This LB class is awesome.
-
Welcome to PurpleFlock! Sign up here so that you can chat with your fellow Ravens fans.
2026 NFL Draft General Discussion
- Thread starter rossihunter2
- Start date
To be clear, I am not against taking a WR at all... but also what is the value of that if we can't protect the QB to get the ball to that WR consistently, and also what if we can't get off the field on defense to actually let the offense work?
I know I'm going to the extremes there and assuming we don't solve that before we even get to the draft, but it's still food for thought.
I know I'm going to the extremes there and assuming we don't solve that before we even get to the draft, but it's still food for thought.
Grim
Ravens Ring of Honor
I think it’s about value. I don’t see any G worthy of 14. If we trade back, sure. If we trade up from our 2nd round pick, sure.
I don't disagree for what it's worth. I'm just playing devil's advocate to some extent. We can draft a BPA WR all we want but until we solve our trenches problem on both sides of the ball, we'd just be the Bengals (with a different defensive wart) part 2.
JoeyFlex5
Hall of Famer
But what is value? A player we can’t use because our qb doesn’t have time to throw? A defender who doesn’t even have a lead to protect because our OL tanks our whole offense?
Value is subjective, and from where the ravens stand a day one quality starter at guard at 14 is pretty damn valuable.
Think it’s time we adjust our perspective on the value chart, like I said, Eric decosta and the analytical draft approach has propagandized a lot of folks, football is still won in the trenches and it’s a still a physical full contact sport and it often comes down to who can push the other side harder. In all the nuance and explosives, that part seems to gets lost, but its still that sport.
Grim
Ravens Ring of Honor
It’s just I don’t think Ioane is worth the pick. I think we will have a chance at a better player. If not, maybe I come around but as of now with a lot of time before the draft, I say there’s no G I’d take with 14. Now I would absolutely take one of those two tackles and play them at G
this is how bad teams stay bad
i think we'll see some vet signings (for cheap) that will provide some insurance should we not be able to land an OL in the first 2-3 rounds in the draft
i'd be surprised if we end up with more than 1 OL in the first 3 rounds though unless:
1) the value and talent is overwhelming (would be a surprise given the way the NFL values OL)
2) they already know emery jones is a bust (again would be a surprise given they were already working him into the lineup late last season)
it's not just EDC who picks BPA
it was Ozzie before him and many of the best GMs around the league do it:
Howie Roseman
Les Snead
Brad Holmes (who cares even less than EDC about consensus opinions on positional value)
John Schneider
no one's arguing that we should ignore defence and OL in favour of WR
all we're talking about is not-over-indexing in the OL need by reaching in the draft
JoeyFlex5
Hall of Famer
Failing to build up your trenches is how good teams turn bad
JoeyFlex5
Hall of Famer
If the whole league is overdrafting and overpaying on the OL because of a lack of available talent, is it really reaching?
I strongly advise you guys to look at Jimmy Rolder, Michigan LB30. He's way way way too underrated
Grim
Ravens Ring of Honor
Look I don’t disagree with OL being a huge need and we need to really draft one in the first two days. With a top 14 pick I wouldn’t pick Ioane. I would rather we be aggressive with our 2nd rounder and move up and take one of those G there who still remain. There are some good guys who should be available then. That’s all I’m saying.
Let’s use 2022 Draft as a comparison
Would you have rather we passed on Kyle Hamilton and instead taken Kenyon Green, Zion Johnson, Trevor Penning, or Tyler Smith?
And FWIW, what I said earlier about value isn’t about position. I’m a believer that if a player is excellent don’t worry about how valuable their position is to spend a first unless it’s a kicker or punter obviously or something niche like that, I’m fine taking a G or C with a top 5 pick if that player is clearly like generational or something. I don’t mean value as in the position as much as the player isn’t worth that premium pick price.
I say that but then I’d hate Sonny Styles because he’d a LB so kinda talking out two sides of my mouth but that’s because I don’t think he’s that generational guy. But make no mistake if Ray Lewis or Luke Kuechly were there I would take them at 14 without question
Last edited:
It seems there also could be a world where maybe they need to reindex on how they evaluate and grade OL (and maybe a couple of other positions) much like they did WR several years back. They were kind of behind that curve. Don’t think it’s as drastic as WR was but they also just can’t let OL go into a dark hole.
