Final Ravens Mock 2021: For Real this time.
Well I promised Mania and PurplePittaBread that I’d give them one more. I made this one the definitive one. So here it is a day before the draft.
I will admit I was dicking around a bit with the last one. Just wanted to see how much I could milk the 31st overall pick for.
That said. This is the last go around. If you remember last year I lowkey nailed it. 2/a bunch isn’t bad and I had heard of every prospect we drafted except Broderick Washington(and Dobbins, though I thought we would take him).
…
For the purposes of this mock there will be no trades. This is where the money and the mouth go together.
I am operating under two assumptions for this mock draft.
No trades.
Round One: Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota.
Full disclosure: I personally expect him to be gone. I have a top-20 grade on this guy. In a bloated WR class, I could see him go much higher than this. But then I looked at the board ahead of me. It could easily fall this way. I personally don’t expect it to, but the draft is a weird day and you could have things like DK Metcalf fall to the second round while Jalen Reagor(who I had a mid second round grade on) goes in the first round.
Batemen is exactly what this team needs. A smooth operator on the outside with good hands and one thing no one in the WR corps has. Heart(and mind you I’m a massive Devin Duvernay fan). He is physical, a sneaky good athlete, smart, and tough. But most importantly, he is technically sound and he’s ready to go on day one. He’s that rare WR I evaluate who has both a high floor but a low ceiling, but his high floor is that he’s an NFL #1 WR. I don’t think he becomes this perennial pro bowler or anything (especially in an offense where we 60-40 pass the ball), but this pick makes everyone on the offense better. We can finally rely on Hollywood to just be a weapon and big-play threat rather than shoulder the burden, Duvernay can come in and finally be properly used as a slot-gadget type of player who’s used exclusively on slants, go’s, curls, and screens(since he has stiff hips and won’t be able to do much else. I knew this last year), and then we still have Watkins who shows up big in the post-season. With this, honestly it makes little sense to take another WR. Bateman finishes the room and makes it respectable, which is all we can really ask for. Overall, Bateman makes sense, even if I think the Ravens fans will overhype him to death.
Round One: Creed Humphrey, C, Oklahoma
I am sticking to my guns on this one. Center is a big position of need, and we desperately want to get Lamar Jackson some help. There is no better fit at C in this draft even if Humphrey has a lower ceiling than Landon Dickerson, and Humphrey is the immediate day one starters. Assuming Alejandro or Kelly come eventually, this gives us a stout offensive line that I do not have to worry about for the next decade or so. Humphrey will probably be lamented on draft day by Ravens fans because he’s not a touted. You go get the fifth-year option on a quality offensive lineman who could easily turn into a pro bowl player down the line, get a day one starter, and an upgrade over Mekari. Humphrey is possibly the safest pick you can make, and I think Green Bay is finally gonna pull the plug and draft Terrace Marshall for Aaron Rodgers to use. Nope. Instead, I decided to go get Lamar Jackson a #1 WR and a pro caliber C for the next five years. And suddenly our offense looks terrifying again…
Now please fire Greg Roman’s dumb ass so we can actually use these two correctly.
Round Three(from Chiefs): James Hudson, OT, Cincinnati
The Ravens generally have a formula when it comes to drafting an offensive lineman. Unless the pick is pretty much guaranteed to be safe(see Ronnie Stanley, and Creed Humphrey), we like these raw, but smart mauling athletes who know how to get to the second level. Does Hudson have a lot to work on? Yes. That’s why he’s fallen to the bottom of the third round. Is he smart? Yes. Does he play with a mean streak? Yes. Will he benefit in this scheme which will help him mask his deficiencies in pass protection? Yes(and look at the Orlando Brown tape again. Lamar saved his ass on numerous occasions in pass pro. Brown is a pro bowl caliber player, but let’s not act like the Chiefs got this S-tier player. Something tells me we would’ve signed him to LT money if we thought he was actually worth it. Sad to see him go). Perfect position. He’s the ideal scheme fit, he comes to a team who knows how to develop these athletic guys into solid starters(see Mekari). It just fits like a glove. Probably not a sexy pick, and easily has high-bust potential, but he fits a profile. You get Dennis Kelly or Alejandro, and Hudson rides the bench for a year and comes in as a sixth offensive lineman? Enjoy… Speaking of profiles.
Round Three: Quincy Roche, Edge, Miami.
….I despise this edge class. I really do. But I would like to show you guys the ideal “Ravens mid round edge rusher primer”. There’s really only three things we look at.
