The Ravens will select with the 30th overall choice in the 2024 NFL Draft, but first they must wait.
The Ravens will sit back and wait for the board to come to them in the hopes that one of their top-20 talents would fall into their laps, barring an unexpected jump up.
The following is what the Ravens should be keeping an eye on (and maybe cheering for) in the opening round:
How aggressive does the offensive tackle market get?
There are many clubs in the market, and this year’s offensive tackle class is highly anticipated. Among such clubs are the Ravens, but if they choose to pick late, they will be at the mercy of other teams.
The Oakland Raiders (No. 13), Saints (No. 14), Chargers (No. 5), Titans (No. 7), Bears (No. 9), Bengals (No. 18), Steelers (No. 20), Dolphins (No. 21), Eagles (No. 22), Cowboys (No. 24), and Packers (No. 25) are the teams looking for a tackle. Additionally, the Commanders, who have pick 36 in the second round, may advance.
The undisputed top tackles are, in no particular order, Graham Barton, Joe Alt, Olu Fashanu, J.C. Latham, Taliese Fuaga, Amarius Mims, and Tyler Guyton. The competition may be fierce because there are fewer athletes than there are teams in need of offensive tackles.
The second query is whether the Ravens and other teams believe that the quality of play declines beyond the aforementioned top tackles. If that’s the case, clubs will be more motivated to advance and acquire their Tier 1 player. If not, Baltimore may still select a tackle in the first round, such as Jordan Morgan of Arizona.
How many quarterbacks are taken?
Considering the Ravens are not in the quarterback market (at least not before Day 3), they want as many quarterbacks as possible to be picked ahead of No. 30 because it pushes prospects at other positions down the board.
It’s a given that Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy will all be picked, potentially all in the top five. The question is whether Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix will follow in the first round.
The two teams to watch are the Broncos (No. 12) and Raiders (No. 13). There’s even been late buzz about the possibility of the Giants, who sit at pick No. 6, being in on Penix. Nix has long been linked to Denver, which doesn’t have a second-round pick and may want to get its guy before it’s too late.
When the first round is almost over and Penix and/or Nix are still available, keep an eye out for clubs like the Giants or Raiders who may be trying to advance back into the first round. Baltimore may have a trade-back opportunity as a result.
When does the cornerback run start?
After the Ravens selected Zay Flowers at No. 3 last year, four wide receivers in a row went off the board. This year, a few cornerbacks might be selected late in the first round.
Both the Packers (ranked No. 25) and the Lions (ranked No. 29) are seen as contenders at cornerback. According to NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, the Lions have “done a ton of homework” on the cornerback class, and Cooper DeJean has been a popular mock pick for the Packers.
At No. 30, the Ravens would not be at all surprised to select a cornerback, particularly if the Packers and/or Lions decide to select offensive linemen instead.
How many wide receivers are drafted?
Rome Odunze, Malik Nabers, and Marvin Harrison Jr. are without a doubt the top three wideouts. Brian Thomas Jr. is anticipated to be selected in the first round beyond that. Following that, Adonai Mitchell, Xavier Worthy, Ladd McConkey, Xavier Legette, and others engage in a little guessing game.
Wide receiver appears to be lower on the needs list, especially in light of the fact that the Ravens just decided to extend Rashod Bateman’s contract on the brink of free agency. At this point, the Ravens could be hoping for more wide outs to be selected.
If it’s not an offensive tackle or cornerback, the most likely first-round position for the Ravens is at EDGE. Two teams just ahead of them – the Buccaneers (No. 26) and Cardinals (No. 27) – are also in the market.
There seems to be a wide range of takes on Laiatu Latu, likely considering the history of his neck injury. Beyond them, Jared Verse and Chop Robinson seem like possible mid-to-late first round targets who could end up as best player available.
