The Baltimore Ravens have wrapped up the 2020 NFL Draft, taking 10 players over the seven rounds. While they filled several of their needs, Baltimore clearly wasn’t afraid to go off script and pick up players they liked at positions with depth in place already.
Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta moved both back and forth in the 2020 NFL Draft to marry both value and need. With undrafted free agents being signed and the second wave of free agency starting on Monday when players no longer count against the compensatory pick formula, Baltimore will look to further bolster their roster ahead of the regular season.
But where do the Ravens need to focus most of their energy? Let’s take a closer look at each of Baltimore’s remaining needs.
Outside linebacker
The Ravens didn’t add a single pass rusher in the 2020 NFL Draft. Though that might mean Baltimore believes in their young guys Tyus Bowser and Jaylon Ferguson, it more likely means no one was a good enough value in the draft to take. Considering it was a pretty weak class at the position overall, it’s probably more of the latter than the former.
There are some players already on the free-agent market that could bolster the Ravens’ depth chart at outside linebacker. With some more potentially getting added following the 2020 NFL Draft, Baltimore should be able to address this need quickly while still letting Bowser and Ferguson get a shot.
Offensive tackle depth
So often fans only look at what group could use a starter and while fair, it’s a problem waiting to happen. Just as the Ravens’ lack of depth at offensive tackle. For all the talk about building up depth at guard following Marshal Yanda’s retirement, not enough discussion has happened about their tackle situation.
Baltimore has Pro Bowlers at both left and right tackle in Ronnie Stanley and Orlando Brown Jr., so they’re not looking for a starting option. But with Andre Smith as the only tackle on the roster behind them, even a minor injury to the starting group could be disastrous.
Just imagine how the offense would function with Stanley out. Left guard Bradley Bozeman would have a very tough time even if Smith can handle his own. And you better believe Baltimore’s opponent is going to send extra pressure on that left side, which means running that way is going to be tougher and quarterback Lamar Jackson is far more liable to get drilled by a blindside hit.
Far too many bad things can happen if either Stanley or Brown goes down and the Ravens don’t have more of a backup plan.
Tight end
So much of Baltimore’s offense goes through the tight ends. From blocking to receiving, even to lining up in the backfield, the Ravens utilize their tight ends to an extent few other NFL teams do. And while they have both Nick Boyle and Mark Andrews, which is a great setup, the trade of Hayden Hurst to the Atlanta Falcons leaves them a little short. Considering Hurst received 41% of the offense’s snaps last season, that’s a lot to make up.
Baltimore has Charles Scarff on the roster currently and they’ve added more help in the way of UDFAs but the Ravens undoubtedly want a little more competition for the third spot. Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end O.J. Howard is said to be on the trading block or a free-agent tight end could add some cheap experience to the training camp competition.
Cornerback depth
Former Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome once said teams can never have too many cornerbacks and it’s a philosophy that has only grown more apt every year. Baltimore’s got good depth on the outside with Jimmy Smith, Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters. But it’s inside that things get a little more questionable.
Slot cornerback Tavon Young missed all last season with a neck injury, making it the second season in his four-year career that he’s missed an entire year due to injury. To count on Young for a full 16 games could be an exercise in frustration for a team that is so stout everywhere else on defense. Behind him isn’t much better with a mish-mash of unproven talent after the Ravens declined Brandon Carr’s option.
Carr is still an option to come back on a more cap-friendly deal. And in the cuts following the 2020 NFL Draft, the free-agent market is going to get an influx of talent Baltimore can tap into. But finding an experienced slot corner is undoubtedly on the Ravens’ list of things to address before Week 1.
