Kyle Brandt Says Jordan Davis Has Highest Ceiling in the Draft
As noted in yesterday’s Late for Work, massive Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis has emerged as the favorite to be the Ravens' selection when they're on the clock with the 14th-overall pick tonight.
If the 6-foot-6, 341-pound Davis does end up going to the Ravens, they'll be getting the prospect Kyle Brandt of "Good Morning Football" said has the highest ceiling in the draft.
"I know there's some real high upsides on some of these guys. This is defying physics. Just not supposed to move that fast," Brandt said of Davis running a 4.78-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine last month. That's the fastest time by any player over 310 pounds since 2003, per Next Gen Stats.
"This sounds hyperbolic, but Davis' workout might have been the best defensive tackle performance in Combine history — that's how impressive it was," The Athletic's Dane Brugler wrote. "To run a 4.78 40-yard dash at 341 pounds is remarkable."
Davis, who had seven sacks in four seasons at Georgia, wouldn't fill the Ravens' need for an edge rusher, but he'll be an intimidating presence in the trenches, Brandt said.
"He's got this whole, 'I'm not moving off the D-line, you're not gonna push me, you're not gonna block me,'" Brandt said. "I'm not saying he's a high-end pass rusher, but I'm saying that he will be there with maybe one hand or two hands down and just start destroying people."
NFL Network's Charles Davis, who has the Ravens selecting Jordan Davis in his final mock draft, told our Garrett Downing that the Georgia star's talent is undeniable.
"No. 1, we see the talent. That's obvious. When you watch him play, watch Georgia play, not much happened inside when you wanted to run the football," Davis said. "And … Calais Campbell's coming back. Could you imagine being able to learn how to be a pro from Calais Campbell? Same position, same room, same time. I think now you've got a steal on your hands. Above all, though, the talent is there."
ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay joined the Davis-to-Baltimore contingent in their final mock drafts after previously predicting other players for Baltimore in the first round.
"Davis is a 340-pound space eater with rare physical traits," Kiper wrote. "Baltimore had success with a similar player in Haloti Ngata, who set the tone for some of the greatest defenses in NFL history."
McShay wrote: "We all know about his legendary combine workout by now — I mean, a 4.78-second 40-yard dash at 341 pounds is ridiculous—and if Davis stays at his current weight, he'll be a nightmare for opponents every Sunday."
ESPN Draft Predictor Says One Top Edge Prospect Has 100 Percent Chance of Being Available at No. 14
If the Ravens truly covet Davis, the odds are in their favor that he'll be available to them at the No. 14 spot. According to ESPN’s Draft Day Predictor, there's a 78 percent chance Davis will be there.
Among players most often linked to the Ravens, Purdue edge rusher George Karlaftis has a 100 percent chance to be available at No. 14.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Oregon edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux has a zero percent chance of lasting until the 14th spot.
Two other popular picks for the Ravens in mock drafts — Northern Iowa offensive tackle Trevor Penning and Washington cornerback Trent McDuffie —have a 78 percent and 76 percent chance, respectively, of lasting until No. 14.
Pundits Envision Ravens Making Multiple Draft Trades
There's been plenty of speculation about the Ravens potentially trading up or down in the first round, but some believe the larger question isn't if the team will make a trade during the draft, it's how many.
With 10 picks, including nine in the first four rounds, General Manager Eric DeCosta has the flexibility to move around the draft board.
"I would say that there's a strong possibility that we'll either have more than 10 picks, or less than 10 picks, when it's all said and done," DeCosta said at the pre-draft press conference earlier this month.
PressBox’s Bo Smolka said the odds are long that the Ravens will make all 10 picks exactly as scheduled.
"DeCosta has said he loves to trade, and the franchise has a long history of dealing picks during the draft, sometimes moving up, more often moving back, and sometimes adding picks the following year," Smolka wrote.
One of Baltimore Beatdown’s Frank Platko’s bold predictions for the draft is that DeCosta will make a minimum of three trades.
"Three or more trades is a high mark, but why not?" Platko wrote. "This draft has huge implications for the Ravens' success in 2022 and beyond, and it's important they come away with multiple impact playmakers."
In The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec's final mock draft, the Ravens made two trades.
In the first round, Zrebiec has the Ravens sending their first-round pick and final fourth-rounder (No. 141) to the New Orleans Saints for their first first-rounder (16th overall), a third-round pick (No. 98) and a fifth-round pick (No. 161).
"For the Ravens, the logic is simple. There are still three players they'd be content to take and moving back two spots guarantees they'll get one of them," Zrebiec wrote. "Plus, the trade gives them another pick on Day 2, wherein lies the strength of the draft. Per one draft trade chart, the Ravens' traded picks are worth a total of 1,135.5 points while the Saints' picks are worth 1,133.4 points. This is pretty close to an even trade."
Zrebiec has the Ravens selecting McDuffie at No. 16, but he also considered Davis and Penning.
For his second trade scenario, Zrebiec has Baltimore sending its fourth-round pick at No. 139 and sixth-rounder at No. 196 to the Detroit Lions for a fifth-rounder at No. 177 overall and a 2023 fourth-rounder.
"[The Ravens] are in line to get zero compensatory picks in 2023. DeCosta and company will undoubtedly look to add a 2023 pick at some point during this draft. This deal would accomplish that," Zrebiec wrote.
“Good Morning Football’s” Peter Schrager has the Ravens trading their first-round pick to the Green Bay Packers for their first-rounder (No. 22) and a second-rounder (No. 53) in his final mock draft. Schrager mocked Michigan safety Daxton Hill to Baltimore at No. 22.
"New defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald gets one of his former Wolverine stars for his Ravens D. Hill's versatility allows him to play both cornerback and safety," Schrager wrote.
Some Pundits Predict Early Run on WRs, QBs, Which Would Benefit Ravens
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah and NBC Sports’ Peter King both have four wide receivers going in the top 11 picks in their final mock drafts, and if things unfold that way there will undoubtedly be some high-fiving in the Ravens' war room.
"For one thing, such a run would push top edge rushers, cornerbacks and tackles down the board," The Baltimore Sun’s Childs Walker and Jonas Shaffer wrote. "For another, it might give the Ravens greater flexibility to trade down if they so choose. What if a team such as the Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints or Kansas City Chiefs is hot to get to No. 14 for a specific receiver such as Alabama's Jameson Williams or Ohio State's Garrett Wilson? The Ravens covet multiple good options wherever they're picking, and wide receivers might be their key to achieving such a plum position in 2022."
An early run on quarterbacks also would favor the Ravens, although that scenario seems less likely. A number of mock drafts have only two quarterbacks being taken in the first round, usually in the bottom half.
However, NFL.com’s Maurice Jones-Drew boldly predicted four quarterbacks will be selected in the top 10. If that happens, forget about high fives. DeCosta and his cohorts will be doing back flips.
"Any quarterback picked in the top 13 would be a gift to the Ravens, because it would increase the odds of a top-tier edge rusher, cornerback or offensive tackle dropping to No. 14," Walker and Shaffer wrote. "Most mock drafters seem to believe some team, whether it's the Carolina Panthers at No. 6 overall or a dark horse, will take the plunge on Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett or Liberty's Malik Willis. The Ravens will be disappointed if a team doesn't.
"Could they be lucky enough to watch two quarterbacks come off the board before they pick? It's not impossible, but not enough teams seem motivated to trade up or forgo better value to take a risk at the sport's most important position."
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