Ravens’ free-agent losses were expected. Now the pressure is on to make some gains
Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic
The Ravens haven’t been willing to match or exceed reasonable outside contract offers to keep a few of their own players. Maybe the allure of going back home was the deciding factor for Clowney, but the two-year, $20 million deal he got from the Carolina Panthers was not out of line with expectations following his 9 1/2-sack season with the Ravens. Given the team’s current outside linebacker depth chart and some of the struggles it’s had in trying to get immediate impact from young pass rushers, ponying up a little more to keep Clowney certainly had some merit.
They also haven’t addressed many of their prominent roster needs. In many offseasons, there always was a somewhat obvious effort by the front office to plug as many holes as possible before the draft to allow the organization to stick to its tried-and-true drafting philosophy of selecting the best player available. The draft is still three weeks away, so there’s time for DeCosta and company to make some additions.
No general manager did it better with the late moves last offseason than DeCosta. He added Maulet and long snapper Tyler Ott on the eve of training camp, Clowney and cornerback Ronald Darby midway through training camp, and then Kyle Van Noy following Week 3 of the regular season. All occupied key roles in helping the Ravens make it to the AFC championship.
Expecting the same impact from last year’s May through September signings would be a bit much. However, the organization’s track record in finding key contributors late in the offseason — and even during the season — is pretty good.
Offensive line or cornerback? Here are the Ravens’ biggest positions of need as NFL draft approaches.
Brian Wacker, The Baltimore Sun
Cornerback
The Ravens are in solid shape with Marlon Humphrey and Brandon Stephens returning on the outside and Maulet fitting in nicely in a slot role. But Humphrey is also coming off an injury-plagued season and Baltimore’s other corners all have varying question marks.
Which perhaps explains why some draftniks have the Ravens targeting Missouri’s Ennis Rakestraw, Alabama’s Kool-Aid McKinstry or Iowa’s Cooper DeJean with the 30th pick.
Whether Baltimore goes offensive line or corner in the first round, both are considered deep positions in this year’s draft, so they should have options. But as was the case last year, cornerback will be a position of importance and need again.
Wide receiver
More specifically, the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player is again focusing on wide receivers, especially after losing Odell Beckham Jr. in free agency.
Baltimore will have Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor again, but beyond those three things get thin fast with Tylan Wallace, who plays mostly on special teams, and Sean Ryan, an undrafted rookie out of Rutgers last year, the only other wide receivers on the roster. Like offensive linemen and cornerbacks, the draft is considered to be deep with wide receivers, so adding to that group via the draft seems a likely scenario.
2024 NFL Draft: Early-, mid- and late-round fits for the Baltimore Ravens’ top needs
Gordon McGuinness, PFF
OFFENSIVE LINE
Day 1 fit: Jordan Morgan, Arizona
Day 2 fit: Blake Fisher, Notre Dame
Day 3 fit: Christian Jones, Texas
Morgan would make a lot of sense as the Ravens’ first-round selection, coming off a season during which he earned an 87.3 PFF pass-blocking grade. He can start out at guard before being the eventual successor at left tackle to Ronnie Stanley. With PFF run- and pass-blocking grades of 69.0 or better, Fisher could be a plug-and-play starter at right tackle for the Ravens as a Day 2 selection, while Jones would be a developmental prospect behind Stanley on the left side.
EDGE DEFENDER
Day 1 fit: Chop Robinson, Penn State
Day 2 fit: Marshawn Kneeland, Western Michigan
Day 3 fit: Jalen Green, James Madison
Robinson wouldn’t be an every-down player for the Ravens, at least not right away, but his level of pass-rushing prowess is not something usually available late in the first round. He is coming off a final season at Penn State during which he won 20.1% of his pass-rushing reps. Kneeland, on the other hand, could develop into an every-down star. While his pass-rush win rate was a bit lower than Robinson’s, coming in at 17.3%, his 11.0% run-stop rate is among the best in the class. James Madison’s Green is the late-round version of Robinson, winning 20.0% of his pass-rush reps and earning a 91.1 PFF pass-rushing grade on true pass sets.
Top 50: 2024 NFL Draft prospect rankings 4.0
Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com
Rank 49 (-5)
Arizona · OT · Senior
Morgan is a very athletic left tackle with average size. In pass pro, he is quick out of his stance to meet and cover up speed rushers. He can sink his weight and drop levels when bull rushed. He also does a nice job re-working his hands when he gets knocked back to regain leverage. He struggles to redirect inside when facing counter moves, getting beat on that inside shoulder too often. He also will occasionally duck his head, which is correctable. In the run game, he is more finesse than power. He can use his quickness to cut off the back side and he takes excellent angles to the second level to wall off linebackers. He doesn’t have a lot of knock-back power to displace defenders over his nose. Morgan is just over a year removed from ACL surgery, and I’m hopeful he can add more strength/power now that he’s healthy. Overall, he has starting tackle ability.
Texans trading for Stefon Diggs: Is Houston the biggest threat to Chiefs in AFC? Ranking contenders
Tyler Sullivan, CBS Sports
If you have a two-time NFL MVP under center, you’re going to be a factor in the conference, which is exactly the position that the Ravens find themselves in with Lamar Jackson. He is as dynamic as any quarterback the league has to offer and the rushing attack should only be even more devastating with Jackson now paired with running back Derrick Henry. Zay Flowers should continue to surge as he enters Year 2 and Mark Andrews staying healthy will help the passing game as well. Losing linebacker Patrick Queen in free agency along with defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald (now the head coach of the Seahawks) this offseason is a noticeable dent, but the defense should still be among the very best in the NFL. The biggest question for Baltimore truly unseating the Chiefs in the AFC is Jackson’s ability to come through in the postseason.