Ravens 7-Round Mock Draft
Almost all the talk around the Ravens' draft has naturally focused on what they'll do with the No. 6 pick.
But that's just one of Ozzie Newsome's nine selections.
What about the 36th pick? Or No. 70? Or 104? Or…
You get the idea.
The Ravens have seven picks in the first four rounds, and they expect to inject their roster with young playmakers who can make a difference this season. Newsome has the ammunition to make that happen, and the team over at Rotoworld made their best guesses on what Baltimore's full draft will look like by putting together a seven-round mock.
Here are their predictions:
Round 1 (6): DE Joey Bosa, Ohio State
Round 2 (36): RB Derrick Henry, Alabama
Round 3 (70): LB Joe Schobert, Wisconsin
Round 4 (104): G Reese Odhiambo, Boise State
Round 4 (130): OT Kyle Murphy, Stanford
Round 4 (132): CB Maurice Canday, Virginia
Round 4 (134): OLB Victor Ochi, Stony Brook
Round 6 (182): LB Antwione Williams, Georgia Southern
Round 6 (209): S Kevin Byard, Middle Tennessee
"The Ravens' top two edge rushers [Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil] are nearing the end of their careers," wrote Rotoworld's Josh Norris. "The Ravens do not ask their pass rushers to drop into coverage often, so Bosa, an explosive power rusher, will be used correctly. Bosa's agility scores were much better than expected."
Bosa has been a popular pick for the Ravens in a variety of mocks, and he fits what they need this offseason. Owner Steve Bisciotti said at last week's owners meetings that he would still like to see more pass rushers added to the roster, and Bosa may be the best in the class.
The most intriguing prediction from Rotoworld is the selection of Alabama running back Derrick Henry. The Heisman Trophy winner has game-breaking potential, but the Ravens already have an incredibly crowded backfield with Justin Forsett, Javorius Allen, Lorenzo Taliaferro, Terrance West and (soon to be) Trent Richardson in the mix.
But if Henry were still on the board at No. 36, he would be tough to pass up.
"Do we really think Ozzie Newsome will be able to resist Henry if he's still available?" Norris wrote. "I am a big fan of Henry's game, and think he can be a tremendous asset to a team that allows him to get beyond the line of scrimmage. The Ravens have holes on the OL now, but just think of Henry wearing down tired opponents with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter while up on the scoreboard."
This isn't the only seven-round mock you'll see between now and the draft. Ryan Mink and I will take our stab at predicting all nine picks later this month, so keep an eye out for that to see who has the better knack. (We'll be keeping score in our office).
Worst-Cast Draft Day Scenario
The first-round scenario that Rotoworld laid out above would have plenty of people in Baltimore smiling on draft night.
But by no means is it a guarantee Bosa will fall to sixth, and the Ravens are certainly looking at all the potential scenarios that could unfold on April 28.
The Baltimore Sun's Jeff Zrebiec wrote about "one plausible outcome that, at least from the outside, appears to be the Ravens' worst-case scenario."
In Zrebiec's scenario, Bosa, UCLA's Myles Jack, Florida State's Jalen Ramsey, Ole Miss' Laremy Tunsil and one of the quarterbacks are the first five players off the board (in no particular order). That would leave the Ravens likely deciding between Notre Dame left tackle Ronnie Stanley, Oregon defensive end DeForest Buckner and Florida cornerback Vernon Hargreaves. And as Owner Steve Bisciotti said last week, they could always trade back.
If that scenario unfolded, Zrebiec wrote that taking Buckner "makes a lot of sense."
"The Ravens have a bigger need for an edge rusher and Buckner is not that guy, but he can line up in a lot of different places," Zrebiec said. "He'd give defensive coordinator Dean Pees some nice flexibility. Plus, how many times have you heard Newsome say that he'll take the best player available? Buckner fits the profile in so many ways."
Zrebiec also seemed to think the Ravens wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger on Hargreaves. He was a highly productive defender during his college career, and "it would be hard to gripe about the Ravens picking Hargreaves. Quality cover corners are hard to find."
The only player in this scenario that gives Zrebiec some pause is Stanley. The Notre Dame product is considered the second-best left tackle in the class, but that's just not a sexy move so high in the draft.
"He'd be a solid pick, but the Ravens need a difference-maker," Zrebiec wrote.
Also, consider yourself warned that the Ravens could very likely trade back if they don't love the options in front of them when they get on the clock. Bisciotti and Newsome love to acquire picks, and there could certainly be teams looking to move up to get into the quarterback sweepstakes at that point.
And for the record, I actually think that the true worst-case scenario would be a little more difficult than what Zrebiec dissected. The worst-possible situation would be if no team in front of the Ravens took a quarterback.
Mink and I also discussed this scenario in this week's Ravens Mailbag, which you can watch below.
Ed Reed In A Movie?
Ed Reed always kept people guessing during his Hall of Fame career in the NFL.
That might continue even though his playing days are over.
Reed did an interview with the Just Not Sports podcast, where he talked about his interest in movies and TV shows like "Game Of Thrones" and "Empire." Reed also shared that he'd love to appear on the silver screen at some point.
"I would love to do it," Reed said. "Honestly I went to L.A., and I have people I talked to about making a movie or being in a movie. I actually got a call today from someone who works in that industry to try to get me to read some scripts, and I'm like, 'Dude I'm about to go coach. I can't be there Friday or next Friday.'"
Reed's Hollywood debut will probably be on hold. He is on the Buffalo Bills' staff as the Assistant Defensive Backs coach, and he plans to keep his focus there for now.
"Sometimes that's just not your world," Reed said. "God gives us different gifts, and mine is definitely in football, so I tend to stick around it."
You can listen to the entire podcast below, which also includes an interview with theMMQB's Peter King. The interview with Reed starts around the 33-minute mark.
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