Getty A look at the stage when the Baltimore Ravens picked in the 2021 NFL Draft.
The Baltimore Ravens managed to change the outlook of their offseason with some major scores in the 2021 NFL Draft, and the group is still receiving plenty of love for their work a few weeks after the conclusion of the event.
While many believe the Ravens scored in a huge way, others see the haul as a more middling event for the team. Such was the case with NFL.com in their analysis. Recently, the site took a look at ranking every class in the league and also providing a grade.
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When it came to the Ravens, Dan Parr was charged with the analysis. The team placed 18th overall in the standings, and had a ‘B’ grade. As for why, Parr said it has mostly to do with the fact that the team didn’t add an offensive lineman to the mix, even as they checked off plenty of other needs in a decent way.
He wrote:
“The Ravens’ strategy already makes more sense than it did in the immediate aftermath of the draft. The void left by Orlando Brown at right tackle was still looming large after GM Eric DeCosta did not spend any of his eight picks on the position, but Baltimore signed Alejandro Villanueva to a two-year deal earlier this week. The consummate smokescreen pro, DeCosta seems to always have a few misdirection plays up his sleeve. He made major investments at the wide receiver position after saying a week earlier that it was “insulting” to see so little respect paid to the team’s players at the position. Well done, sir. Oweh will fill the Ravens’ biggest need of all if he can put it all together. He didn’t post any sacks in his final season at Penn State, but he has the tools to become a highly disruptive force for a defense replacing Matt Judon and Yannick Ngakoue. We loved the Wallace pick in Round 4, and Wade could be a steal if he bounces back from a rough go of it in 2020. This feels like a high-ceiling, low-floor group overall.”
Through the years, Eric DeCosta has drafted well, so this is the kind of trajectory that could be expected for the Baltimore draft. Though it might be rated a little lower by NFL.com in this analysis, it’s clear that the Ravens could have scored with their players in a big way.
Ravens Draft Class Rated Highly
Overall, this is just about the lowest grade that has surfaced in relation to the Baltimore draft. For the most part, the Ravens have been praised and given grades that range anywhere from an A to a B+ in terms of their analysis. Arguably, this could be the most realistic grade the team has been given with what it takes into account otherwise on the roster.
Even such, it would not be a shock to see the Baltimore class turn out to be one of the better groups in the NFL in short order
Ravens 2021 NFL Draft Recap
Washington was far from the only score the Ravens had over the weekend. From the start of the first round until the fifth, the Ravens did some nice work, filling out plenty of their needs in a confident way. Wideout Rashod Bateman and defensive end Odafe Oweh were the team’s first selections. In round three, the team took guard Ben Cleveland and cornerback Brandon Stephens. Round four brought a potential steal in wideout Tylan Wallace. The fifth-round brought cornerback Shaun Wade and defensive end Daelin Hayes as well as fullback Ben Mason.
Overall, it was a well-balanced class for the Ravens, who did well to add the players they did both in free agency and during the draft.
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