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The Baltimore Ravens’ draft board has been mostly set for several days, but general manager Eric DeCosta conceded recently that some tweaks will be made up until Thursday’s first round.
Speculating at how the Ravens rank the prospects from their top areas of need (offensive line, edge rusher, wide receiver and cornerback) is an exercise in futility. DeCosta and the team disguise their draft intentions so much — and are not against throwing out some smoke screens — that it’s always hard to get a good read on their targets.
Taking into account their needs, the location of their picks, pre-draft meetings and drafting history, below is a look at some players who could interest Baltimore each day. It’s not meant to be conclusive.
Day 1
(The Ravens have one pick in the first round at No. 30)
Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa: The Ravens love versatile defensive backs, and DeJean can play outside, in the slot and he can play safety. He’s a physical tackler, explosive blitzer and a ball hawk with seven college interceptions and three pick sixes. DeJean is also a dangerous return man. The Ravens love Iowa players, too.
Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma: Guyton (6-foot-7, 328 pounds) has an extremely high ceiling due to his athleticism and range. He didn’t play a ton of college football, so he has plenty of developing to do. Yet, the physical attributes are all there and he’d be a nice solution to Baltimore’s right tackle vacancy.
Baltimore could use a tackle such as Tyler Guyton along the O-line after trading Morgan Moses to the New York Jets. (Denny Medley / USA Today)
Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama: The last time the Ravens picked a cornerback in the first round was Marlon Humphrey in 2017. Humphrey also went to Alabama. Smart, athletic and durable, McKinstry plays with strong fundamentals and discipline. He doesn’t have elite speed, but his length, competitiveness and technique should allow him to play a major role from the jump.
Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia: In a similar boat as Guyton, Mims started just eight games in college and battled some injuries. At 6-foot-7 and 330 pounds, he has ideal size and length for an NFL right tackle. He also plays with power and awareness. It would be a surprise if he was still available at No. 30.
Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas: Big (6-foot-4, 192 pounds) and fast (4.34 40-yard dash time), Mitchell can challenge defenses in every quadrant of the field. He averaged 15.4 yards per reception at Texas and totaled 18 touchdowns in 35 college games. Mitchell started his career at Georgia, where he played under current Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken.
Jordan Morgan, OT/G, Arizona: Arguably the best of the second-tier offensive tackle options, Morgan is probably the player most often connected to the Ravens in mock drafts. He’s not a mauler at 6-foot-4 and 312 pounds, but he’s athletic and plays with good footwork and fundamentals. He was mostly a left tackle at Arizona.
Jer’Zhan Newton, DL, Illinois: The Ravens don’t have a strong need for an interior defensive lineman, but Newton could be the classic best player available pick. A two-time All-American at Illinois, Newton is undersized at 6-foot-1 and 304 pounds, but he plays with notable power, quickness and explosiveness. He had 13 sacks and 22 1/2 tackles for loss over his final two college seasons.
Chop Robinson, OLB, Penn State: A Gaithersburg, Md., native, Robinson is an intriguing mix of speed, explosiveness and power. At 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, he has room to grow, too. He was a hot name in the pre-draft process, and it doesn’t appear that teams are overly concerned about his modest college production (11 1/2 sacks in 30 games).
Darius Robinson, OLB, Missouri: At 6-foot-5, 285 pounds, Darius Robinson is a physical specimen. He also had solid production in his final college season with 8 1/2 sacks and 14 tackles for loss. Robinson, who can rush on the edge and then move inside in sub packages, had a top-30 visit with the Ravens.
Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson: The Ravens have a type for early-round corners. They love long and athletic cornerbacks who can run, and that’s Wiggins. He’s 6-foot-2, 185 pounds and clocked a 4.28 time in the 40-yard dash. Wiggins allowed only one catch over 20 yards in his final college season. He also had two defensive touchdowns and a blocked kick.
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Day 2
(The Ravens have one pick in the second round at No. 62 and one pick in the third at No. 93)
Austin Booker, OLB, Kansas: Booker was a subpackage player and didn’t log a ton of college snaps, so most evaluations of him start with his potential. He lacks bulk at 6-foot-4, 253 pounds, but he’s a good athlete and has a solid pass-rushing plan. He had eight sacks last year despite starting only one game. He was at the Ravens’ facility for a top-30 visit.
