General Manager Ozzie Newsome has a history of trading in the first round of the NFL Draft, but this year, he may want to stay put.
Newsome is somewhat of a legend for identifying and selecting superior talent. But the likes of Ray Lewis, Jonathan Ogden, Ed Reed and Haloti Ngata are all gone now and Terrell Suggs may only have a few years left. The Ravens need to restock their supply of superstars, and it may be a while before they get another golden opportunity like they have with the sixth-overall pick.
"You kind of have that wave of players with the Ed Reeds and Ray Lewises that have moved on. They need a dynamic blue-chip player and you're picking that high in the draft," NFL Network analyst and former Ravens scout Daniel Jeremiah said at the Senior Bowl.
"That's not going to happen very often in Baltimore. It might be best to just sit there and take an impact guy."
Jeremiah added that Newsome always listens to whatever offers come his way. That will be no different in April when a highly-motivated team may come calling. Ravens front office executives will study each offer, break it down and determine what is best for the team.
"I think you always listen, and that's one thing that Ozzie always does well," Jeremiah said.
If the Ravens do hold onto the sixth spot, Jeremiah believes one of those blue-chip players will be available. In his first mock draft of the year, Jeremiah has Florida State safety/cornerback Jalen Ramsey being drafted by the Ravens.
Ramsey is largely considered the top defensive back in the country. If a team envisions him playing the cornerback position, he's viewed as the best in the nation. If a team considers him a safety, he's still the best.
The Ravens need a dynamic playmaker in the back end of the defense that can create turnovers and limit big plays. Ramsey easily fits the bill with eye-popping athleticism, explosiveness and versatility.
"We've got to get to the combine and see how he runs, how he interviews, how he tests, along with everybody else," said Jeremiah. "But man, to me, it's a homerun pick if he were to be there when the Ravens are picking because you've got somebody that's a playmaker in the back end, you can play him anywhere. He'd look great in purple."
If Ramsey isn't on the board, Jeremiah still believes the Ravens should focus on shoring up the defense. To him, the priority is getting a defensive back and a pass rusher.
With an infusion of young talent, along with several veterans coming back from injury, including Suggs, quarterback Joe Flacco, running back Justin Forsett and wide receivers Steve Smith Sr. and Breshad Perriman, Jeremiah envisions the Ravens quickly bouncing back from their 2015 5-11 record.
"There's going to be a wave of talent back in the lineup for the Baltimore Ravens, and I believe in Ozzie Newsome and Eric DeCosta and the culture that they've built there on the personnel side," Jeremiah said. "John Harbaugh is as good as it gets in terms of developing players.
"So the Ravens are coming back, and they'll come back in a hurry."
