Getty Wideout CeeDee Lamb flexes after a catch.
The Baltimore Ravens have a major need left to address this offseason, and it’s on the offensive side of the ball at wideout. The good news? There should be ample way for the team to address the need during the 2020 NFL Draft.
Speaking with reporters, Baltimore general manager Eric DeCosta was asked about the position in the upcoming draft. While he said that he does expect some of the better players to come off the board early, he admitted the depth of the draft will allow the Ravens to find a very good player later on in the draft when all is said and done.
DeCosta said that the Ravens feels like there is enough quality WRs available that they could get a guy to come in and make an immediate impact in the fifth round.
The Ravens may be forced to look for players a bit later on in the draft at the spot given the unpredictable nature of the draft as well as some of their other needs, but it seems more than obvious that if things play out in that fashion, the team could be alright. This could theoretically help the team out toward landing some more elite players to boost their defense.
What DeCosta seems to be predicting is a historic year in terms of the draft at wideout, where the top players are elite and there is enough balance to get significant contributions from down the draft board. For a needy team like Baltimore, this would be close to the ideal situation for 2020.
NFL Draft’s Best 2020 Wide Receivers
It’s clear in terms of depth, 2020 is going to be a banner year for the wideout class. There are no shortage of elite options for teams to look into both early and late.
Names like CeeDee Lamb, Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III, Justin Jefferson, Laviska Shenault, Jalen Reagor, KJ Hamler and Brandon Aiyuk figure to be some of the players who are taken early on. Later, names like Michael Pittman Jr. as well as Devin Duvernay have a chance to be some late round steals and standouts in the vein DeCosta was talking about.
The Ravens will look forward to perhaps snagging one of these players when the draft gets underway, and it’s a safe bet they will end up with someone from this class to help out their offense whether it happens early or late.
Ravens Offseason Needs
The Ravens are seemingly in a decent spot in terms of both sides of the ball thanks to the fact that they have a young roster, but there’s little question that the team needs to make a few well placed additions, especially on offense, as DeCosta hints. Baltimore could still use another receiving threat to help Lamar Jackson, and depending on what happens with some of the team’s own free agents, another linebacker could be on the docket as well, though that position could get filled in the NFL Draft.
Baltimore shouldn’t need many more dramatic moves after what they have already done, but should continue to lock up their own talent while looking to make a few well-placed additions to the mix.
Continuing to add defensive backs and keep the right players in house could be a huge benefit to the team moving forward that helps them continue to cultivate a championship roster. So far, that’s been the move for the Ravens this offseason.
Perhaps adding a linebacker would help matters as well. That’s likely to be on the menu for the team in the draft when things get going.
Even if the team looks elsewhere to fill their needs early on, there could be some dynamic players waiting to help them out later on in the NFL Draft.
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Eric DeCosta Explains When Ravens Are Likely to Draft Wide Receiver