We're two days away from the NFL Draft and it's time for predictions to go from pencil to pen.
Ryan Mink and Garrett Downing took a stab at predicting all 10 Ravens picks in the 2022 NFL Draft, with no trades permitted.
As a reminder, this comes with ZERO insider knowledge from anyone in the Ravens' front office or scouting department. We don't get any clues. This is just two guys making their guesses.
Ryan Mink
Round 1, No. 14 – DT Jordan Davis, Georgia
The Ravens love stockpiling large humans and Eric DeCosta has shown a desire to get athletic freaks. Davis is a rare specimen. At 6-foot-6, 341 pounds, he scored a perfect 10.0 on the Relative Athletic Score (RAS). That's the second-highest grade of any player at any position in the entire RAS database, only trailing former Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson. Defensive tackle isn't the most premier position in a pass-happy NFL but sometimes the player is just worth it because they're that special.
Davis probably won't ever fill up the box score, but he will change the game. Opponents would find a wall in the running game, which is particularly valuable in the black-and-blue AFC North. Add Davis to a line with Calais Campbell, Michael Pierce, Justin Madubuike and Derek Wolfe and the Ravens defense could wreck shop up front. Georgia's NCAA championship defense was filled with stars, but the big man in the trenches helped make everybody else look better, and he could do the same in Baltimore.
Round 2, No. 45 – CB Kyler Gordon, Washington
Trent McDuffie is a popular mock pick and certainly a strong choice, but his Washington teammate is also an excellent player who would fit Baltimore's defense well. Gordon is a premier athlete with great feet from his days competing in dance and martial arts as a kid. He plays with a physical edge and led the team in passes defensed and interceptions last season. He's also outstanding on special teams. Gordon could use some refinement with his technique and instincts, and former Huskie Marcus Peters could certainly help.
Round 3, No. 76 – OT Daniel Faalele, Minnesota
I'll say it again. The Ravens like to add big men to their roster. It doesn't get any bigger than Faalele, who towers at 6-foot-8, 384 pounds. Of Tongan and Samoan descent, Faalele was born and raised in Australia with rugby as his sport. Though he came to football late, his sheer size and physicality made him a dominant right tackle at Minnesota, where he played with Rashod Bateman. Faalele needs to continue to refine his game, but he's a great power blocking fit at right tackle who would add depth and a future starter to the offensive line. He's reminiscent of Orlando Brown Jr., who the Ravens also scooped up in the third round.
Round 3, No. 100 – EDGE Myjai Sanders, Cincinnati
Sanders steps in at 6-foot-5, 228 pounds with room to build on that frame. He is explosive off the edge with his first step. He's also stout in the run game and athletic enough to drop into space. Sanders had good college production with 13.5 sacks over the past three seasons. He's an emotional player who was also a senior team captain last year and is durable (38 consecutive starts). I also debated Kentucky's Josh Paschal in this spot. The Ravens had success with another mid-round Kentucky rusher in Za'Darius Smith.
Round 4, No. 110 – EDGE Alex Wright, UAB
The Ravens go back-to-back on EDGE rushers, stockpiling youth at the position to add to Odafe Oweh and Tyus Bowser. At 6-foot-5, 271 pounds, Wright is even bigger than Sanders, and could be used in a variety of roles, including as a defensive end with his hand in the dirt. He's similarly sized as Jaylon Ferguson. Wright logged 12.5 sacks in three seasons and could just be scratching the surface, as his athleticism and length give him a high ceiling.
Round 4, No. 119 – RB Zamir White, Georgia
Baltimore is looking for reinforcements at running back with J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards coming off knee injuries. White has overcome much adversity himself and emerged a strong one-cut runner similar in some ways to a smaller version of Edwards. White was Georgia's starter, sharing duties with the more pass-catching James Cook, who could also be the pick here.
Round 4, No. 128 – CB Jaylen Watson, Washington State
The Ravens double dip at cornerback as they need to build up their depth and start developing more potential starters for down the road. Watson has great size as a press-man corner at 6-foot-2, 197 pounds. He was a no-star recruit coming out of high school who worked with his mom at a Wendy's before going to college. Watson only has 15 FBS games under his belt, but the tools, physicality and desire are all there to make him an intriguing prospect. Alabama's Josh Jobe could also be a good fit in this spot.
Round 4, No. 139 – LB Brandon Smith, Penn State
Smith was a major recruit coming out of high school (No. 1 inside linebacker and No. 18 overall). He has outstanding size (6-3, 250) and range to be an in-the-box thumper who is also fast enough to match up in coverage. The Ravens could use more depth at inside linebacker and veteran Josh Bynes could help Smith with the mental aspect of the position while the rookie is a wrecking ball on special teams.
Round 4, No. 141 – C Ben Brown, Ole Miss
The Ravens like big centers. The biggest one in this class is Brown, who stands in at 6-foot-5, 312 pounds. He is a powerful run blocker who is thickly built in his lower half and hard to move in pass protection. He also played guard, so there is some position flexibility. Brown graduated cum laude and is pursuing a master's in health promotion, so he has the required smarts. He can develop and eventually be in the mix to start.
