Assessing which position groups the Ravens should prioritize in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Baltimore Ravens and General Manager Eric DeCosta did a good job supplementing and fortifying the team’s roster through the initial waves of free agency. However, there is still a lot of work left to be done and multiple vacancies are in need of fulfilment with the 2024 NFL Draft set to take place later this month.
Tough decisions and shrewd moves were made to let a bevy of key players go via trade, release, or simply signing elsewhere, creating several question marks in terms of how the roster will look this fall. The draft has long been the lifeblood of the Ravens when it comes to roster construction and replenishment by their actions and own admission. With historical precedent in mind, here are the team’s five biggest remaining pre-draft needs following the additions made in free agency.
1. Offensive line
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The Ravens are committed to rebuilding the unit this offseason and while they added versatile veteran Josh Jones in free agency, getting younger is clearly the direction they’ve chosen. Following the trade of right tackle Morgan Moses and letting last year’s starting guards—Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson—sign elsewhere in free agency, three of the starting five spots are up for grabs.
Even though there are several promising, or at least intriguing, internal options already on the roster, adding new, inexpensive blood to the mix is paramount. Fortunately, this is the perfect year to need young offensive linemen capable of starting or at least competing right away.
This year’s crop is loaded with talented prospects at guard and rarely deep at tackle, where the Ravens need a new starter on the right side and a successor on the left given former Pro Bowler Ronnie Stanley is entering the final year of his re-structured contract.
2. Edge
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As it currently stands, the Ravens’ top returning outside linebackers on the roster are 2021 first-rounder Odafe Oweh and 2022 second-round pick David Ojabo, who coming off knee surgery. While Oweh had a solid season last year in which he recorded five sacks in 13 games, injuries have limited Ojabo to just five regular season games during the first two years of his career.
The Ravens had a pair of 10-year veterans they didn’t sign until August and late September last season lead the position group. Three-time Pro Bowler Jadeveon Clowney signed a two-year deal with the Carolina Panthers last week and two-time Super Bowl champion Kyle Van Noy remains unsigned, so the potential for reunion is still alive.
Unlike last year when the veteran edge market was unusually saturated throughout the offseason and training camp, it isn’t as robust this time around, making addressing the position via the draft a bigger priority. This year’s incoming crop of edge defenders doesn’t have a generational or elite prospect, nor does it have a wealth of high-end talent, but it does possess a variety of different useful players who could be impactful immediately.
3. Wide receiver
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Remodeling this position group was the Ravens’ top priority last offseason and the emphasis they placed on fortifying it with quality depth paid major dividends as franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson set a new career high in passing yards on his way to winning his second league MVP. DeCosta appears to have hit a home run with the selection of Zay Flowers in the first round last year.
However, with three-time Pro Bowler Odell Beckham Jr. not returning and 2021 first-rounder Rashod Bateman with contract uncertainty beyond 2024, wide receiver is among the team’s top needs yet again.
Thankfully, this year’s draft is just as choke-full with talented prospects at wideout as it is froth with offensive linemen. The Ravens won’t be anywhere near in range to land one of the top three at the position but there will be plenty of high-quality options available when they’re on the clock on the first night or throughout Day 2.
4. Cornerback
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If the Ravens’ history and injury luck at this specific position have shown any indicator of what to expect or prepare for in the future, it is to never have enough because their depth will be tested at some point. They were able to bring back veteran nickel Arthur Maulet on a two-year deal, but they lost outside cornerback Ronald Darby, who filled in more than admirably during a 2023 season in which three-time Pro Bowler Marlon Humphrey battled injuries.
One of the most pleasantly surprising breakout players from last year’s team was 2021 third-round pick Brandon Stephens, who finally found a home and established himself as one of the best perimeter cornerbacks in the NFL. He enters the final year of his rookie deal this fall, so in addition to needing more depth in 2024, the Ravens could be in the market for his potential successor for 2025 and beyond.
5. Safety
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The Ravens have their two starters at the position entrenched with 2023 First-Team All-Pro Kyle Hamilton and seven-year veteran Marcus Williams. But a huge part of their success on the defense under former Defensive Coordinator Mike Macdonald was their ability to deploy three safety packages. With Geno Stone defected to the Cincinnati Bengals, they need a new third safety to free up Hamilton as an elite hybrid nickel defender.