What Could 'Best Player Available' Look Like?
By now, the Ravens' draft needs have been well documented, but there's no consensus among pundits on what direction they'll go with the 27th-overall pick (if they even pick there).
"We know General Manager Eric DeCosta has always preached 'best player available'" The Baltimore Sun's Childs Walker wrote. "With so much activity set to unfold before the Ravens pick at No. 27 overall, we can't say with any certainty they'll pick a wide receiver over an edge rusher or a future starting tackle over either one."
The Baltimore Sun's Jonas Shaffer looked at prospects the Ravens could target in the early to middle rounds of the draft as the best players available. In this instance, we're focused on the first round.
After taking Patrick Queen in the first round last year, Shaffer highlighted Tulsa linebacker Zaven Collins as a surprise pick Baltimore could make.
"The Ravens took Queen in the first round a year ago," Shaffer wrote. "They re-signed fellow starter L.J. Fort this month. They're well stocked with young up-and-comers, including 2019 third-round pick Malik Harrison. Ignoring their deficiencies on defense to take another inside linebacker in the first round would be bold.
"Unless, maybe, Collins is still on the board. If Queen is lightning, the 6-foot-5, 259-pound Collins is rolling thunder, another freakish force that can hit from anywhere. In just eight games last season, he had four interceptions, returning two for touchdowns. In just 51 pass-rush snaps, he had four sacks. While Collins has said he feels most comfortable as an off-ball linebacker, his size and jack-of-all-trades skill set would make him a fascinating chess piece in a defense as creative as Don 'Wink' Martindale's."
Even with pressing needs, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Ravens load up on a position that's not a top-tier need, if the right player is available. Remember when they selected Marlon Humphrey in the first round in 2017 after signing Tony Jefferson and Brandon Carr in the same offseason?
"The Ravens selection was a surprise to many pundits who thought the Ravens would go to a more prominent need," Ebony Bird's Chris Schisler wrote. "The Ravens weren't focused on their most pressing need. They loved Humphrey and he ended up becoming a cornerstone to everything the team was doing.
"The Ravens technically didn't need J.K. Dobbins when they selected him in the second round last year. Is anybody complaining about the pick? No."
While Schisler believes the Ravens should have urgency to attack their needs early in the draft, their current roster construction doesn't mean they have to be locked into a certain prospect.
"The more a team has figured out the more they can look for a game-changer," Schisler wrote. "The Ravens aren't looking to fill a lot of blank spaces on the depth chart. They're looking for a player they can't pass up."
April 14, 2021 at 08:33PM
https://ift.tt/3uK1mBC
Late for Work 4/14: Don't Count Out 'Best Player Available' In the First Round - BaltimoreRavens.com
https://ift.tt/2VuKK1x
Work
No comments:
Post a Comment