The 2020 NFL Draft came and went, and Baltimore Ravens once again were able to secure another impressive draft class. The team had 10 total draft picks and were able to capitalize on each of them by either taking the best player available on the board or getting great positional value.
Baltimore filled a lot of holes on their roster, got new weapons on both sides of the ball, and continued to stock up not only for the upcoming season but for the future as well. The long-term view by general manager Eric DeCosta and company is a big reason why the franchise has stayed so successful for years.
Although the Ravens got a great haul in the draft, 10 draft picks is a lot to house on a roster that is already so deep and went 14-2 just a season ago. For all the excitement a new draft class brings, it also means a few players have to look over their shoulders as their role on the team could be reduced or their roster spot will go elsewhere entirely.
Let’s take a look at four winners and three losers for Baltimore based on their 2020 draft.
Winner: QB Lamar Jackson
Jackson already led the Ravens to their best regular-season record in franchise history, won the league MVP and set a ton of franchise and NFL records in the process. While his second year was magical, a third-year ascension could be in play thanks to all the work DeCosta and the front office put into the 2020 NFL Draft.
While the team addressed defense in the first round, they selected running back J.K. Dobbins with the 55th overall selection. Dobbins was considered one of the best, if not the best, running back in the class. His selection proves that the Ravens are committed to building up the system that fits Jackson so well.
In the third round, the Ravens selected Devin Duvernay, the wide receiver out of Texas. In the sixth round, the team traded up and selected SMU wide receiver James Proche. The two wide receivers come to Baltimore known for their great hands and they’ll help Jackson by catching everything he throws while being versatile enough to be moved around to create mismatches. They’re a great fit with what offense the Ravens currently run.
The addition of extra offensive linemen are always welcome, and Tyre Phillips and Ben Bredeson should immediately compete for a starting job with Ben Powers and D.J. Fluker.
Jackson might have been sitting around watching the draft this year but he automatically becomes a winner in this process. The Ravens built around him, giving him weapons and protection for the next few years, clearly believing that he can grow even more as a quarterback in his third year.
Loser: Young offensive linemen
Before the draft, the Ravens had plenty of young offensive linemen that were ready to compete for starting positions. After the draft, those young players have much more competition, not only for starting spots but for roster spots as well. While Bradley Bozeman, Matt Skura, and Patrick Mekari played well last season, arguably all three positions on the interior offensive line are up for grabs this offseason.
Bozeman might have the firmest grasp on his job at left guard and it’s likely his job to lose at this point. But Bozeman is a center by trade who worked really hard to become an effective guard last season. Baltimore is likely going to at least test him there with some competition to make sure he’s ready for 2020.
Despite improving a good amount in 2019, Skura is recovering from a gruesome injury. It remains to be seen how he performs in training camp, if he’s even able to return for the start of it. Mekari filled in well after Skura’s injury and would likely be the guy that gets the pole position if Skura is unable to go. But pushing a UDFA back into the starting lineup without any competition would be foolish of the Ravens.
Marshal Yanda’s retirement fully opens the right guard position for competition. Despite having all of those young players, Baltimore added two more to throw into the fray through the 2020 NFL Draft, while adding a player with experience in D.J. Fluker.
Tyre Phillips and Ben Bredeson were both drafted by the team in hopes of becoming part of the next great Baltimore offensive line. Both offer some versatility, with Phillips having a little experience at tackle while Bredeson got some snaps at center. That should allow them to at least compete for any open jobs, which would make everyone else’s life that much harder. If either one of the new draft picks comes in and makes a statement, one of the previous young linemen could potentially see their starting spot, and roster spot in jeopardy.
Winner: Defensive coordinator Don Martindale
The Ravens secured plenty of defensive talent in the 2020 draft. But what sets the guys they grabbed apart is just how versatile they all are. For Martindale, not only did he get great ball players, he got guys he can line up all over the field to further expand upon his complex defensive schemes.
Adding linebackers Patrick Queen and Malik Harrison gives the Ravens a potent one-two punch at inside linebacker. While the Ravens had to run a lot of dime looks last season due to a lack of middle linebacker depth, Queen and Harrison will allow the team to run more base and nickel looks, something that should benefit the team and maximize the ability of their defensive personnel.