Oh, and to top it off he’s from Randallstown, he just screams raven. Not my favorite prospect, but I wouldn’t be upset either.
Round Four: Jaret Patterson, RB, Buffalo
RB is a sneaky need for this team. Gus Edwards is going to be a FA soon… and we shouldn’t resign him to a second contract. Sorry but we got him as a UDFA, he’s clearly replaceable even if he’s an ideal scheme fit. So what am I getting here?
Say hello to your third down RB of the future. “But Lost, he didn’t have a reception last year”. On third downs, despite the lack of production, he’s a monster. An absolute beast in pass protection(though so is Dobbins) and got good hands in VERY limited tape. Sometimes coaches in college overthink these things. As a runner? He’s a bowling ball. I’ve seen tons of mocks with him this low, but I think this could very well be a Phillip Lindsay style steal. Like Lindsay, he’s got a big heart, plays bigger than he is, and takes no prisoners whatsoever. He’s a different type of player than Lindsay is, but I don’t care much about that. He’s an ideal fit here, which is what’s important. Ideal schematic fit, who at worst is a good ST player, and at best can take over the third down spot in case Felton goes down with injury.
Don’t be surprised if Patterson goes earlier than this.
Round Four(From KC): Bobby Brown III, NT/DT, Texas A&M
It’s time to admit that the Brandon Williams contract was a mistake. A big, and very costly one. Yes, the run defense isn’t as good without him, but if one player leaves, and the defense as a whole falls apart(unless that player is Aaron Donald), you have other problems.Now, we have to keep him here because his contract doesn’t let us shed him at all, and we couldn’t keep a superior player in Micheal Pierce. There’s no longer a debate about Bwill. I like him here as a locker room leader, and he’s not a bad football player(he’s still a solid 2-down defender), but paying him was a big mistake. We need to look for his replacement. And you can find good nose tackles in the middle rounds.
Bobby Brown III is proof of this because he could become a 3 down nose tackle. His skills as a run defender are already there and I think he’s good enough to enter the rotation immediately and get Ellis off of this team. He understands how to shoot gaps, he knows how to clog, he knows how to use his size. Like his college teammate before him though, (and this would be the third year in a row we take a DL from this school. Daylon Mack had good tape but seemed to not have his heart in it, which is fine tbh. This isn’t for everyone). But Brown showed tremendous development last year as a pass rusher, developing a bull rush(and a legit Bull Rush. None of that push the pocket BS that BWill does) and bullying the Georgia offensive line, and making good plays against the Alabama offensive line. He has amazing upside, but he has flaws. His pass rushing looks labored but not consistently(as in sometimes he looks like an amazing athlete and other times it looks like he’s trying to catch his breathe), he still needs some coaching. He comes into an ideal situation where he can learn behind a consumate professional in Williams and a borderline hall of famer in Campbell. We need to look for our nose tackle of the future, and Bobby Brown III screams “Ravens fourth rounder” to me.
Round Five: Shaka Toney, Edge, Penn State
Let me get the checklist out..
Round Five(Comp):Jaylen Twyman, DE, Pittsburgh
We also have a formula for the defensive linemen we draft in the mid rounds. We look for technicians that can be quality players in the rotation. We’ve only really missed out on one of the 3-4 DE types(Wormley, thank god he’s gone). But Twyman is that. Safe. He’s a technician through and through who could easily develop into an NFL caliber starter (but nothing more than that) should he hit the weight room and become a good 5T. He plays very hard, but is also smart(sensing a pattern here on my end). Can’t complain.
Round Six: Jake Curhan, OT, Cal
A depth tackle who’s big and strong that we like.
And that’s it. That’s all she wrote. That’s my official submission the day before the draft. Obviously I think we trade down, but this is what I think Eric does if we don’t. It fulfills every need(except FS). It bolsters the depth in the trenches, and it got us 4 playmakers.
Well I promised Mania and PurplePittaBread that I’d give them one more. I made this one the definitive one. So here it is a day before the draft.
I will admit I was dicking around a bit with the last one. Just wanted to see how much I could milk the 31st overall pick for.
That said. This is the last go around. If you remember last year I lowkey nailed it. 2/a bunch isn’t bad and I had heard of every prospect we drafted except Broderick Washington(and Dobbins, though I thought we would take him).
…
For the purposes of this mock there will be no trades. This is where the money and the mouth go together.
