The 2020 NFL Combine is finished and we have a better idea of where prospects will go come the 2020 NFL Draft. As draft boards for teams and analysts begin to change given the results of the NFL Combine, we can better figure out which players should be available to the Baltimore Ravens when they’re on the clock.
I used mock draft simulators from both FanSpeak and The Draft Network, which actually saw the same players fall right into my lap. So we have our first double-confirmed mock draft of the offseason folks.
You better believe defensive coordinator Don Martindale would love life if things worked out this way. He’d get two weapons he could plug and play just about anywhere on the field, especially in his blitz-heavy scheme. After getting a new deal this offseason, 2020 is looking mighty good for Martindale.
Let’s take a closer look at who I grabbed for the Ravens in the first and second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
1st round (No. 28): S Xavier McKinney, Alabama
I know that safety is pretty low down on Baltimore’s list of needs this offseason. But when a guy falls to the Ravens, they have a tendency to take him, especially if it’s a defensive back. In this mock draft, the top safety prospect fell right to me and I just couldn’t say no.
McKinney won’t start as a rookie but that hasn’t stopped Baltimore in the past, most notably when they picked cornerback Marlon Humphrey in the 2017 NFL Draft. He’ll get some time on the field in 2020 but as a primary backup to Chuck Clark and Earl Thomas. Where things get exciting though is 2021 when after having him sit and learn under Thomas, the Ravens could part ways with Thomas’ large cap hit ($6 million cap savings, according to OTC) and turn to the younger and cheaper option.
McKinney is a smart player, has good acceleration, is a thumper when he tackles and is a ball hawk (five interceptions over the last two seasons at Alabama). Given the type of guys Baltimore has plugged in at safety over the years (Eric Weddle, Thomas, Clark, Ed Reed), McKinney is clearly their type of player.
2nd round (No. 60): EDGE John Uche, Michigan
Getting a player who will be a starter as a rookie from the second round is a hard task which makes finding such a prospect a huge win for any team in any draft. I found that exact player for Baltimore at a position of need, which makes this a steal.
Uche is still raw after not getting much playing time at Michigan until his senior year. However, his physical talent is apparent when you watch his tape which brings thoughts of tremendous upside with some more development. I also want to point out that Jim Harbaugh being Michigan’s coach could give the Ravens a better idea of Uche’s talent level than most other teams will get.
Still, as a rookie, Uche likely gets the starting nod for Baltimore given their lack of depth at outside linebacker. He’s speedy enough to handle early downs as an edge setter and drop back into coverage while being quick and explosive as a pass rusher — either inside or outside. He’s the type of guy you ask to go get the football and let his instincts and aggression figure the rest out.
Under defensive coordinator Don Martindale, Uche would be thrown all over the field as a weapon in his rookie year to create havoc for an offense. And Uche couldn’t ask for a better situation than the Ravens and Martindale to help him develop into a Pro Bowl player down the line.
