Well, Baltimore Ravens fans, there is finally a draft selection on offense.
With the 122nd pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Ravens used their fourth-round draft choice to select San Diego State offensive guard Nico Siragusa.
After losing right tackle Ricky Wagner in free agency and trading away center Jeremy Zuttah, overall depth along the offensive line was desperately needed, and Siragusa fills that void. A third-team All-American in 2016, Siragusa was a three-year starter at left guard, and projects as such in the NFL.
The pick may lead to Alex Lewis kicking out to right tackle in 2017 if Siragusa can win a starting job at guard. Given Siragusa’s body of work in college, he certainly may contribute in year one with the Ravens.
Siragusa’s overall power and explosiveness is rare for an offensive lineman selected on the third day of draft, and he should more than live up to his fourth-round draft status.
A well-built mauler in the trenches, Siragusa stands out more as a run blocker than in pass protection. He can pave the way for run lanes up the middle, but does not always display the same strength as a pass blocker.
Given Baltimore’s struggles in the run game in recent years, mainly due to inconsistent blocking, Siragusa fits the bill as the type of offensive lineman that the Ravens needed to add in the offseason.
Wagner and Lewis were recent Ravens selections on the third day of the draft who turned out to be starters early in their career.
Siragusa may very well, follow in their footsteps.
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