The Baltimore Ravens are on a roll right now. Having won seven-straight games and looking like the best team in the NFL, all eyes are on Baltimore. But part of what makes the Ravens such a consistently great franchise is that they continuously look forward. So while they sit at 9-2 and are fighting for the top seed in the AFC playoff picture, expect scouts and general manager Eric DeCosta to already be paying some attention to the 2020 NFL draft.
Luke Easterling of Draft Wire is also starting to look at how the 2020 NFL draft could play out. In a four-round mock draft, Easterling has Baltimore grabbing Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor with the 30th pick in the first round.
“This rushing attack is already dangerous, but Mark Ingram won’t be around forever, so the Ravens should be targeting a potential replacement sooner than later. Justice Hill is a promising change-of-pace back, but Taylor’s complete skill set and physical running style would be too perfect to pass up here.”
Easterling has three running backs coming off the board in the first round, which seems unlikely. Though Baltimore is certainly proving a potent rushing attack can still be deadly in the NFL, pretty much the entire league has focused on high-flying aerial attacks instead. But if the board does play out this way, Baltimore would be getting Easterling’s second running back of the night and a good fit for their scheme.
As noted, Ingram is towards the tail end of his career. Though he’s having a career season with the Ravens, Ingram will turn 30 later this season. If Baltimore is smart, they’ll be looking for his eventual replacement as the power back between the tackles. And that’s where Taylor excels.
Still, with Ingram and Hill still under contract and Gus Edwards set to be an exclusive-rights free agent (effectively keeping him on the roster if the Ravens want him next year), I’m not sure if Baltimore has to spend their first-round pick on a running back with the future in mind. If Taylor is a guy they absolutely love, the Ravens have shown they’ll use a first-round pick and bring him into the fold slowly but really good running backs can often be found in the middle rounds where they’re a better value.
Click on the next page to see who Baltimore grabs with their other selections.
With the No. 61 pick in the second round, the Ravens go with offensive lineman Ben Bredeson from Michigan. Projected to play at guard, Bredeson fits the mold of linemen Baltimore typically likes. He’s noted for his mean streak in the run game and is pretty technically sound in pass protection.
With Marshal Yanda not committing to playing in 2020, Bredeson could be an immediate starter if the job were to open up. At the very least, he’d likely be in the competition for the starting role.
With the No. 94 overall pick in the third round, Easterling has the Ravens getting Alabama edge defender Anfernee Jennings.
With outside linebacker Matthew Judon set to hit free agency this offseason and the roster thin at pass rusher outside of him, I’d expect Baltimore to address this far sooner than the third round. But Jennings would be a solid pick here and could offer up some immediate value as a situational pass rusher as a rookie.
With the 15th overall pick, in the fourth round, Easterling’s mock draft has the Ravens adding to their wide receiver corps with Michigan’s Nico Collins.
At 6-foot-4 and 222 pounds, Collins would certainly fit the prototype Baltimore has typically looked for in mid-round receivers. Being a big-bodied weapon with good hands, Collins could be an interesting outside receiver. However, with some experience playing in the slot at Michigan, Collins could fit into the Ravens’ scheme as a first-down machine and valuable red-zone asset as well.