Brandon Coleman, OT/G, TCU: Dane Brugler, The Athletic’s lead draft analyst, wrote this on Coleman: “He looks and plays like a brawler.” Coleman is 6-foot-4 and 313 pounds and uses his size best in the run game. He played both tackle and guard in college, so he offers positional flexibility.
Malachi Corley, WR, Western Kentucky: He’s so dynamic with the ball in his hands that he’s garnered the nickname, “The YAC King.” Corley is an all-purpose threat who made a living in college on screens and quick-hitter passes. Corley had 22 touchdowns over his final two college seasons. He was one of the Ravens’ top-30 visits.
Blake Corum, RB, Michigan: Corum went to high school in Baltimore and played at Michigan, both factors making him an intriguing fit for the Ravens. He’s also the type of hard-running and decisive back the team covets. It seems more likely the Ravens will draft a running back on Day 3, but Corum would be an interesting midround selection.
Blake Fisher, OT, Notre Dame: A big (6-foot-5, 310 pounds) and athletic blocker with long arms and quick feet, Fisher has the chance to step in and start as a rookie. He has the type of measurables that teams look for, and he competes at a very high level. He was prone to lapses at times and needs to stay on top of his technique.
Christian Haynes, G, Connecticut: Haynes, a Bowie, Md., native, is considered a plug-and-play guard who could come off the board earlier than expected. The 6-foot-2, 317-pounder moves well in space, is fundamentally sound and loves finishing blocks. He’s also durable, starting every game over his final four college seasons.
Kamren Kinchens, S, Miami: His ball production jumps off the page. In his final two seasons with Miami, he had 11 interceptions and 11 pass breakups. He doesn’t have elite speed or athleticism, but he has a knack for making plays and being in the right place at the right time. He’d be a nice fit for the Ravens’ open No. 3 safety role.
Kamren Kinchens had 11 interceptions, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries over his final two seasons at Miami. (Megan Briggs / Getty Images)
Max Melton, CB, Rutgers: His stock seemed to rise in the pre-draft process, and it’s easy to see why. He’s long (5-foot-11 and 187 pounds), fast (ran a 4.39 40-yard dash at the combine), has really good ball skills (eight interceptions, four fumble recoveries and 22 pass breakups), can play both inside and outside, and he’s really good on special teams.
Malik Mustapha, S, Wake Forest: The ex-Demon Deacon doesn’t have ideal size (5-foot-10, 209 pounds) or length. He, however, fits the Ravens’ defensive mold because of his physical and aggressive style. Mustapha is strong against the run and disciplined in coverage. He’d be a core special-teamer from the jump.
Ja’Lynn Polk, WR, Washington: Another pre-draft Ravens visitor, Polk caught 69 passes for 1,159 yards, averaged 16.8 yards per reception and scored 10 touchdowns in his final college season. He’s not a burner, but he has really good hands and plays to his 6-foot-1, 203-pound size by winning jump balls and making contested catches.
Mike Sainristil, CB, Michigan: The Ravens have a far bigger need at outside cornerback than in the slot, where they bring back Arthur Maulet, Ar’Darius Washington and Damarion Williams. At 5-foot-9 and 183 pounds, Sainristil figures to be a slot cornerback in the NFL. Still, from ball skills (six interceptions last year) to instincts to toughness, Sainristil checks a lot of boxes for teams.
Kingsley Suamataia, OT, BYU: Suamataia played both left and right tackle in college and possesses a nice combination of size (6-foot-4, 329 pounds) and athleticism. There are questions about how high his ceiling is and how he’ll handle speed rushers at the next level. With so many teams needing tackles, Suamataia could get pushed up some boards.
Devontez Walker, WR, North Carolina: Walker is another wide receiver prospect who would diversify the Ravens’ pass-catching group with his size (6-foot-1, 193 pounds) and speed (4.36 40-yard dash). He’s a long strider who has shown an ability to create separation and get behind defenses. He averaged 16.8 yards per reception in his final college season.
