The Baltimore Ravens didn’t finish their season where they hoped, falling short in the NFL playoffs to the Tennessee Titans. Now holding the No. 28 pick in the 2020 NFL draft, the Ravens will have to make the most of a bad situation and hopefully plug one of their holes.
Former Ravens college scout and current NFL.com draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah believes Baltimore will go back to their roots. In his first mock draft of the season, Jeremiah has the Ravens selecting Oklahoma linebacker Kenneth Murray.
“The Ravens love shopping at Oklahoma. Murray is a dynamic athlete, and Baltimore needs an upgrade at the linebacker position.”
While the Ravens used to be all about Alabama players, the 2019 NFL draft pointed to that trend changing under new general manager Eric DeCosta. Of their eight picks last offseason, two were from Oklahoma, including first-round wide receiver Marquise Brown.
Murray is an intriguing prospect that seemingly fits exactly what the Ravens do perfectly. He’s a fast and physical linebacker who is great against the run and can drop into coverage. But he’s also a capable blitzer who can knife between linemen and get into the backfield in a flash.
Baltimore needs help at inside linebacker with both Josh Bynes and Patrick Onwuasor among their 21 pending free agents. But under defensive coordinator Don Martindale, the Ravens absolutely love to blitz from anywhere on the field, leading the league in blitz percentages this season. A player of Murray’s capability there would be a huge bonus for Martindale and Baltimore’s defense.
