OTL: The Return of Mock Draft Fridays

Before we begin today, I wanted to send my sincere condolences to the innocent people who were harmed in Wednesday’s Super Bowl parade:

Statement from the Baltimore Ravens: pic.twitter.com/weWCJmc5Vw

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) February 14, 2024

These people were just celebrating a win and had their lives changed forever. No one should have to deal with this kind of thing on a day meant for celebrating, and it is heartbreaking for everyone involved, which includes every NFL fan.

Getting back on track, the Ravens have been named as one of the favorites for a free agent, but he probably doesn’t play the position you think he does:

Bleacher Report named the Ravens as a top landing spot for Giants RB Saquon Barkley

“Barkley splitting the rushing load with [Lamar] Jackson could prolong both of their primes and improve an already elite rushing attack.” pic.twitter.com/Wcsx5SscnL

— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) February 15, 2024

This one is an interesting thought experiment. The Ravens have many needs across the board this offseason, but running back isn’t typically discussed as much as others. It is a need with Gus Edwards and JK Dobbins potentially gone, and spending a high pick on one doesn’t seem smart with all the talent on the team either leaving or up in the air. At the same time, how much does Saquon Barkley want? Barkley and the Ravens have been seen as a match for a while now, but if Barkley wants a ton of money, he isn’t coming here. Baltimore has too many needs to spend a ton of money on a position where a late-round pick can quickly blossom. Barkley is an awesome talent, but the fit must be based on the dollars. If he is affordable, sign me up because it would be fun to see how the offense would look with Saquon in the mix.

Speaking of offense, one of the things that can take the Ravens to the next level is getting a break-out year from Rashod Bateman:

Rashod Bateman doing cardio makes me sad https://t.co/Kp1nUPruqF

— Cole Jackson (@ColeJacksonFB) February 15, 2024

Bateman had one of the weirdest years I have seen from a receiver. It seemed like he was always open, yet he and Lamar Jackson couldn’t get on the same page. It didn’t help that the few times Lamar looked his way, he would have a concentration drop, or Lamar would just miss him. How many times this year was there a play where Bateman would be wide open down the field, and either a miscommunication would happen, or he would slow up on the ball in the air, causing the play to fall short? So many little things caused Bateman to disappoint this year. Yes, he is open a ton, but he can’t get this ball for some reason. Is it on Todd Monken for not getting him involved more? Is it Lamar and his sometimes shaky deep ball placement? Is it Bateman’s ball tracking and concentration drops? Perhaps a combination of all three? Whatever the problem is, it needs to get fixed. We still have no idea if OBJ or Zay Flowers will be on the team next year. Bateman is too talented for the season he just put up, and the team needs to figure out a way to get him involved.

Now that it is the offseason, we are bringing back Mock Draft Fridays, and I cooked up one I love today, so let’s break it down.

We just discussed the WR position, this year is looking like another great class to need one, and Keon Coleman brings a type of player the Ravens don’t have. He is a big-bodied receiver who can be dangerous in the middle of the field and flash down the sideline. I say flash because his contested catch rate wasn’t that good. This is one of the times that watching tape gives context for stats. Those contented catch numbers are skewed by plays he shouldn’t have been able to make, but he is so strong and big that those are considered contested catches. I like his hands, as he only had two drops on the season. My main concern is the deep speed, which is lacking. This pick would be money if Flowers were a sure thing right now, but he isn’t, and if he has to carry the workload of an offense with no OBJ or Flowers, that might be an issue. Still, a talented player of the type that the Ravens need.

Kris Jenkins continues the Michigan-to-Baltimore pipeline by bringing run-stopping ability and tenacity to the D-Line if they lose Justin Madubuike. Amegadjie is a good athlete at tackle who needs to work on his pass pro and hand placement. Hart is a tall corner, a Baltimore native who dominated the red zone one-on-ones in the Senior Bowl. Booker is a project for the Ravens to develop, and they usually go for one of these guys late anyway. Wright adds the home run hitting speed at RB with questions about Keaton Mitchell‘s ability to stay healthy and is also an early declare. McCormick is a project guard/center that stood out at the Shrine Bowl, and Richardson is a shot at athleticism late at Safety.

Hope you enjoyed this Mock Draft Friday, and again, prayers up for the innocent people affected by the shooting at the Chiefs Super Bowl parade.

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