Edit to add: in this scenario, I do have Ioane in the same bucket as the WRs in reference, so I am not suggesting to inflate OL value. I just may be higher on him than most.
ZayAllDay_04
Practice Squad
I am in Houston and Texans fans legitimately complain weekly about how bad the Kenyon Green debacle was, trading out of Hamilton and then not selecting Lindy (although this is in hindsight). It's the first thing anyone points to when they argue the GM Caserio stinks
is there a lack of OL talent coming into the league though?
idk that they have been getting reached on necessarily either... If we look from picks 15-64 in the last few drafts
| 2025 | 18: Zabel (Yr 1 starter) 24: Jackson (Yr 1 starter) 29: Conerly (Yr 1 starter) 32: Simmons (Yr 1 starter) 37: Savaiinaea (Yr 1 starter) 48: Ersery (Yr 1 starter) 54: Belton (Backup, 7 starts, projected Yr 2 starter) 56: Trapilo (Yr 1 starter) 57: Ratledge (Yr 1 starter) |
| 2024 | 18: Amarius Mims (2 year starter) 20: Troy Fautanu (2 year starter) 25: Jordan Morgan (Backup, 13 starts, projected Yr 3 starter) 26: Graham Barton (2 year starter) 29: Tyler Guyton (2 year starter) 44: Jackson Powers-Johnson (2 year starter) 51: Zach Frazier (2 year starter) 55: Patrick Paul (Yr 2 starter) 59: Blake Fisher (Backup, 10 starts - some at TE) 62: Roger Rosengarten (Yr 1 starter) 63: Kingsley Suamataia (Yr 2 starter) |
| 2023 | 27: Anton Harrison (3 year starter) 36: Steve Avila (3 year starter) 38: Matthew Bergeron (3 year starter) 43: Joe Tippmann (3 year starter) 48: Cody Mauch (3 year starter) 57: John Michael Schmitz (3 year starter) 59: O'Cyrus Torrence (3 year starter) 62: Juice Scruggs (2nd year starter, likely bust) |
| 2022 | 15: Kenyon Green (Yr 1 starter, bust) 17: Zion Johnson (4 year starter) 19: Trevor Penning (Yr 3 and Yr 4 starter, traded, likely bust) 24: Tyler Smith (4 year starter) 25: Tyler Linderbaum (4 year starter) 29: Cole Strange (4 year starter but cut after 3 years) 51: Cam Jurgens (3 year starter, Yr 1 backup) 57: Luke Goedeke (4 year starter) 59: Ed Ingram (3 year starter, benched and traded Yr 3, Yr 4 starter) |
If I could honestly draw a trend from these picks, it would be that many of the picks that have struggled (and the vast majority have been hits) were reached on (in some cases significantly) at the time:
Anthony Belton: the only guy who's a backup from the 2025 prospects - looks like a guy who needed more development - i was high on him and he was 65th on my board, 97th on the consensus board)
Juice Scruggs: such a surprise at 62 that even he was surprised he was picked that high he said in an interview afterwards (136th on the consensus board)
Kenyon Green: taken at 15, 24th on the consensus board
Cole Strange: a reach so funny that the Rams were making jokes about it at their presser after the round thinking they had a shot at him with the 104th pick in the draft, he was taken 29th overall
in terms of reaches working out...
Cam Jurgens maybe the only example... not even sure he was a "reach" in reality
maybe Matthew Bergeron in 2023 albeit that's only 54th on consensus board getting picked 38
who is it that we think they missed out on that would cause this sentiment though?
with WR it was obvious that multiple talented WRs were being passed on for guys at other positions who were maybe not as talented because their benchmarks and prioritised characteristics were clearly wrong and players were being misevaluatated
we can see with the OL that they are picking that they are much more malleable in terms of value and characteristics
who have we passed on at OL that gives us reason to think they're not effectively valuing OL in the draft?
i think Sonny Styles, based on the tape, is a top 5 prospect in this class lol
Grim
Ravens Ring of Honor
If he is that good, I'd be fine with it. I just hate a little spending a top-15 pick on a LB but even there I would be down if he is that type of guy. I haven't watched enough of him to comment but my opinion right now is more about what I've seen watching him, the players around him and not yet being able to differentiate success and with his position being LB when we're in desperate need of EDGE (although if one isn't there, don't force it)