All drafts are geared towards constructing for the long run, however the Ravens’ 2023 class particularly will likely be remembered extra for long-range plans than quick starters.
That’s totally different from a yr in the past when first-round picks Kyle Hamilton, a security, and Tyler Linderbaum, a middle, had been anticipated to begin straight away. The Ravens additionally drafted different outstanding rookies comparable to defensive sort out Travis Jones and cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis in 2022.
Both basic supervisor Eric DeCosta and Joe Hortiz, the crew’s director of participant personnel, talked about the phrase “projects” a number of instances Saturday, which might be of some concern if the crew had been rebuilding.
But the Ravens aren’t in that class. They needs to be contenders once more with their beginning lineup just about set earlier than the draft started Thursday evening. The Ravens offered themselves with a number of potential starters in a number of years in defensive end-outside linebacker Tavius Robinson (fourth spherical), Stanford cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly (fifth), and offensive linemen Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu of Oregon (sixth) and USC’s Andrew Vorhees (seventh).
It was essential the Ravens added a speedy receiver comparable to Boston College’s Zay Flowers, chosen with the No. 22 total choose within the first spherical, however this draft wasn’t primarily based solely on urgency.
“There are some years where you have a lot of picks and you sort of deviate a little bit from your sequence, because you’re trying to fill specific needs,” DeCosta mentioned. “The mindset for me this yr was simply, ‘Try not to worry as much about the needs and just draft the best guy that’s there at each single choose,’ and I feel we did it.
“Honestly, I can’t 100% say that we did it exactly, but I know it’s pretty damn close.”
Flowers is a quick receiver who may take the highest off defenses, opening up the beneath routes for wideouts Rashod Bateman and Odell Beckham Jr., and tight finish Mark Andrews.
There have been comparisons between Flowers and former Ravens receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, however they’ve little in frequent apart from dimension and pace. Flowers is a bit thicker by way of the chest. He’ll run throughout the center and make yards after preliminary contact. He can play within the slot or exterior, and new offensive coordinator Todd Monken received’t use him as a blocker in a run-oriented offense.
Linebacker Trenton Simpson, the Ravens’ third-round choose, would possibly get some taking part in time as nicely, although not as a lot as Flowers. At 6 ft 3 and 240 kilos, he runs the 40-yard sprint in 4.43 seconds and is extraordinarily agile and athletic. At Clemson, he may cowl tight ends and operating backs, which might be a plus as a result of neither weak-side linebacker Patrick Queen, the Ravens’ 2020 first-round choose, nor Odafe Oweh, a 2021 first-rounder, can.
If the Ravens decline to choose up Queen’s fifth-year choice for 2024 by Tuesday, then Simpson would possibly grow to be the eventual starter heading into that season.
The Ravens a minimum of appear ready, and so they did the identical factor with offensive linemen, deciding on Aumavae-Laulu and Vorhees.
Vorhees tore an ACL on the NFL scouting mix and received’t be able to play till 2024, and Aumavae-Laulu has performed each guard positions in addition to proper sort out.
It places the Ravens in good place as a result of beginning proper sort out Morgan Moses is 32 and proper guard Kevin Zeitler is 33. The Ravens don’t have a beginning left guard and Ronnie Stanley, as soon as probably the greatest left tackles within the recreation, won’t ever play at that stage once more due to two main surgical procedures on his ankle. He struggled at instances in go safety final season.
You can’t predict whether or not the brand new acquisitions will grow to be starters, however a minimum of the Ravens have choices.
“[He is] a very, very large offensive lineman,” DeCosta mentioned of Aumavae-Laulu, who’s 6-6 and 330 kilos. “He’s played some left guard, he’s played some right guard, primarily has been a right tackle. He is a very, very good athlete for his size. He can pull, can play on his feet. We look at him as a real strong developmental guy. He has a lot of upside potential.”
Robinson, 6-6 and 265 kilos and raised in Ontario, was an intriguing choose. He has good pace and dimension, and he’s constructed like former Raven finish Calais Campbell.
But even when ESPN confirmed his faculty highlights, he didn’t present a lot explosion off the ball.
Regardless, he’ll go into the “project” file as nicely. DeCosta at all times says a crew can by no means have sufficient cornerbacks; his predecessor, Ozzie Newsome, mentioned the identical factor about defensive linemen.
“He’s very physical. He’s got a great motor, and he’s always running to the ball, making plays downfield,” Hortiz mentioned. “So, the Raven mentality is there, the effort is there. He’s a developmental player in terms of playing ball in the States versus Canada, but he’s grown tremendously at Ole Miss, and we still see a lot more potential for him.”
There are the buzzwords once more: “developmental” and “potential.” The Ravens apparently really feel the identical manner about Kelly. He is a brilliant participant who makes use of his leverage nicely and may play man-to-man. The Ravens are in determined want of a beginning cornerback, one who’s quick and may shut down the opposite crew’s high receiver.
The Ravens have two younger cornerbacks who had been drafted a yr in the past in Armour-Davis and Damarion Williams, who DeCosta mentioned had been slowed due to accidents. But neither performed nicely earlier than the accidents, and Armour-Davis obtained benched within the first half of the third recreation, towards New England.
So, the Ravens will hit the free agent market, probably re-signing Marcus Peters or perhaps Fabian Moreau or Bryce Callahan. In a convention with quarterbacks comparable to Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow and Josh Allen, having high cornerbacks must be a precedence.
DeCosta mentioned the Ravens roster isn’t set, which implies they’ll be trying round. But after Saturday, they don’t have as a lot procuring to do.
They reloaded in a lot of the proper areas.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com