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2021 Post-Draft Discussion Thread

Which Day 3 Pick was your favourite?


  • Total voters
    27
Honestly, I don't quite understand most of our picks.

Bateman is an obvious value pick at one position of need. Nothing to say.

Oweh is a big jump in the dark, considering we had no shot at one other decent Edge (Ojulari/Basham) until late 3rd.
So, while I get the need to take a risk, I can't get myself to love our choice yet.

Cleveland.. A huge human being who will hardly get involved in pulls.. I question the fit more than the talent.

Stephens.. Massive head scratcher

Wallace looks like a 1 speed kinda WR. No shiftiness, no acceleration. I don't know how that's any improvement over Duverney/Proche.

Wade the biggest boom or burst of the entire class maybe.
In the 5th,I guess you can afford it.

Hayes is one I like. Very active hands and very natural playing the run/disengaging.
The ceiling might be an issue cause he struggles to close the angles as he has limited bend. But I like it.

Mason. We've got Andrews as pass catching TE. Boyle, Pat as movable pieces (either inline blockers or pulling, or running flats). Idk what we'd draft him for other than ST.
Backfield (DK, Gus, Hill) is full anyway.
If we had to waste a pick, waste it to improve competition at one position of need, I say (Forsythe, Roche?).
 

ndub

Ravens Ring of Honor
Overall I think I'm happy with this draft. I don't know who's going to pan out, but we put enough resources into receiver for someone to stick, we added a first round edge, and between Zeitler and Cleveland I hope we added enough to cement the iOL. The late-round DBs are projects, but that's a luxury teams with good rosters like ours can take on.

The only thing missing is a tackle, but you have to figure that the FO never liked the value where they were picking. Hopefully we get good news on that tomorrow. Outside of that, there are no glaring holes on the team, and we (in theory) greatly improved our biggest weakness.

Hey, according to genius Ademe, our two secondary players will be HOF because they won’t necessarily need to play their rookie year
 

ndub

Ravens Ring of Honor
Very happy with the draft. Mixing high motors with top potential always makes for an interesting, and usually successful, draft. We got players at positions of need and we got our number 1 WR finally.

Think some are still salty that we didn’t take Jenkins lmao
 

drjohnnyfever

Pro Bowler
Can't wait to see the two WR's on the field. Can't wait to see Oweh on the field. Can't wait to see Cleveland make everyone on the field look like a dwarf. His tape is hilarious. Those excite me the most. The others are very interesting and have a lot of potential if they are coached up.

As I think most of us said, this draft had to be one of the most difficult to plan out and grade with the covid. There's a lot of boom or bust potential, but I think they were right to rely more on what they saw in 2019 than in 2020. That seems like good strategy to me. Hopefully, we made a bunch of hits.
 

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
Yeah, these 2 are SPECIAL at what they do, their roles aren’t the sexiest but my god if lead blockers and dumpoff catchers had the slightest chance to make the HOF then both of these guys do it at a hall of fame level lol. And they’re on the same team, on the most exotic power rushing scheme we’ve ever seen, it’s a perfect union, those 2 on this team.

it’s a real long shot to think this guy can replicate either, you could replace Hayden hurt 100 times before you can replace pat ricard.

which is why this is probably an attempt to replace some of hurst's role from '19
 

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
Cleveland.. A huge human being who will hardly get involved in pulls.. I question the fit more than the talent.

i think he will pull - been watching him more - he's not as forceful through the contact when pulling as he is driving off the line but he always hits his aiming points and his length helps

it's also worth pointing out that we now have a C and a RG who can pull and candidates at LG to anchor a running game - we might see a slightly different bias to the running game
 

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
Very happy with the draft. Mixing high motors with top potential always makes for an interesting, and usually successful, draft. We got players at positions of need and we got our number 1 WR finally.

Think some are still salty that we didn’t take Jenkins lmao

If we get 3 starters out of the draft, then we did well - that's always the measure it seems...

We got 2 guys who will immediately contribute (Bateman and Oweh)
We got another guy who has a chance to winning a starting job for week 1 (Cleveland)

and that's just in year 1...

We got a rotational WR to add to the corps (with a chance to develop into a productive starter)
We got a rotational EDGE to add to the stable (with a chance to develop into a productive starter)
We got 2 DBs who are athletically gifted and if either of them hits then this draft instantly becomes a success

