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With the 2023 NFL draft just days away several major sports media news outlets have churned out mock projections for all seven rounds. This article will compare and contrast the predicted selections for the Baltimore Ravens in each round according to NFL.com’s Chad Reuter, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, and ESPN’s Matt Miller.
Each of them has the team addressing their top needs fairly early and picking up quality depth elsewhere to round what is slated to be just a five-man class based on the team’s low numbers of total picks this year.
First Round: No. 22 Overall
WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State
“Even after signing OBJ and Nelson Agholor this offseason, the Ravens can’t pass up the value of Smith-Njigba at this spot. His crafty route-running, reliable hands and strength, and elusiveness after the catch will supersede his average speed to make him an excellent NFL receiver.”- Chad Reuter
WR Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College
“The Ravens gave Odell Beckham a lot of money, but that doesn’t take wide receiver off the table at 22. Baltimore has a high grade on Flowers and shouldn’t have trouble finding a use for his versatile receiving skill set alongside Beckham, Rashod Bateman, and Nelson Agholor.” – Dane Brugler
“Even after signing Odell Beckham Jr., there is still a need in Baltimore for pass-catchers. Flowers’ stock has been soaring of late, with multiple scouts predicting he would be selected in the top 20 on Thursday night. His burst and ability to line up both in the slot and split out wide have won him many fans in the NFL scouting community despite a 5-9, 183-pound frame. Flowers’ improvement over the past four seasons at BC has been widely praised by evaluators, too. “He went from having bad hands in ’20 to some of the best hands in football last year,” said one longtime AFC scout.” – Matt Miller
Zay Flowers made this catch in double coverage 😧
Top Takeaway:
It’s clear that despite the additions of two former first-rounders at the position this offseason including a three-time Pro Bowler, wide receiver still remains the team’s biggest need heading into the first night of the draft.
Smith-Njigba is widely viewed as the consensus top wideout in this year’s crop and will likely be gone by the time the Ravens are on the clock but Flowers has been among the most popular projections to land with them at this pick and is one of the most electrifying playmakers with the ball in his hands regardless of position in the entire class.
Third Round: No. 86 Overall
CB Darius Rush, South Carolina
Reuter picked the former Gamecock whose stock has been steadily rising throughout the pre-draft process. He is a converted wide receiver who possesses good ball skills and the ideal size and length to start on the outside at 6’2″ and 198 pounds with 33 3/8’’ arms.
Rush started his last two seasons in college and in 2022, he recorded 38 tackles, two for loss, two interceptions, and seven pass breakups in nine games despite dealing with a hamstring injury for most of the year. At the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl, he displayed that he could correct several of the areas of his game that he didn’t show well on tape including an ability to mirror and loosen up his hips to make smoother transitions.
Darius Rush’s 3 reps in individual yesterday. Baller
CB Cameron Mitchell, Northwestern
Brugler picked the former Wildcat who is better suited moving inside to play in the slot at nickel than stay on the outside where his lack of length and size could pose a problem at the next level, especially in the AFC North where he’d see the likes of Jamaar Chase, George Pickens, Tee Higgins, and Amari Cooper twice a year. He’s still a tough player who is not afraid to contribute in run defense and is a fierce competitor in coverage.
CB Riley Moss, Iowa
“The Ravens’ secondary will have a younger look in 2023, and depth is needed at cornerback. Moss had 11 interceptions and 23 pass breakups over five years at Iowa and is NFL-ready.” – Matt Miller
Top Takeaway:
With three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marcus Peters still a free agent, the team is in need of a new No. 2 to start on the outside opposite of three-time Pro Bowler Marlon Humphrey. Luckily corner is arguably the deepest position in this year’s draft where many pundits believe quality starters and role players can be found throughout and especially in the top three rounds. With no second-round pick this year as a result of the midseason trade for inside linebacker Roquan Smith, all three analysts have the Ravens addressing perhaps their greatest position of need with this pick.
Fourth Round: No. 124 Overall
EDGE Tuli Tuipulotu, USC
Reuter picked the former Trojan who led the nation in sacks at the FBS level with 13.5 and was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. He is a player that has the ability to rush off of and set the edge as well as the positional versatility, size, and strength to move inside and line up over guards in sub packages in obvious passing situations which would allow even more outside linebackers to come on the field.
Tuipulotu played at just under 300 pounds in college but currently weighs under 270 which makes him an ideal candidate to assume the hybrid edge mantle that players like Pernell McPhee and Za’Darius Smith made names for themselves in during their time with the Ravens.
DT Karl Brooks, Bowling Green
Brugler picked the former Falcon who possesses the size at 6’3″ and positional versatility to lineup all across the Ravens’ defensive front and especially at five-technique where they need a new starting defensive end.
He was a highly productive player in college who increased his production and impact each season he played a full slate of games. Brooks finished his career with 167 total tackles including 46 for a loss, five forced fumbles, five pass deflections, one interception, one fumble recovery, and 27.5 sacks that included a career-high 10 last season according to Pro Football Reference.
