Getty J.K. Dobbins runs against Clemson.
The Baltimore Ravens enjoyed a solid week of work during the recently completed 2020 NFL Draft, and have been getting some rave reviews for what they have been able to accomplish.
Quite possibly, though, they may not have gotten as many props as they just did from NFL.com. Recently, a pair of NFL.com writers tried by stacking up all the drafts against each other and rating them 1-32. When it came to the Ravens, the team was rated to have the best draft in the entire league.
Baltimore’s 2020 class shapes up pretty well. According to a piece by Gennaro Filice and Dan Parr, Detroit should score an A+ for their draft work a few weeks back. The entire class itself ranks safely within the league’s top 10, coming in as the No. 1 overall class in the NFL.
Here’s a look at what Parr wrote about why the class should be rated so high:
“Baltimore somehow managed to find amazing value in almost every round. It seems unfair that they do this year after year, really. Queen fills the void that had been lingering since C.J. Mosley departed last offseason and will go sideline to sideline, wreaking havoc with his explosiveness despite being undersized. Dobbins adds another dose of electricity to the Ravens’ highly charged backfield and the value was too good to pass up, even if there were more pressing needs. Oh, and you better believe Eric DeCosta did work with four third-round selections, pouncing to add — you guessed it — nice value in the middle portion of the draft. Harrison is a downhill attacker who will complement Queen at ‘backer, and Madubuike will help keep blockers off of those two. We’re intrigued by Duvernay, who could become a spark plug in the slot if he improves as a route runner. There are Hall-of-Fame worthy shoes to fill at guard following the retirement of Marshal Yanda, but Phillips and Bredeson seem like perfect fits for the Ravens’ power running game. We approve of the decision to trade up in Round 6 for Proche, who has the ball skills and competitiveness to be much more productive than his athletic traits would lead you to believe. And how about landing Stone with pick 219, nearly 100 slots lower than where Jeremiah valued him? There were the only team that had his top value pick in two different rounds. Well done, Ravens.”
Well done indeed by the Ravens, who have routinely been mentioned as having one of the best drafts in the league this season. This is merely another feather in their cap.
Mel Kiper Grades Ravens 2020 Draft High
After watching what his hometown Ravens were able to do all weekend long, Kiper came away insanely impressed. In fact, he handed the team an ‘A’ grade for their work of the weekend in a new ESPN Insider piece, nearly the highest total Kiper could give a team’s class.
Why was Kiper so high on the class? For starters, it patched holes and included some players other teams were overlooking that ended up being potential steals for the team.
Here’s a look at what Kiper wrote about why the grade was so high in Baltimore:
“Look at this Ravens roster. Where are the holes? Definitely middle linebacker. Maybe wide receiver. Probably a guard to replace Marshal Yanda. But that’s it. So I liked that the Ravens got an off-ball linebacker at No. 28 whom Lamar Jackson called “Ray Lewis Jr.,” and I liked that they didn’t have to move up to get him. Patrick Queen started only 16 games in his LSU career, but his talent bursts on the tape. He’s a fit as a long-term C.J. Mosley replacement. (By the way: Baltimore has now drafted three linebackers in the first round: Lewis in 1996, Mosley in 2014 and Queen. Those first two were/are pretty good.)
So as you can see, all five of them were at least 20 spots higher on my final Big Board. That’s outstanding value. Baltimore fortified the middle of its defense — it gave up 4.4 yards per carry last season, most in franchise history — got a playmaker to help Jackson in the slot, and picked a tackle with guard experience who could compete to take over for Yanda, along with fourth-round pick Ben Bredeson (143). I’m also a big fan of James Proche (201), a super-productive pass-catcher who could fill a role, and safety Geno Stone (219) could be a special-teams menace as a rookie. Getting him in the seventh round is stellar.
General manager Eric DeCosta had another really strong draft. Expect Baltimore to be a Super Bowl contender again.”
It’s more than possible that is the case given how deep the team already is and how good the class is. Baltimore attacked needs from start to finish, and got great value. For that reason, Kiper is a big fan.
Ravens 2020 NFL Draft Class
From start to finish, the Ravens did a great job to check off all their needs, which spanned from getting some help on defense to some more weapons for Lamar Jackson and the team’s offense. The class is very loaded from top to bottom with linebacker Patrick Queen, running back J.K. Dobbins, defensive lineman Justin Madubuike, wideout Devin Duvernay, linebacker Malik Harrison, offensive tackle Tyre Phillips, guard Ben Bredeson, defensive tackle Broderick Washington, wideout James Proche and safety Geno Stone comprising the class for the Ravens.
This class has garnered high grades from many including Mel Kiper and high praise for most considering the players the Ravens landed and where they landed them. Fit is huge, and it’s obvious the team feels very good about where things are trending with their newest class of players for 2020.
That’s only more the case after seeing rankings like this.
READ NEXT: Grading Every Pick Within Baltimore’s 2020 NFL Draft Class