Who Should it be For Baltimore at No. 6?
RSR touched down with Kyle Crabbs, writer from a wildly popular website and together we take a look at how Draft Breakdown analyzes the Ravens in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Q: During the pre-draft luncheon Assistant GM Eric DeCosta said, “Every single year, there’s a guy that gets drafted in the draft in the third, fourth, fifth, sixth round at wideout who emerges as one of the best players in the draft. Our task is to find that guy this year and get him on the team.”
Give me 2 guys who could be “that guy” in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Rashard Higgins, Colorado State: Dynamic route runner who reminded of a longer, more creative version of Rashad Greene out of Florida State in 2015. Was a much more impactful player when playing with a NFL QB at the helm of the offense in Garrett Grayson.
Marquez North, Tennessee: North struggled with injuries throughout career at Tennessee but his freshman season was filled with explosive “wow” plays. North has the physical skill set (size/athletic profile) to be an alpha receiver but needs to prove struggles to see the field as a Junior were an aberration.
Q: Is Notre Dame tackle closer in ability to Laremy Tunsil or to the other Big 10 tackles, Jack Conklin from Michigan State or Taylor Decker from Ohio State? Pick a current NFL player who is a good benchmark for Stanley’s ceiling as a pro.
Stanley scores closer to Tunsil than Conklin/Decker for me, personally. Conklin is excellent in the run game but needs notable development as a pass protector and his efficiency with hands/feet. Decker wins with tenacity and length but struggles with leverage to consistently generate push. Stanley has lapses in pass protection due to poor sets but is a much cleaner prospect technically and checks boxes in size and functional athleticism.
Q: Will the Ravens stay put at No. 6 and if they do who will be their pick?
The Ravens should most certainly stay put, there’s only a handful of high end prospects before the first notable drop off (I have eight players in the top tier this year, about half of what I usually log in my evaluations). Baltimore has the opportunity to pick up a versatile defensive lineman in DeForest Buckner from Oregon and add another athletic body along the defensive front to slide inside and out to provide pressure and penetration.
Q. The Ravens pick at No. 36 is probably their most intriguing. Give me the player that you think WILL be available at that pick that fits a need and has a first-round grade.
If Boise State Pass Rusher Kamalei Correa is still on the board, that’s a home run pick for Baltimore. Correa fits the smash mouth mentality and physical style of play that has been the Baltimore brand for years and he has shown a fair amount of versatility as a stand up rusher and occasionally playing in zone coverage out in space.
Q: If healthy Notre Dame LB Jaylon Smith could be this draft’s No. 1 overall pick. Where will he go in this draft if there isn’t a clear prognosis for his injury by April 28?
I think if Smith isn’t able to clear medicals; you almost have to expect him to fall into the latter part of Day 2 or early portion of Day 3. He’s got too much upside to slide past that far but it’s difficult for a team to justify investing a 1st or 2nd RD selection on what is potentially a shot in the dark.
Q: What players in this draft are the most overrated and underrated.
Overrated: I think Corey Coleman gets a lot of love for being a dynamic playmaker with the football in his hands but I don’t necessarily see a NFL receiver just yet. Coleman needs to add versatility to his route tree, play with a greater effort level and most importantly needs to continue to develop techniques to win routes when not working in sprawling space, as he frequently did at Baylor.
Underrated: Jason Spriggs, OT (Indiana) comes to mind. He’s like a more polished version of Lane Johnson from a few years ago in my eyes. He’s a highly athletic lineman but more importantly that athleticism and foot quickness flashes on the field as a second level blocker and a pass protector mirroring in space.
Q: The Ravens turn in the card with the name of “this guy”. Tell me which “this guy” would get you excited and which would trigger a big disappointment.
Excited: Myles Jack, LB (UCLA) is easily the best football player in this year’s class. To me, that’s a home run pick and he would be an instant weapon along the Baltimore front seven.
Disappointed: I know better than to stack my chips against Ozzie Newsome. If Ozzie says someone is the guy; I’ll take his word for it!