They also added defensive tackles Justin Madubuike and Broderick Washington Jr. Both will add to an absolutely stacked defensive line group, allowing them to find and keep the best players on the 53-man roster while rotating around with the starters to keep everyone fresh down the line. Madubuike can generate pressure on the quarterback and Washington is extremely versatile.
Let’s not forget about safety Geno Stone. He can play both inside the box and deep, giving arguably the best secondary in the NFL another playmaker that can be moved around.
Martindale got a lot of new pieces to play with on defense. After leading the 2019 Ravens to a great season defensively, 2020 should be even better.
Loser: DT Daylon Mack
It seemed like Mack was a winner at the end of Day 2 of the draft. The Ravens had just selected his former defensive tackle running mate at Texas A&M in Madubuike, reuniting the paid in Baltimore. After the third day, he became one of the bigger losers on the roster.
The Ravens picked up Broderick Washington in the fifth round, adding another defensive tackle to the mix. That makes nine players on the defensive line, including five at defensive tackle. It seems very unlikely Baltimore carries that number into the regular season, which puts the bullseye immediately on Mack’s back.
Mack didn’t showcase a lot in his rookie season. The man they call “Mack Truck” was a gameday inactive all but one week, earning just nine defensive snaps. Mack was then placed on injured reserve in November, ending his rookie season before it ever really began.
While Mack was a productive college player and he’s had a very limited opportunity to prove himself, adding two more defensive linemen makes it very hard for him to make the cut this year. Mack will need a stellar training camp in order to keep his roster spot but even that might not be enough if someone else steps up too.
Winner: WR Miles Boykin
Boykin’s playing time was greatly tied to what the Ravens did in the 2020 NFL Draft. Though Baltimore took Duvernay in the third round and Proche in the sixth, it seems as though Boykin has gotten a vote of confidence here.
The Ravens could have gone up and gotten a first-round wide receiver like CeeDee Lamb, Henry Ruggs III or Jerry Jeudy. It would have cost them a bit in draft capital to make it happen but they would have immediately upgraded at the position. Instead, they took complementary pieces that shouldn’t really eat into Boykin’s playing time unless he struggles.
Loser: RB Gus Edwards and RB Justice Hill
With the Ravens selecting J.K. Dobbins at pick 55, it created a dilemma that will need to be sorted out before the regular season starts.
Mark Ingram, Gus Edwards, and Justice Hill made up Baltimore’s running back corps, helping the Ravens break the NFL’s rushing record in 2019. Adding a talented back in Dobbins should help Baltimore be even more dangerous on offense, but it creates complications for the younger backs.
Edwards and Hill have been good complementary pieces on the Ravens’ offense. Edwards has been particularly impressive, as he started for Baltimore towards the back half of the 2018 season and improved his game in 2019. Hill also contributed but in a much more limited role, as expected for a rookie. Most expected the team to roll with what worked in 2019 for the 2020 season, but with Dobbins now in the fold, the Ravens have an interesting decision to make.
Keeping four running backs on the roster seems difficult given the depth the team has on the defensive line, wide receiver, quarterback and in the secondary. That likely means one of the four running backs isn’t going to make the cut. Can they trade either Edwards or Hill? If not, which one ends up getting released? It will be a tough decision to make.
Winner: OLB Tyus Bowser and OLB Jaylon Ferguson
Much like Boykin, Tyus Bowser and Jaylon Ferguson are two young players who were watching the 2020 NFL Draft closely. But with the Ravens not choosing a single outside linebacker in their 10 draft picks, it signaled Baltimore’s confidence in the two pass rushers to continue to develop and come on strong for 2020.
Many had speculated the Ravens would invest in a pass rusher early in the 2020 NFL Draft. It’s a strategy that would have made tons of sense, considering the lack of one-on-one pressure from the group last season and Matthew Judon only on a franchise tag deal. With prospects Yetur Gross-Matos, A.J. Epenesa, Julian Okwara, Josh Uche, and others still on the board, Baltimore had their options if they wanted to go that way with their first three picks.
With the Ravens picking up no pass rushers in the 2020 NFL Draft, it points to a clearer path for both Bowser and Ferguson to get playing time. Though a veteran could be added in the second wave of free agency, even that won’t really jeopardize either players’ roster spot. Both will be given a chance to compete for a starting role and both should get meaningful snaps this season.
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