I am operating under two assumptions for this mock draft.
- We sign a veteran rusher after the draft(possibly two).
- For intents and purposes. I have us signing Justin Houston after the draft, serving as an upgrade to both Judon(the most overrated ravens defensive player in my lifetime), and Ngakoue.
- For intents and purposes. I have us signing Justin Houston after the draft, serving as an upgrade to both Judon(the most overrated ravens defensive player in my lifetime), and Ngakoue.
- We sign one of Alejandro V, or Dennis Kelly. Both would be A- signings in my book and solidify the right tackle spot for the next 1-3 seasons. ‘
- This isn’t a “what would I do mock draft”. Because full disclosure: I’d take Pat Friermuth at 31 overall. He’s college Mark Andrews + nasty blocking. He just had terrible college QB play. This is what I think we’re going to do.
No trades.
Round One: Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota.
Full disclosure: I personally expect him to be gone. I have a top-20 grade on this guy. In a bloated WR class, I could see him go much higher than this. But then I looked at the board ahead of me. It could easily fall this way. I personally don’t expect it to, but the draft is a weird day and you could have things like DK Metcalf fall to the second round while Jalen Reagor(who I had a mid second round grade on) goes in the first round.
Batemen is exactly what this team needs. A smooth operator on the outside with good hands and one thing no one in the WR corps has. Heart(and mind you I’m a massive Devin Duvernay fan). He is physical, a sneaky good athlete, smart, and tough. But most importantly, he is technically sound and he’s ready to go on day one. He’s that rare WR I evaluate who has both a high floor but a low ceiling, but his high floor is that he’s an NFL #1 WR. I don’t think he becomes this perennial pro bowler or anything (especially in an offense where we 60-40 pass the ball), but this pick makes everyone on the offense better. We can finally rely on Hollywood to just be a weapon and big-play threat rather than shoulder the burden, Duvernay can come in and finally be properly used as a slot-gadget type of player who’s used exclusively on slants, go’s, curls, and screens(since he has stiff hips and won’t be able to do much else. I knew this last year), and then we still have Watkins who shows up big in the post-season. With this, honestly it makes little sense to take another WR. Bateman finishes the room and makes it respectable, which is all we can really ask for. Overall, Bateman makes sense, even if I think the Ravens fans will overhype him to death.
Round One: Creed Humphrey, C, Oklahoma
I am sticking to my guns on this one. Center is a big position of need, and we desperately want to get Lamar Jackson some help. There is no better fit at C in this draft even if Humphrey has a lower ceiling than Landon Dickerson, and Humphrey is the immediate day one starters. Assuming Alejandro or Kelly come eventually, this gives us a stout offensive line that I do not have to worry about for the next decade or so. Humphrey will probably be lamented on draft day by Ravens fans because he’s not a touted. You go get the fifth-year option on a quality offensive lineman who could easily turn into a pro bowl player down the line, get a day one starter, and an upgrade over Mekari. Humphrey is possibly the safest pick you can make, and I think Green Bay is finally gonna pull the plug and draft Terrace Marshall for Aaron Rodgers to use. Nope. Instead, I decided to go get Lamar Jackson a #1 WR and a pro caliber C for the next five years. And suddenly our offense looks terrifying again…
Now please fire Greg Roman’s dumb ass so we can actually use these two correctly.
Round Three(from Chiefs): James Hudson, OT, Cincinnati
The Ravens generally have a formula when it comes to drafting an offensive lineman. Unless the pick is pretty much guaranteed to be safe(see Ronnie Stanley, and Creed Humphrey), we like these raw, but smart mauling athletes who know how to get to the second level. Does Hudson have a lot to work on? Yes. That’s why he’s fallen to the bottom of the third round. Is he smart? Yes. Does he play with a mean streak? Yes. Will he benefit in this scheme which will help him mask his deficiencies in pass protection? Yes(and look at the Orlando Brown tape again. Lamar saved his ass on numerous occasions in pass pro. Brown is a pro bowl caliber player, but let’s not act like the Chiefs got this S-tier player. Something tells me we would’ve signed him to LT money if we thought he was actually worth it. Sad to see him go). Perfect position. He’s the ideal scheme fit, he comes to a team who knows how to develop these athletic guys into solid starters(see Mekari). It just fits like a glove. Probably not a sexy pick, and easily has high-bust potential, but he fits a profile. You get Dennis Kelly or Alejandro, and Hudson rides the bench for a year and comes in as a sixth offensive lineman? Enjoy… Speaking of profiles.
