In the age-old debate of brains versus brawn, who has the advantage? In the football world, you’d think that size and strength would matter more. But metrics like the Wonderlic Test are still used to measure a player’s reasoning skills, and some GMs around the league can be more partial to a player who interviews well and shows that they’re going to be a quick study.
Luckily, regardless of which side of the debate you’re on, the incoming Ravens Draft class has them both.
Let’s start with the obvious: this was a big class for the Ravens, in more ways than one.
Pictured above is fourth-round selection Daniel Faalele. I know this photo probably has some forced perspective, but I absolutely cannot get over this picture. It’s one thing for football players to tower over normal-sized human beings, but to make other football players look tiny by comparison is something else entirely. Maybe this is no surprise as you take in that image: Faalele measured 6’9” and weighed in as the heaviest player in the Combine era.
#Ravens 4th-round pick OT Daniel Faalele is set to become the heaviest player in the NFL.
He weighed in at 390 pounds 🤯 pic.twitter.com/6hWX8yZbVe
— Sportskeeda Pro Football (@SKProFootball) April 30, 2022
Not to be overshadowed, the guy towering atop Baltimore’s Draft class also happens to loom large in person.
With the 14th pick, the #Ravens select Kyle Hamilton (Safety, Notre Dame).
Hamilton is one of the most unique talents in the class as he patrols the deep secondary at 6’4” making plays like this one vs. FSU. Do you think this is a good value selection? #RavensFlock pic.twitter.com/hCII34RvaY
— Watch The Tape Podcast (@WatchTheTape_) April 29, 2022
When Jordan Davis (another gigantic human being) got snatched right out from under us by the Eagles, it took a second for the sting to wear off, and I feel like I didn’t adequately absorb the Kyle Hamilton selection until the next day. Maybe that’s why I also mentally glossed over the fact that he stands 6’4” and boasts an 80-inch wingspan. He looks big on film and, knowing how opportunistic he is, I’m sure he’s going to look gigantic to opponents this year.
I didn’t have to wait long for a consolation prize at Defensive Tackle, either, as the Ravens snagged UConn product Travis Jones in the third round. If you didn’t see these clips during the Draft coverage, here’s Jones mauling Patriots 1st-Round selection Cole Strange at the Senior Bowl.
Travis Jones on Cole Strange, part twopic.twitter.com/9o7xGX2qmS
— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) April 30, 2022
Later, the Ravens picked up a pair of tight ends, Iowa State’s Charlie Kolar and Coastal Carolina’s Isaiah Likely, who stand 6’6” and 6’4” respectively.
Charlie Kolar is another big receiving target for Lamar Jackson pic.twitter.com/QEzE5CEhbb
— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) April 30, 2022
Verdicts in. Isaiah Likely is my favorite player in this draft regardless of position. My favorite Tight end pic.twitter.com/n8RseHkvZS
— Joe C (@JcristianoFB) April 26, 2022
These two will join a tight end room already featuring Mark Andrews (6’5”) and Nick Boyle (6’4”). I can feel the receiving yardage and the dinner bills going up at about the same rate.
The catering budget isn’t the only thing escalating, though; the collective IQ in the building may very well have gotten a bump from this class as well.
Let’s start with the aforementioned headliner: Kyle Hamilton. Prior to his college career, Hamilton attended Marist School in Atlanta, where he posted a 3.67 GPA and a 30 out of a possible 36 on his ACTs: enough to qualify him for Mensa.
Kyle Hamilton (@kham316) isn't big on attention. The #NotreDame signee didn't like telling friends his actual ACT score, or that he's a member of Mensa International. The spotlight for him on the football field, though, is becoming inescapable. ($) https://t.co/Qe13Y9ZRZP
— Carter Karels (@CarterKarels) January 11, 2019
It should come as no surprise, then, that Hamilton received a scholarship offer to Notre Dame, an academic top-20 university as ranked by US News. Hamilton’s high marks are likely to spark up a friendly rivalry with his new teammate, who not only attended a rival school in football but also achieved significant academic success.
David Ojabo, who was born in Nigeria and grew up in Scotland before coming to the States at 15, gave an incredibly insightful answer on @CBSSportsHQ about how important education is to the children of immigrants. Not surprisingly, he was an Academic All-American. pic.twitter.com/xidBoaOuYK
— ryan wilson (@ryanwilsonCBS) March 4, 2022
Great stuff from David Ojabo on @JakeButtTE Players Podcast.
Talking finding football, how Odafe Oweh helped him do so, and some insight into Mike Macdonald.https://t.co/PvhXITE4RS pic.twitter.com/UmsKeqyyZW
— Jake Louque (@jakelouque) May 2, 2022
You can hear the pride in the voice of second-round selection David Ojabo as he talks about his journey into football while also emphasizing the importance of his education. Ojabo’s grades were impressive enough to earn him a selection as an Academic All-American while majoring in English at Michigan. For what it’s worth, he did this while also being selected as an athletic All-American. While the downside of Ojabo’s recovery from an Achilles tear means a delay in getting on the field, his voracious appetite for learning could give him the chance to master the playbook front-to-back while he waits.
With respect to both of those guys, who I’m certain are both much smarter than I am, they may have to take a seat if Charlie Kolar steps to the blackboard and starts a lesson.
New Ravens TE Charlie Kolar is wicked smart. The son of two college professors, e won the 2021 William V. Campbell Trophy (Academic Heisman). He graduated with a 3.99 GPA in mechanical engineering. He called himself the "biggest dork in college football."
— Ryan Mink (@ryanmink) April 30, 2022
In Peter King’s excellent piece about being inside Baltimore’s war room for Day 3 of the Draft, he quoted a quip from Owner Steve Bisciotti who joked, with Kolar’s selection, “I’ll finally have someone to converse with!” You can read the full piece here.
I’m sure it would all go over my head, but I’d love to get Kolar and former Ravens O-Lineman John Urschel in the same room to have a conversation. What’s the academic equivalent of an Oklahoma Drill?
John Urschel-NFL Math Whiz: Real Sports Full Segment (HBO)