+ we got another DB as a udfa who's incredibly talented
 

RavensMania

Staff Member
Administrator
from Jesse Johnson, USA Today Grade A

Yawn. Another year, another great Ravens draft. There might be no other franchise with a front office and coaching staff in better sync, and Baltimore did it again. At his pre-draft press conference, general manager Eric DeCosta expressed displeasure at the characterization of his receiver group as less than stellar, but the proof is in the picking. The Ravens took Minnesota receiver Rashod Bateman with their first first-round pick, and Bateman projects well as the kind of tough, route-correct target the team hasn't had since Anquan Boldin. Then, the Ravens dipped into the receiver pool in the fourth round with Oklahoma State's Tylan Wallace, an underrate burner who can excel in the slot. Losing Matthew Judon and Yannick Ngakoue in free agency gave the team a real need for edge pressure, and Penn State's Osafe Oweh -- taken with the 31th overall pick the Ravens got in the Orlando Brown Jr. trade with the Chiefs -- can really shine in Baltimore's blitz-heavy fronts. If you're looking for a sleeper here, let's go with Ohio State's Shaun Wade, taken in the fifth round. Wade moved from slot to outside cornerback last season, and that didn't go well at all. But he could have a bright future as the kind of slot/safety hybrid so popular at both the NCAA and NFL levels. We also have to mention Georgia guard Ben Cleveland, the 6-foot-6, 354-pound behemoth the Ravens took in the third round. No mere fatty, Cleveland carries good weight and absolutely mauls in the run game. Between Cleveland and free-agent pickup Kevin Zeitler, nobody's going to want to deal with that guard combo when the Ravens are running gap -- which they do well and more often than any team in the league.
 

JoeyFlex5

Hall of Famer
I really hope to see Cleveland land a starting role as a rookie. If he does then I think we’ve got something good, he should be fun to watch
 

Simba

Staff Member
Moderator
I really hope to see Cleveland land a starting role as a rookie. If he does then I think we’ve got something good, he should be fun to watch

Id be kind of surprised if he didn’t honestly. Only thing that would prevent it is if Bozeman has some hiccups in the move back to C. But I can’t imagine Powers or Bredeson standing in his way. Powers was basically the last resort last year, played decently but not great, and they still wanted to upgrade.
 

JoeyFlex5

Hall of Famer
Id be kind of surprised if he didn’t honestly. Only thing that would prevent it is if Bozeman has some hiccups in the move back to C. But I can’t imagine Powers or Bredeson standing in his way. Powers was basically the last resort last year, played decently but not great, and they still wanted to upgrade.
Yeah I think it should be his job to lose, because I never bought in with powers or bredeson.
 

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
I'm finally gonna grade this class:

Bateman: A+
Value, need, fit. All couldn't be much more perfect. He's probably the best route-runner we've ever drafted. Certainly the best since I started watching the Ravens. Physical through the route, great releases, great hands, quick transition to runner after the catch. Home-run pick.
Oweh: B
This pick is exciting. The Ravens have never drafted anyone at the position with this kind of athleticism. He's raw, and there were other guys higher on my board when we picked him but there's an enormous upside to this pick and, again, he's a great fit within the scheme. The lack of refinement brings the grade down. But the freakish athleticism is a salivating prospect and unlike anyone we've drafted before.
Cleveland: B
Giant beast of a man. Nasty finisher. Another good testing athlete. Seems to mirror fairly well on tape but I do worry about his ability to move laterally as well as he moves linearly. Absolute road-grader at the line. Crushes on downblocks and works off of combos into the second level fairly well. Uses his length at times to make up for a lack of lateral agility. I do worry that he'll just end up joining the large group of backups that we have on the interior rather than standing out above the crowd. But he's got size, length and nastiness that the other candidates for the LG spot don't have.
Stephens: C
2 days ago, I wouldn't have been able to grade this pick at all. Seems like a project at DB. He moves and has traits that suggest he could be a press corner but he doesn't play well in press right now. He's super raw at corner. EDC said he could be a high level FS but without much tape, I find it hard to project that at all. What he does have are explosive qualities that show up in his ability to break on the ball and recover. Has good ball production and ball skills and is competitive through the catch. Those are good building blocks to work with at DB. But he's a big swing.
Tylan Wallace: A
Great value in the 4th round. Played mostly outside in college but got beaten up and re-routed a ton by press. Doesn't seem super explosive but hopefully he can get some explosion back now that he's getting further and further away from that injury he had. He's a really nice route-runner who sells well and is really efficient breaking horizontally and on underneath stuff coming back towards the QB. Dominant at the catch-point and plays much bigger than his size with great hands and great ability to adjust late. Probably projects to the slot early in his career. Hopefully he can work on his releases with Keith Williams.
Shaun Wade: B+
Probably the most boom or bust prospect on this list but in the 5th round the upside is amazing. Had a good 2019 in the slot. Had an awful 2020 on the outside. Not sure he has the fluidity to play slot full-time but in some sort of hybrid nickel/safety role he makes a ton of sense, especially with his effectiveness and good route-recognition in zone coverage with the play in front of him. Great athlete. Could be a massive steal. Could not even make it to week 1.
Daelin Hayes: B+
Classic Ravens OLB prospect. Day 3, athletically fine but not exciting. Versatile. Has a decent sized frame and length. Has some bend, some power, occasional explosive reps. Good hands and a reactive rusher with a plan and the ability to adjust mid-rep and attack the OL's leverage. Powerful hands and the ability to set the edge in the running game - or at least a clear ability to develop into a good edge setter. Confident and comfortable dropping into coverage. Not entirely dissimilar to Judon as a prospect.
Ben Mason: C
I like the player but I don't know what the plan is here. If it's to come in and compete for the TE3 spot then fine. If it's as a FB then I don't really understand the vision. He'll probably compete on special teams though. Very meh about this pick to be honest.
Overall: B+
I think the draft probably is better in totality than the individual picks themselves (at times). The combination of lots of athletic and high upside players spreads the risk factor across multiple players. If one of these athletes at DB or Ben Cleveland come up big then this draft instantly becomes a success.​
 

Simba

Staff Member
Moderator
Yeah I think it should be his job to lose, because I never bought in with powers or bredeson.