Round Three: Quincy Roche, Edge, Miami.
….I despise this edge class. I really do. But I would like to show you guys the ideal “Ravens mid round edge rusher primer”. There’s really only three things we look at.
- Were you productive? Roche was productive.
- Are you smart? Yes. Roche is smart. He has some pass rushing moves, and is steady as a run defender.
- Does he play with heart? Yes.
Oh, and to top it off he’s from Randallstown, he just screams raven. Not my favorite prospect, but I wouldn’t be upset either.
Round Four: Jaret Patterson, RB, Buffalo
RB is a sneaky need for this team. Gus Edwards is going to be a FA soon… and we shouldn’t resign him to a second contract. Sorry but we got him as a UDFA, he’s clearly replaceable even if he’s an ideal scheme fit. So what am I getting here?
Say hello to your third down RB of the future. “But Lost, he didn’t have a reception last year”. On third downs, despite the lack of production, he’s a monster. An absolute beast in pass protection(though so is Dobbins) and got good hands in VERY limited tape. Sometimes coaches in college overthink these things. As a runner? He’s a bowling ball. I’ve seen tons of mocks with him this low, but I think this could very well be a Phillip Lindsay style steal. Like Lindsay, he’s got a big heart, plays bigger than he is, and takes no prisoners whatsoever. He’s a different type of player than Lindsay is, but I don’t care much about that. He’s an ideal fit here, which is what’s important. Ideal schematic fit, who at worst is a good ST player, and at best can take over the third down spot in case Felton goes down with injury.
Don’t be surprised if Patterson goes earlier than this.
Round Four(From KC): Bobby Brown III, NT/DT, Texas A&M
It’s time to admit that the Brandon Williams contract was a mistake. A big, and very costly one. Yes, the run defense isn’t as good without him, but if one player leaves, and the defense as a whole falls apart(unless that player is Aaron Donald), you have other problems.Now, we have to keep him here because his contract doesn’t let us shed him at all, and we couldn’t keep a superior player in Micheal Pierce. There’s no longer a debate about Bwill. I like him here as a locker room leader, and he’s not a bad football player(he’s still a solid 2-down defender), but paying him was a big mistake. We need to look for his replacement. And you can find good nose tackles in the middle rounds.
Bobby Brown III is proof of this because he could become a 3 down nose tackle. His skills as a run defender are already there and I think he’s good enough to enter the rotation immediately and get Ellis off of this team. He understands how to shoot gaps, he knows how to clog, he knows how to use his size. Like his college teammate before him though, (and this would be the third year in a row we take a DL from this school. Daylon Mack had good tape but seemed to not have his heart in it, which is fine tbh. This isn’t for everyone). But Brown showed tremendous development last year as a pass rusher, developing a bull rush(and a legit Bull Rush. None of that push the pocket BS that BWill does) and bullying the Georgia offensive line, and making good plays against the Alabama offensive line. He has amazing upside, but he has flaws. His pass rushing looks labored but not consistently(as in sometimes he looks like an amazing athlete and other times it looks like he’s trying to catch his breathe), he still needs some coaching. He comes into an ideal situation where he can learn behind a consumate professional in Williams and a borderline hall of famer in Campbell. We need to look for our nose tackle of the future, and Bobby Brown III screams “Ravens fourth rounder” to me.
Round Five: Shaka Toney, Edge, Penn State
Let me get the checklist out..
- Was he productive? Yes
- Is he smart? Yes. Team leader and reads the field really well
- Does he play with heart? Yes.
Round Five(Comp):Jaylen Twyman, DE, Pittsburgh
We also have a formula for the defensive linemen we draft in the mid rounds. We look for technicians that can be quality players in the rotation. We’ve only really missed out on one of the 3-4 DE types(Wormley, thank god he’s gone). But Twyman is that. Safe. He’s a technician through and through who could easily develop into an NFL caliber starter (but nothing more than that) should he hit the weight room and become a good 5T. He plays very hard, but is also smart(sensing a pattern here on my end). Can’t complain.
Round Six: Jake Curhan, OT, Cal
A depth tackle who’s big and strong that we like.
And that’s it. That’s all she wrote. That’s my official submission the day before the draft. Obviously I think we trade down, but this is what I think Eric does if we don’t. It fulfills every need(except FS). It bolsters the depth in the trenches, and it got us 4 playmakers.
