Perhaps it's because we've spent too much time talking about this year's draft on "The Lounge," but here are our seven-round Ravens mock drafts that look way too similar.
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 some guesses.
So with that in mind, here we go:
Ryan Mink
Round 1, No. 28 – EDGE A.J. Epenesa, Iowa
The Ravens have long been a team that values the tape over all else. Epenesa had a discouraging Combine performance, but flip on the film and he's a heavy-handed monster with big-time production (22 sacks over the past two seasons). Standing in at 6-foot-5, 275 pounds, he has the size and physicality the Ravens love in their defensive front-seven. He also offers position flexibility, which works well in the Ravens' multiple fronts. Eric DeCosta said this is an "old-school" kind of draft this year, and Epenesa is an old-school type player who seems like he was made for the AFC North. The bonus here is there's a possibility the Ravens could trade back and still get him since the rest of the league may be knocking him too much based off his Combine showing. Baltimore knows better.
Round 2, No. 55 – WR KJ Hamler, Penn State
The notion that the Ravens need a big-bodied wide receiver outside is flawed. They traded up to use a third-round pick on Miles Boykin last year, and they want to see what he's got. Just imagine another speed merchant in the slot (or outside for that matter) to go along with Marquise Brown. The Chiefs built a track team around Patrick Mahomes. In an offense that runs more than anybody else, the Ravens benefit most from big-play, low-volume wide receivers. Plus, Hamler could be a spark in the return game.
Round 2, No. 60 – G/T Robert Hunt, Louisiana-Lafayette
The Ravens want a road grader in the trenches and the athletic 6-foot-5, 323-pound Hunt would do the trick. He was a right tackle the past two seasons (left tackle and left guard before that), but projects well at right guard as a replacement to Marshal Yanda. The Ravens like moving college tackles inside (see Kelechi Osemele in 2012, who was also a second-round pick).
Round 3, No. 92 – LB Willie Gay Jr., Mississippi State
If Kenneth Murray and Patrick Queen are both gone before the Ravens have a chance to get them at No. 28, they can still get a fast, physical linebacker in the middle rounds. Gay blew up the Combine with a 40-yard dash at 4.46 seconds. He looked ready to break out after a strong sophomore season with five sacks and two interceptions, but was held out of eight games last year due to NCAA violations. An SEC personnel official said Gay is "ridiculously talented" and the best linebacker his team faced last season.
Round 3, No. 106 – RB Zack Moss, Utah
Moss is a compact (5-foot-9, 223 pounds), powerful back who can do it all. He posted 1,416 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns last season and also added 28 catches for 388 yards and another two scores. The Ravens have a full stable of running backs right now, but Moss could learn from a similar back in Mark Ingram III and carve out a big role down the line.
Round 4, No. 129 – WR Tyler Johnson, Minnesota
Johnson makes contested catches look routine and is somewhat reminiscent of A.J. Brown, who blew up with the Titans as a rookie last year. According to NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, Johnson "plays the game like a big brother imposing his will on his younger brothers on the playground." Johnson set multiple school records and posted 86 catches for 1,318 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. The team captain could be a core special teams player early on who could become a valuable possession receiver.
Round 4, No. 143 – TE Thaddeus Moss, LSU
The son of Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss is known more for his blocking than receiving, and he would be a mauler in the trenches. The Ravens used Hayden Hurst, who they recently traded to the Atlanta Falcons, to run block nearly as often as they used him in passing plays. Moss could step into that same role and perhaps help even more in the run game. Moss isn't going to have Hurst's speed as a receiving threat, but he's sure-handed.
Round 5, No. 170 – EDGE Anfernee Jennings, Alabama
Jennings was a three-year starter who finished his career with 83 tackles and eight sacks last season. Here’s a quote from an SEC defensive coach that says it all: "He's tough, he's big, he's strong, he plays football and he's a grown man. If you're just talking about a pure man, Anfernee Jennings is a pure man. You'd probably have to look at somebody that came out 10 years ago to even find a comparison for him. He's the last of a dying breed. They don't make 'em like Anfernee anymore. That's a throwback linebacker."
Round 7, No. 225 – CB Parnell Motley, Oklahoma
The Ravens don't get Murray, but Motley was another standout defender on Oklahoma's defense. The Washington, D.C. native is very experienced and is coming off a strong 2019 season in which he was a second-team All-Big 12 selection, led the Sooners with 13 pass breakups and tied for second in the country with five forced fumbles. The Ravens always like to have young cornerbacks in the pipeline.
