Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome still has more than three months until he's on the clock with the No. 6 overall pick in this year's draft, but the predictions have already started for what he'll do with that selection.
ESPN's draft expert Mel Kiper held a national conference call Thursday, and he laid out a few different scenarios for what the Ravens could do with their highest pick in 16 years.
"They're going to have a lot options," Kiper said.
Here are the four specific players that Kiper pointed to as potential targets for Baltimore:
LT Ronnie Stanley, Notre Dame6-foot-5, 315 pounds
In his first mock draft released Thursday morning, Kiper has the Ravens taking the Notre Dame offensive lineman. The Ravens may be in the market for a left tackle depending on what happens with Kelechi Osemele and Eugene Monroe. Osemele is set to become an unrestricted free agent and he could get a bigger deal than the Ravens can afford. Monroe is still under contract, but the Ravens may want to bring in another option at left tackle because injuries have limited his availability the last two years.
"Stanley fills that void at left tackle," Kiper said. "Stanley shows a lot of talent. Week to week, you see the feet, the exceptional athletic ability that he brings to the position."
Kiper has Stanley graded as the second-best left tackle in this year's class behind Laremy Tunsil from Ole Miss. Kiper expects Tunsil to be gone before the Ravens are on the clock.
"Tunsil is clearly my best left tackle, but if you're looking for the second-bet left tackle who has a ton of upside, it would be Ronnie Stanley," Kiper said. "[Stanley] needs to round off from a consistency standpoint. He had some errors here and there, some penalties, just concentration issues. But he's a big-time talent."
WR Laquon Treadwell, Ole Miss6-foot-2, 210 pounds
2015 season: 82 catches, 1,153 yards, 11 touchdowns
Treadwell is considered the top receiver in the draft by most analysts, and the Ravens are still in the market for more pass catchers. They used last year's first-round pick on wide receiver Breshad Perriman, but Treadwell could entice them to go that route again.
Kiper expects Treadwell to be available for the Ravens, but the question is whether he's worth that high of a pick.
"He's got tremendous hands – huge hands. Great size," Kiper said. "The comparisons to Alshon Jeffery are accurate, but Alshon Jeffery was a second-round pick. You're talking about a top-10 pick here. He's got to run well enough to warrant being that high of a pick in just a so-so wide receiver group this year. But I think that's a little high for Treadwell."
CB Jalen Ramsey, Florida State
6-foot-1, 201 pounds
2015 season: 52 tackles, 1 sack, 9 passes defensed
Ramsey fits the mold of the playmaker the Ravens are seeking on the back end of the defense. He can play corner or safety, and Kiper has him as the highest-graded defensive back on his board. The trick with Ramsey, however, is that he could likely get picked somewhere in the top five.
Kiper currently has Ramsey going to the Jaguars one pick ahead of Baltimore.
"If he's there, that'd be a great pick," Kiper said.
CB Vernon Hargreaves, Florida5-foot-11, 199 pounds
2015 season: 33 tackles, 4 interceptions, 1 forced fumble, 4 passes defensed
Hargreaves is another quality defensive back who could likely step into the starting lineup early in his rookie year. He was a lockdown defender at Florida, and he is widely considered a top-10 pick. Kiper expects Hargreaves to be available at pick No. 6, and he would be a quality option if Ramsey is already off the board.
"Vernon Hargreaves would be in the discussion," Kiper said.
Another option… trade down
Newsome is known to collect draft picks. If the player he wants isn't there at No. 6, Newsome won't hesitate to move back and add a few more picks to his arsenal. Kiper pointed out that when the Ravens drafted Joe Flacco in 2008, they traded back from the No. 8 overall pick to the No. 26 pick, and then moved back up to pick No. 18.
Kiper could see a similar situation unfolding again this year.
"Trading out of there entirely and moving down would be something if it's not a higher-rated player, or if the highest-rated player is not attractive enough there, move down," he said.
