The Ravens have five picks in the upcoming draft, their fewest since 1999 when they had four.
General Manager Eric DeCosta reiterated at Wednesday's pre-draft press conference that the Ravens could make a deal or two in an effort to acquire more draft capital.
"We have five picks; we wish we had more," DeCosta said. "Our goal is probably to get more along the way – if we can – depending on how things fall."
The Ravens, who hold the No. 22 pick in the draft, traded this year's second-round pick as part of the deal to acquire Pro Bowl linebacker Roquan Smith.
"For us to say that our second-round pick was Roquan Smith? I'm pretty happy with that," DeCosta said. "If we only have five picks this year, I'd like to get back to nine or 10 picks next year, for sure, but having a smaller amount of picks this year based on what we've done in 2018, '19, '20, '21, '22, that's not necessarily the worst thing."
Baltimore had 11 draft picks last year, including two first-round picks who played significant roles as rookies – safety Kyle Hamilton and center Tyler Linderbaum. DeCosta said the Ravens will still have a talented group of young players with promising futures, even if they don't acquire additional picks.
"Our goal would be to add picks if we can at some point," DeCosta said. "In saying that, I think it's important to note that we've had a lot of picks over the past four-five years. You get to a point where maybe having too many picks isn't necessarily the right thing. You almost have to have a purge at some point because you have all these young players on the team, and they can't all make the team if you just keep stacking these huge, massive draft classes."
The Ravens may find it prudent to trade down from No. 22 in a deal that brings them an extra pick on Day 2 or 3. This year's draft is deep at wide receiver and cornerback - two positions the Ravens are targeting. The Ravens may be able to trade down, acquire an extra pick, and still draft a receiver or cornerback who can help them next season.
"I think the chances for us to be able to do it (trade down) are pretty decent," DeCosta said. "Of course, if we're in love with somebody while we're on the clock, we're going to make the pick.
"We always have to gauge that – how strong do we feel about the prospect who's available versus a chance to go back and get additional picks. Sometimes, you get lucky in that there's a guy that you might really want, you make the tough decision to trade back and you can still get him. It happens more than you think. We have to look at the capital that we can get by trading back, and we'll make the best decision that we can."
