We’re past the first big wave of NFL free agency for 2020. Big trades have been pulled off, signings have been made and the league has announced the compensatory picks for the 2020 NFL Draft. All that’s left now is what will happen on draft day.
With all the comp picks in place and free agency changing major needs for most teams, Luke Easterling of Draft Wire put together a four-round mock draft. Easterling has the Ravens filling their major needs and getting some solid value along the way.
Here’s who he has the Ravens taking with those seven picks in the 2020 NFL Draft.
1st round (No. 28): RB Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin
While I still don’t buy that the Ravens will grab a running back this early, Easterling’s reasoning is pretty sound for grabbing Taylor here. For one, Taylor is a much better player than his late first-round draft status would indicate, making him a solid value. Secondly, it does fill one of Baltimore’s eventual needs with Mark Ingram now over 30 years old and Edwards on a one-year ERFA deal.
With bigger needs for the Ravens at wide receiver, linebacker and pass rusher still remaining, Baltimore might be better going after guys like Yetur Gross-Matos, Justin Jefferson or Patrick Queen, who were all still on the board at No. 28.
2nd round (No. 55): OL Solomon Kindley, Georgia
After the retirement of Marshal Yanda this offseason, interior offensive line became a far more pressing need for the Ravens. While they already have someone on the roster that could replace Yanda in Ben Powers, history points to Baltimore wanting a competition for the job. Grabbing a talented offensive lineman is never a bad idea anyway, especially considering how much the Ravens run the football.
Kindley sounds like a great eventual heir for Yanda as well. In his scouting report for Draft Wire, Jacob Infante specifically calls out Kindley’s power as a strength. As a big-bodied lineman with excellent strength and a hard-nosed attitude to playing the position, Kindley brings that road grading play Baltimore loves from their interior offensive linemen.
2nd round (No. 60): WR Brandon Aiyuk, Arizona State
If the Ravens want to mimic what the Kansas City Chiefs did on offense, Aiyuk would be a great addition to their current young core of wide receivers. Aiyuk has plenty of speed and he’s shifty in open space underneath, which is the perfect addition to Marquise Brown.
While I think Baltimore needs a strong-handed possession receiver more than another speed guy, speed kills in the NFL and more explosive receiving options for quarterback Lamar Jackson is never a bad thing. Aiyuk should get meaningful snaps as a rookie while being a potential replacement for Willie Snead after 2020 when Snead becomes a free agent.
With the Ravens’ clear desire to patch up their defense this offseason, linebackers Zack Baun and Malik Harrison were also on the board and should be considerations as well here.
3rd round (No. 92) EDGE Josh Uche, Michigan
Uche is a great addition here, giving the Ravens another young pass rusher and is a fantastic value in the third round. He’s an athletic outside linebacker who can quickly get around the edge to harass quarterbacks while having the agility and experience to drop back into coverage.
Where Uche falls down as a prospect is in his run defense, which will likely keep him from being a three-down player as a rookie, according to Infante’s scouting report on Draft Wire. But with the physical traits to handle the responsibility, it seems like he can develop into the role over time rather than not being able to do it at all.
Uche would get immediate playing time opposite Judon and could be his eventual replacement once he develops into a three-down outside linebacker in another year or two.
Though the Ravens took a running back in the first round in this mock draft, Clyde Edwards-Helaire was still on the board and might be a better value at this point in the draft than Taylor in the first round.
3rd round (No. 106): DB Shyheim Carter, Alabama
Carter brings versatility to the table, which is something the Ravens covet in their secondary. The more guys that can play multiple roles allows defensive coordinator Don Martindale to be more flexible with what matchups he creates and what packages he can use.
As a small but smart defensive back, Carter likely fits in best as a hybrid safety and slot defender than playing on the outside. The Ravens used cornerback Brandon Carr in a similar role last season, utilizing his experience as a cornerback to throw him into more coverage responsibilities as a safety.
With Tavon Young going on injured reserve last season with a neck injury, drafting another slot defender here is a smart move that gives Baltimore some much-needed depth inside. Safety is also one of the Ravens’ long-term needs, so Carter fills two pretty big roles right off the bat.
With no inside linebacker taken yet, Mississippi State linebacker Willie Gay Jr. could be a good option here as well. While not an immediate starter in my eyes, inside linebacker is a far bigger need for Baltimore and Gay would give them some more depth with a ton of upside.
4th round (No. 129): WR Lynn Bowden, Jr., Kentucky
Bowden might be the most intriguing prospect in the 2020 NFL Draft. While he moved to quarterback in 2019, he projects more as a hybrid of a running back and wide receiver in the NFL. While not the most polished wide receiver in this draft, he might have the most upside as a slash player in the type of offense the Ravens run.
Bowden is fast, with a reported 4.38-second 40-yard dash time according to his high school coach Steven Arnold, per HailVarsity.com. Given his body type (5-foot-11 and 204 pounds), Bowden would look best as a slot receiver that can make things happen after the catch. He’s tough to bring down and has good vision to go with his speed, making him a big-play option in the middle of the field.
However, with Bowden seeing a position change, he isn’t very polished as a route runner and has a high fumble rate. Given his fourth-round draft status, Bowden clearly is a project that can be thrown on the field in specific packages to take advantage of his athleticism as a rookie. But he seems like a boom-or-bust type of prospect.
If the Ravens wanted a more polished but less athletic receiver, Quintez Cephus was still on the board at this point. Cephus has better hands, is a better route runner and still offers positive yardage after the catch thanks to his physicality but isn’t as electric or have as much upside.
4th round (No. 134): LB Chris Orr, Wisconsin
The brother of former Ravens linebacker Zach Orr, there’s a tie here that might have Baltimore more interested than other teams. Just like his brother, Orr is a smart and versatile linebacker that is a little undersized but still packs a punch when he tackles.
Orr’s 4.65-second 40-yard dash at Wisconsin’s pro day is solid and points to him being able to handle limited coverage duties, though I wouldn’t expect him to do much of that early in his career in the NFL. But his ability to stuff the run and rush the quarterback is where Orr could find meaningful snaps quickly with the Ravens.
Much like Zach Orr, Chris Orr looks like a good developmental option that will take a few years to get into a starting role but be solid when he gets there.
