft and Baltimore declines to match it.
As we get nearer to the draft, The Baltimore Sun will study which gamers at every place of want (quarterback, large receiver, cornerback, edge rusher, offensive line and line of defense) could possibly be accessible within the early, center and late rounds when the Ravens are on the clock. Today, it’s large receiver, a place coach John Harbaugh has already promised the group will handle within the draft.
Early: TCU’s Quentin Johnston
In this large receiver class, Johnston is an outlier. At 6 toes 3 and 208 kilos, he affords the most effective mixture of peak, weight and pace of the potential first-round picks, recording the second-best athleticism rating of any large receiver on the NFL scouting mix. The solely downside? He doesn’t usually use these skills to his benefit.
With a 40.5-inch vertical bounce and explosive pace, the 21-year-old Johnston has all of the bodily instruments to be an elite outdoors receiver. He caught 60 passes for 1,067 yards and 6 touchdowns in a breakout 2022 season, however he did most of his injury by creating yards after the catch. His common depth of goal of 12.9 yards ranked 172nd within the nation, based on Pro Football Focus, and he solely made eight contested catches.
Analysts have knocked Johnston for his incapacity to make use of his dimension to create separation and outmuscle defenders on the catch level. Too usually, he didn’t lengthen his arms or correctly time his leap to fulfill the ball at its highest level on deep throws. His inconsistent fingers and lackluster route operating are additionally a priority, as he posted a poor 11.8% drop price in 2022.
Even given his limitations, Johnston affords the elite athleticism and enormous catch radius the Ravens have lacked for years at large receiver. While he would possibly give followers flashbacks to Breshad Perriman, the disappointing 2015 first-round decide, he’s precisely the kind of participant normal supervisor Eric DeCosta must maintain taking swings at.
Middle: Mississippi’s Jonathan Mingo
For a quarterback who likes to throw over the center of the sphere as a lot as Jackson, Mingo is an intriguing match.
At 6-2 and 220 kilos, the 21-year-old is an imposing goal who can work out of the slot and make powerful catches in site visitors. While he doesn’t provide the pace to be a dynamic deep risk, analysts say he’s an adept route runner who tracks the ball nicely and picks up yards after the catch.
The largest query for Mingo is an absence of manufacturing, particularly in Ole Miss’ pass-happy offense below the route of coach Lane Kiffin. He acquired his most taking part in time in 2022, catching 51 passes for 867 yards and 5 touchdowns to just about surpass his totals from the earlier two seasons mixed.
However, his standout athletic testing scores recommend he might need untapped potential. With a 4.46-second 40-yard sprint, 39.5-inch vertical bounce, 10-foot-9-inch broad bounce and 22 bench press reps, Mingo ranked eighth amongst large receivers in athleticism rating on the scouting mix. He additionally impressed on the Senior Bowl, with senior director Jim Nagy saying that large receiver coaches have Mingo graded increased than a number of projected first-round prospects.
If that isn’t sufficient, NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein compares Mingo to former Ravens star Anquan Boldin.
Late: BYU’s Puka Nacua
For a Ravens group that merely wants extra playmakers on offense, the 6-2, 201-pound Nacua could be a worthy addition.
In his evaluation, Bleacher Report’s Derrik Klassen wrote that Nacua’s “size, [yards-after-catch] skills and blocking prowess could make him a difference-maker sooner rather than later” whereas evaluating the Cougars star to a “Discount Deebo Samuel.” That sort of participant could possibly be particularly priceless to new coordinator Todd Monken in an offense Harbaugh has promised will likely be extra up-tempo and move extra regularly. The 22-year-old Nacua additionally has a good quantity of expertise carrying the ball, both on jet sweeps or lined up as a operating again.
In his second season at BYU after transferring from Washington, the Utah native was some of the environment friendly receivers within the nation, averaging 3.53 yards per route run whereas incomes the sixth-highest grade amongst wideouts, based on Pro Football Focus. In 9 video games, he caught 48 passes for 625 yards and 5 touchdowns — higher than what Ravens main large receiver Damarcus Robinson completed in 17 contests in 2022 — and rushed 25 occasions for 209 yards and 5 scores.
Although he’s uncooked relating to the finer factors of taking part in large receiver after being requested to run a restricted route tree at BYU, Nacua’s athleticism and contested-catch abilities provide tantalizing potential.
NFL draft
Thursday, April 27, to Saturday, April 29
TV: ESPN, NFL Network
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Source: www.bostonherald.com