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Day 3
(The Ravens have two picks in the fourth round at Nos. 113 and 130; one pick in the fifth and sixth rounds at Nos. 165 and 218; and two picks in the seventh round at Nos. 228 and 250)
Braelon Allen, RB, Wisconsin: Frequently connected to the Ravens in the pre-draft process, Allen rushed for just under 3,500 yards and had 35 touchdowns in three college seasons. He also became more involved in the Badgers’ passing game. He’s the youngest player in this draft class and doesn’t turn 21 until January 2025. Fumbling was an issue at Wisconsin.
Javon Baker, WR, UCF: An Alabama transfer, Baker ranked second in the FBS in yards per reception (21.9) in his final college season. Baker had issues with drops and consistency, but his size (6-foot-1, 202 pounds), athleticism and ball-tracking ability make him an intriguing prospect.
Tanor Bortolini, C/G, Wisconsin: Bortolini played nearly every offensive line position except left tackle at Wisconsin. A smart and fundamentally sound player, Bortolini could wind up as a full-time center in the NFL. The Ravens lost their backup center Sam Mustipher in free agency, and they could use more depth at the position.
Khristian Boyd, DT, Northern Iowa: A top-30 visitor at the Ravens’ facility, Boyd didn’t put up much in the way of pass-rushing numbers at Northern Iowa. His career high was 3 1/2 sacks, which he had in two different college seasons. But the 6-foot-2, 329-pound nose tackle has some pass-rushing traits and is stout against the run.
Jermaine Burton, WR, Alabama: Burton started his college career at Georgia, where he crossed paths with Monken. A two-year starter at Alabama, Burton combines excellent speed with good body control to make tough catches. He didn’t put up big numbers in college, but NFL teams are excited about his potential.
Audric Estime, RB, Notre Dame: The 5-foot-11, 222-pound back can hurt teams with his physicality, speed and vision. He also showed a knack for finding the end zone with 29 touchdowns over his final two college seasons. Estime loves getting downhill, which would make him a nice fit in Baltimore’s bruising running game.
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Khyree Jackson, CB, Oregon: The Alabama transfer made a lot of strides in his final college season, leading the Ducks with three interceptions and 10 pass breakups to go along with two sacks and five tackles for losses. A Prince George’s County, Md., native, Jackson has a lot of developing to do, but his size, skill set and swagger make him an intriguing prospect.
Mohamed Kamara, OLB, Colorado State: Despite lacking ideal size (6-foot-1, 248 pounds) and length, Kamara could go higher than most pundits expect. You can’t argue with his production, as he had 13 sacks and 17 tackles for loss in his final college season. He’s a high-effort guy who could bring some juice as a situational rusher.
Jordan Magee, LB, Temple: Born in Towson, Md., Magee met with the Ravens during the pre-draft process. He’s on the smaller side at 6-foot-1 and 228 pounds, and he’ll have to prove he can shed blocks at the next level. However, he was around the ball a lot at Temple and plays with speed and range. He’d be a special teams contributor immediately.
Mason McCormick, G, South Dakota State: At 6-foot-4 and 309 pounds, McCormick is a mauler in the run game. While there might be questions about the level of competition he faced in college, McCormick started the final 57 games of his career and played in 70 total. He’s a developmental guard who might not have to wait long to hear his name called on Day 3.
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Tykee Smith, S, Georgia: Another smaller safety who plays bigger than his 5-foot-10, 202-pound size, Smith is an instinctual player who finds a way to make impactful plays. In his final collegiate season, he had four interceptions, 8 1/2 tackles for loss, two sacks and four pass breakups. The Ravens covet smart and physical defensive backs.
Qwan’Tez Stiggers, CB, CFL: Stiggers, who did not play college football but got himself on the draft radar with an impressive season for the Toronto Argonauts in the CFL, has been a source of great curiosity from NFL teams — if his extensive list of pre-draft visits is any indication. Those visits include one hosted by the Ravens. He’s understandably raw, but he’s a long, athletic cornerback with good ball skills and an aggressive mentality.
Caedan Wallace, OT, Penn State: He was a four-year starter at Penn State, exclusively playing right tackle. He’s a good athlete at 6-foot-4 and 314 pounds, and he moves pretty well. An NFL team may find that he’s a better fit inside. He has some upside because of his athleticism and physicality.
(Top photo of Nate Wiggins: Ken Ruinard / USA Today)
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