Powers is probably the leader right now but his hold is tenuous at best. Vets will always get the edge to start but it shouldn’t last too long if Cleveland is as advertised... even with the flaws.
 

JoeyFlex5

Hall of Famer
Powers is probably the leader right now but his hold is tenuous at best. Vets will always get the edge to start but it shouldn’t last too long if Cleveland is as advertised... even with the flaws.
I don’t think the coaches like powers too much lol
 

ndub

Ravens Ring of Honor
I'm finally gonna grade this class:

Bateman: A+
Value, need, fit. All couldn't be much more perfect. He's probably the best route-runner we've ever drafted. Certainly the best since I started watching the Ravens. Physical through the route, great releases, great hands, quick transition to runner after the catch. Home-run pick.
Oweh: B
This pick is exciting. The Ravens have never drafted anyone at the position with this kind of athleticism. He's raw, and there were other guys higher on my board when we picked him but there's an enormous upside to this pick and, again, he's a great fit within the scheme. The lack of refinement brings the grade down. But the freakish athleticism is a salivating prospect and unlike anyone we've drafted before.
Cleveland: B
Giant beast of a man. Nasty finisher. Another good testing athlete. Seems to mirror fairly well on tape but I do worry about his ability to move laterally as well as he moves linearly. Absolute road-grader at the line. Crushes on downblocks and works off of combos into the second level fairly well. Uses his length at times to make up for a lack of lateral agility. I do worry that he'll just end up joining the large group of backups that we have on the interior rather than standing out above the crowd. But he's got size, length and nastiness that the other candidates for the LG spot don't have.
Stephens: C
2 days ago, I wouldn't have been able to grade this pick at all. Seems like a project at DB. He moves and has traits that suggest he could be a press corner but he doesn't play well in press right now. He's super raw at corner. EDC said he could be a high level FS but without much tape, I find it hard to project that at all. What he does have are explosive qualities that show up in his ability to break on the ball and recover. Has good ball production and ball skills and is competitive through the catch. Those are good building blocks to work with at DB. But he's a big swing.
Tylan Wallace: A
Great value in the 4th round. Played mostly outside in college but got beaten up and re-routed a ton by press. Doesn't seem super explosive but hopefully he can get some explosion back now that he's getting further and further away from that injury he had. He's a really nice route-runner who sells well and is really efficient breaking horizontally and on underneath stuff coming back towards the QB. Dominant at the catch-point and plays much bigger than his size with great hands and great ability to adjust late. Probably projects to the slot early in his career. Hopefully he can work on his releases with Keith Williams.
Shaun Wade: B+
Probably the most boom or bust prospect on this list but in the 5th round the upside is amazing. Had a good 2019 in the slot. Had an awful 2020 on the outside. Not sure he has the fluidity to play slot full-time but in some sort of hybrid nickel/safety role he makes a ton of sense, especially with his effectiveness and good route-recognition in zone coverage with the play in front of him. Great athlete. Could be a massive steal. Could not even make it to week 1.
Daelin Hayes: B+
Classic Ravens OLB prospect. Day 3, athletically fine but not exciting. Versatile. Has a decent sized frame and length. Has some bend, some power, occasional explosive reps. Good hands and a reactive rusher with a plan and the ability to adjust mid-rep and attack the OL's leverage. Powerful hands and the ability to set the edge in the running game - or at least a clear ability to develop into a good edge setter. Confident and comfortable dropping into coverage. Not entirely dissimilar to Judon as a prospect.
Ben Mason: C
I like the player but I don't know what the plan is here. If it's to come in and compete for the TE3 spot then fine. If it's as a FB then I don't really understand the vision. He'll probably compete on special teams though. Very meh about this pick to be honest.
Overall: B+
I think the draft probably is better in totality than the individual picks themselves (at times). The combination of lots of athletic and high upside players spreads the risk factor across multiple players. If one of these athletes at DB or Ben Cleveland come up big then this draft instantly becomes a success.​

Something not really being mentioned is that Ben Cleveland, across 4 seasons and 741 snaps, only gave up 1 sack the entire time with 3 qb hits. Everyone talks about his run blocking, but I’m just as impressed with his pass blocking, especially with how well he did against SEC opponents
 

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
Something not really being mentioned is that Ben Cleveland, across 4 seasons and 741 snaps, only gave up 1 sack the entire time with 3 qb hits. Everyone talks about his run blocking, but I’m just as impressed with his pass blocking, especially with how well he did against SEC opponents

he did do well - i just worry that he'll struggle against the twitchier 3 techs he'll see in the NFL - the guys who might challenge him laterally athletically

but he mirrored well with decent feet for sure in college - used his hands well
 
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