The NFL Draft is just over three weeks away, and Baltimore's top talent evaluators will address the media Tuesday afternoon.
This is the only time before draft night that General Manager Ozzie Newsome, Head Coach John Harbaugh, Assistant General Manager Eric DeCosta and Director of College Scouting Joe Hortiz will share a stage to discuss what the Ravens plan to do with their nine picks this year.
Like all teams, the Ravens are careful not to tip their hand too much during this press conference, but there can still be valuable information gleaned from the event.
The press conference starts at 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, and it will be streamed live on the Ravens mobile app and website.
Here are some of the questions likely to be discussed during the press conference:
1. What would it take to trade the No. 6 pick?
Owner Steve Bisciotti already said he would be willing to move back from the sixth-overall pick to acquire more selections, but Newsome could provide more perspective on the likelihood of that approach. Newsome isn't one to put all his cards on the table through conversations with the media, so reporters will likely have to read between the lines with what he says.
2. Will a quarterback go in the top five picks?
As long as the Ravens have Joe Flacco under contract, they will want a run on quarterbacks to happen every year. But it is particularly important this draft. There could be one, two or no quarterbacks drafted in the first five picks, which significantly impacts the quality of the position players available to Baltimore at No. 6. If two quarterbacks come off the board, then the Ravens may end up having a chance to choose between potential defensive stars like UCLA's Myles Jack or Ohio State's Joey Bosa.
3. Is left tackle an option in the first round?
Notre Dame left tackle Ronnie Stanley has been a popular mock draft prediction for Baltimore. Stanley is widely considered the second-best left tackle in the draft, and the Ravens already have Eugene Monroe on the roster. Bisciotti said he sees Monroe as the left tackle going into next season. With Monroe under contract and bigger perceived needs at positions like pass rusher or cornerback, the question is whether theRavens think left tackle is worthy of a first-round selection.
4. Is there a position they will definitely draft?
In previous years, Newsome has shared what position he definitely expects the Ravens to draft at some point. Those declarations have ended up coming true draft weekend. It most recently happened in 2014 when Newsome predicted the Ravens would take a wide receiver, and then the Ravens traded back into the seventh round to take Michael Campanaro.
5. What positions have good depth for the later rounds?
So much focus is naturally paid to the first-round pick, but the Ravens are just as focused on nailing their selections later in the draft. Baltimore has seven picks in the first four rounds, and they hope to get some immediate contributors with those mid-round picks. DeCosta and Hortiz have a great sense of the incoming draft class as a whole, and where the Ravens could end up with some high-value picks.
6. What players have visited?
This time of year is when teams get some one-on-one time with players from the incoming draft class. Teams across the league invite prospects for private workouts and interviews to get a better sense of what kind of player and person they are. These visits are particularly important for players with any kind of off-the-field issues. At last year's pre-draft presser, Newsome announced the Ravens had met privately with wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham and pass rusher Randy Gregory to get more information about their checkered past.