Karl Brooks keeps working and gets the sack on Max Duggan
RB DeWayne McBride, UAB
Miller picked the former Blazer possesses superb balance through contact and has been highly productive over the past two years, recording 32 touchdowns and back-to-back seasons on over 1,300 yards on the ground according to Pro Football Reference. While he currently doesn’t bring much to the table as a pass catcher, that area of his game can grow in time with coaching and more opportunities to perform those duties.
Top Takeaway:
The Ravens could use reinforcements and more depth at all three of the positions that these three analysts have them addressing with this pick. They reportedly hosted Tuipulotu for a pre-draft visit and he’d be a great rotational pass rusher off the edge. Brooks was a 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl standout that could come help fill the void left by six-time Pro Bowler Calais Campbell. McBride could be the eventual replacement for Gus Edwards as the team’s primary power back since the six-year veteran is entering the final year of his restructured contract.
Fifth Round: No. 157 Overall
QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA
Reuter picked the former Bruin who many of his fellow analysts have pegged as an ideal backup for a dynamic dual-threat signal caller like Lamar Jackson given his own electric ability to make plays with his arm as well as his legs. He set program career records with 48 starts at quarterback, 88 passing touchdowns, 12,236 total yards of offense, and 116 total TDs that included career highs in passing yards (3,154 yards), passing touchdowns (27) TDs, rushing yards (645), and rushing touchdowns (12).
G/T Braden Daniels, Utah
Brugler picked the former Ute who has the size at 6’4″ and 294 pounds and athleticism to play both guard and tackle at the next level. He started 43 games in college at three different positions that included 18 at left guard, 11 at right tackle, and the last 14 at left tackle where he earned first-team all-conference honors.
DE Mike Morris, Michigan
Miller picked the former Wolverine who played for current Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald in 2021 but had his breakout season last year after both Aiden Hutchison and David Ojabo went the league as first and second-round picks respectively.
In 2022, Morris recorded career highs in sacks (7.5), total tackles (26), tackles for loss (11), and pass deflections (3) while playing in a similar hybrid role to Za’Darius Smith when he was a Raven with the way he rushed the passer either standing up or with his hand in the dirt lining up on the edge as well as inside over interior offensive linemen.
Mike Morris is supposed to be the space eater on this stunt, but he gets the sack as well
Top Takeaway:
The picks in this round were all about versatility and featured prospects that can be used in multiple ways. Thompson-Robinson is a developmental quarterback that can be the next primary backup to Jackson and Daniels has the positional flexibility that the Ravens covet in their linemen. Morris not only played for Macdonald but he was also coached by head coach John Harbaugh’s brother Jim and would provide great value and offer more schematic flexibility.
Sixth Round: No. 199 Overall
OG Emil Ekiyor Jr., Alabama
Reuter has the Ravens going back to the Crimson Tide talent pool to pick the experienced and fundamentally sound blocker. He was a three-year starter in college and is an ideal fit for inside zone and gap scheme running concepts like the ones the team used under former offensive coordinator Greg Roman and intends to continue to keep as a part of their playbook moving forward.
QB Stetson Bennett, Georgia
Brugler has the former Bulldog reuniting with his college player at the next level with this pick. Ravens first-year offensive coordinator Todd Monken has more in-depth insight on players from this particular program than any other coach in the league given he just came off an incredible two-year run where the team won back-to-back national titles with Bennett under center.
He possesses underrated athleticism and a strong arm that he uses to deliver the deep ball with nice touch and accuracy. Some of his off-the-field behavior and the fact that he didn’t participate in any of the senior all-star events definitely hurt his stock during the pre-draft process and is a big reason he will likely still be available here despite his impressive pedigree.
OG Andrew Vorhees, USC
Miller picked the former Trojan who likely would’ve gone on between the late second and early fourth round had it not been for a torn ACL that he suffered during drills at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine but didn’t stop him from putting up 38 reps in the bench press.
The team hasn’t been afraid to select players that are coming in hurt and might need to essentially medically redshirt for most of if not their entire rookie season and at this point in the draft, late-round gambles on developmental prospects are customary.
Even through adversity — @Andrew_Vorhees hit the most reps on bench out of all prospects at this years #NFLCombine! 😤💪✌️
Top Takeaway:
The Ravens have a vacancy at their starting left guard spot following the departure of Ben Powers in free agency. Even though they are excited and have faith in their promising in-house options, adding more depth and competition will only further bolster the position group and help the cream rise to the crop.
As for the Bennett selection, it makes perfect sense given his familiarity with the team’s new play caller/designer, the long-term uncertainty of Jackson staying in Baltimore, and the fact that their current backup is only under contract for one more year.
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Ravens Draft: Comparing 7-Round Mock Hauls From Top Analysts