Garrett Downing
First Round, No. 28: LB Patrick Queen, LSU
The national champion linebacker is a plug-and-play starter on Baltimore's defense. By selecting Queen, the Ravens address the most glaring hole left on their defense. Queen is a sideline-to-sideline linebacker who can help stop the run and still run with tight ends in coverage. He lasts until late in the first round because he only has one year of major college production, but the Ravens get great value at pick No. 28. Queen become the Ravens' first draft pick from LSU in the 25-year history of the franchise.
Second Round, No. 55: WR Jalen Reagor, TCU
Speed. Speed. Speed. The Ravens gave their offense a home-run threat last year with the addition of wide receiver Hollywood Brown, and now Reagor adds more big-play ability to the unit. Reagor is a threat to score every time he gets the ball in his hands, and he'll give Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman some exciting options as a play caller. With Reagor and Brown on the field together, the Ravens will be able to stretch the field even more for quarterback Lamar Jackson. A bonus with Reagor is that he comes with return ability, having worked as both a kick and punt returner in college. Reagor averaged 20.8 yards per punt return last year and scored a pair of touchdowns, and he provides a much-needed jolt to the return game. A question is whether Reagor lasts to 55, and the Ravens may have to slide up to guarantee they get him.
Second Round, No. 60: OL Robert Hunt, Louisiana
Back in 2012, the Ravens drafted college tackle Kelechi Osemele in the second round and moved him inside to guard on their way to winning Super Bowl XLVII. Hunt looks like a very similar player. He has the size to quickly make the jump to the NFL and fill the massive hole left behind by Marshal Yanda's retirement. Hunt is a mauler in the run game and will clear holes for Mark Ingram and the rushing attack. His versatility as a guard and tackle is attractive, but with a pair of Pro Bowl tackles already on the roster in Ronnie Stanley and Orlando Brown Jr., Hunt would fill an immediate need at guard. With Hunt and Brown next to each other on the right side, defenses would have to deal with nearly 700 pounds coming at them in downhill rushing attack.
Third Round, No. 92: OLB Jabari Zuniga, Florida
The Ravens have a strong track record of finding quality mid-round pass rushers, and Zuniga fits the bill. His production in college was limited by injuries, but he still showed flashes of great pass-rush ability. Zuniga had 18.5 sacks and 33 tackles for loss in his college career, and he gives the Ravens another situational pass rusher to spell Matthew Judon, Jaylon Ferguson and Tyus Bowser. He needs to develop more consistency, but he has the potential to develop in the Ravens' defense.
Third Round, No. 106: DT Leki Fotu, Utah
The Ravens addressed the defensive line this offseason by adding Calais Campbell and Derek Wolfe, but they also lost Michael Pierce to free agency and like to keep a good pipeline of young talent. Fotu is a massive lineman who enters the NFL as a bit of a raw prospect because he grew up playing rugby, not football. Fotu is best projected as a run stuffer, and he could make an impact as a rotational lineman his rookie year.
Fourth Round, No. 129: WR Lynn Bowden, Kentucky
Bowden is the definition of an athlete. When injuries hit the quarterback position last year at Kentucky, the coaches gave Bowden the job because he was simply the best player on the team. He ended up leading the team in both rushing and receiving. He's similar to Reagor in that he brings great speed and playmaking ability, and the Ravens can get creative in how they use him. Bowden's skillset as a receiver is not yet refined, but his athleticism is clear and he can create headaches for defensive coordinators.
Fourth Round, No. 143: S J.R. Reed, Georgia
A safety wearing No. 20 with Reed as his last name just feels right. The Georgia product is a savvy defender with a strong college track record. He started 42 games over the last three years and came up with five interceptions. While the Ravens don't have an immediate need in their secondary, college safeties often make a seamless transition to NFL special teamers, and that's the short-term forecast for Reed.
Fifth Round: No. 170: TE Devin Asiasi, UCLA
Trading Hayden Hurst this offseason gives the Ravens a need in the tight end room, and Asiasi gives the Ravens a high-upside player to go along with Mark Andrews and Nick Boyle. He played at Michigan under Head Coach Jim Harbaugh before transferring to UCLA, so the Ravens will certainly get a good evaluation on him. He had a strong 2019 season, catching 44 passes for 641 yards, and he'll be a TE3 option in Baltimore.
Seventh Round, No. 225: LB Chris Orr, Wisconsin
The Ravens love getting players from families with a strong football pedigree, and they know first-hand about the quality of the Orr family. They signed Zach Orr as an undrafted free agent back in 2014, and he turned into an All-Pro before a congenital neck condition forced him into early retirement. Now he's on the defensive coaching staff, and he'd certainly advocate for his younger brother, Chris. The Wisconsin product had a stellar senior season where he put up 11.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss, and now he gets a chance to follow in his big brother's footsteps.