Round 6, No. 196 – WR Bo Melton, Rutgers
Baltimore doesn't have to get another wide receiver, but it's hard to imagine DeCosta not taking another shot on one. Melton ran a 4.34 at the Combine but didn't top 650 receiving yards in any college season in part because of spotty quarterback play. Still, he has the yards after catch skills to diversify the Ravens' offense. He was a two-year team captain who can also play special teams.
Garrett Downing
Round 1, No. 14 – CB Trent McDuffie, Washington
The Ravens have a void at cornerback right now and McDuffie would give them an immediate impact player. He's a clean prospect with a high floor, versatility and the kind of attitude that fits the "Play Like a Raven" profile. McDuffie has a knack for the football and isn't hesitant to come make a big hit at the line of scrimmage.
McDuffie can play inside or outside, which would allow him to get on the field right away as a rookie. The only real knock on McDuffie is his size, but at 5-foot-11, 193 pounds, he's not a small corner. Plus, he plays bigger than his size with a fiery attitude that would be a perfect fit on Baltimore's defense. The Ravens need pro ready players in this draft, and that's exactly what McDuffie is.
Round 2, No. 45 – OT Nicholas Petit-Frere, Ohio State
If the Ravens address the secondary in the first round, then the offensive line will become an increased priority on Day 2. Petit-Frere would give the Ravens a massive blocker to help solidify the offensive line. He could play tackle in the event that Ronnie Stanley misses time with the ankle injury, or potentially kick inside to guard if the line is at full strength. Petit-Frere was a big-time recruit coming out of high school who played on both tackle spots at Ohio State. Run blocking is the 6-foot-5, 315-pounder's calling card, which makes him an ideal fit for the Ravens scheme. Petit-Frere had a rough outing against No. 1 overall recruit Aiden Hutchinson when Ohio State played Michigan, but he's still a player with a very high ceiling who would be a quality second-round pick at a big position of need.
Round 3, Pick 76 – OLB Nik Bonitto, Oklahoma
I'll admit I may be dreaming here about the possibility of Bonitto making it to the third round. But if he does, the Ravens may run that card to the podium. The Oklahoma product is a quality pass rusher with a proven ability to get after the quarterback. The Ravens want to add some depth to the pass-rush department in this draft, and Bonitto would help in a big way. NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah believes Bonitto could emerge as a "Pro Bowl talent" if he adds some strength. Playing in the Ravens defense would give him a chance to flourish as a situational pass rusher early in his career.
Round 3, Pick 100 – CB Jayln Armour-Davis, Alabama
DeCosta has yet to draft an Alabama player since taking over as General Manager, but that changes with Armour-Davis. He has ideal size and terrific speed, which he showed by running the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds. He didn't step into a starting role until 2021 because of the talented Alabama defense, but he made the most of that one season by earning second-team ALL-SEC honors. His scouting report sounds a lot like former Ravens cornerback Anthony Averett (another Alabama prospect), who they selected in the fourth round of the 2018 draft.
*Round 4, Pick 110 – DT Thomas Booker, Stanford *
Drafting the Stanford product would be a fairytale story for Booker and Ravens. He played his high school football in Baltimore at Gilman before heading west to play his college ball at Stanford. He was a productive player throughout his college career as a three-year starter and earned First-Team All-Pac 12 honors in 2020. Booker also checks the boxes off the field, as he was a team captain and an academic All-American.
Round 4, Pick 119 – RB Kyren Williams, Notre Dame
As Dobbins and Edwards continue rehabbing from their knee injuries, the Ravens want to add some insurance to the backfield. Williams brings ability as a pass catcher out of the backfield and has drawn some comparisons to Chargers running back Austin Eckler. Williams has also topped 1,000 rushing yards in back-to-back seasons, so he's more than just a pass catcher on third downs. Williams was a captain at Notre Dame and a leader of their offense.
Round 4, Pick 128 – TE Jake Ferguson, Wisconsin
Tight end depth is a sneaky need for the Ravens. Nick Boyle battled the knee injury all year and blocking tight end Eric Tomlinson left in free agency this offseason. Ferguson would give the Ravens a prospect with ideal size (6-5, 250) for the position, and another quality pass catcher to help complement Mark Andrews. Ferguson comes from a football family (his grandfather is longtime Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez) and the Ravens have a long track record of drafting players with a strong football pedigree.
Round 4, Pick 139 – OL Marquis Hayes, Oklahoma
Hayes is a big-bodied offensive linemen who has the size (6-5, 325) of a tackle, but has played inside at guard throughout his career. Based on his experience inside at guard, the Ravens could see if he also has the ability to play center. They have a history of bringing in college guards/tackles and having them transition to center of time, and Hayes could fit that mold.
Round 4, Pick 141 – WR Romeo Doubs, Nevada
Wide receiver isn't a big need for the Ravens, but with so many picks it's tough to see DeCosta just completely sitting out the receiver market. Doubs is a big-bodied target (6-2, 200) who topped 1,000 receiving yards in back-to-back seasons. After moving on from Miles Boykin this offseason, the Ravens get another big-bodied developmental receiver in the later rounds of the draft.
Round 6, Pick 196 – DT Eyioma Uwazurike, Iowa State
DeCosta said at the combine that the Ravens wanted to restock the defensive line room with young talent, and Uwazurike in the sixth round gives them another big body (6-6, 315) in the middle of the group. He would be a depth piece along the defensive front to groom alongside the veterans Michael Pierce and Calais Campbell.
