The wait is finally over, as the 2024 NFL Draft kicks off tonight from Detroit. Who does Eric DeCosta think can best help the team get past the AFC Championship Game hump next January?
Our staff give their best guesses here.
Rob Shields
When you are drafting 30th, there are just so many things that can happen that determine where you go.
Do you trade up? Do you trade down? Does any player suffer a drastic/unexpected fall?
As always, EDC will be up for anything depending on the given situation.
If the Ravens were to trade up, I don’t think they trade any pick higher than a 4th rounder. They could move up 3-6 spots but I doubt it would be any more than that.
If they trade back, EDC mentioned the idea that he always looks to accumulate picks for the next draft. There are only so many roster spots left, so I’m not sure they are selecting eight players this year.(they could also trade a pick for a veteran).
This draft is deep at offensive line and WR and according to most, has around 15-20 players that have true first-round grades. I think the ravens take two OL and at least one WR in this deep draft. I don’t think they take a WR in the first though (unless someone like Brian Thomas falls), and a potential run on tackles from 16-29 could cause them to pivot to a different position and get those positions later in the draft where there is so much value.
My official prediction is that they stay at 30 and take a cornerback. Which corner? TBD. It depends who falls. Does Cooper DeJean drop? Do they like Kool Aid or Wiggins better?
I’m going to say they take Kool-Aid McKinstry but all options are on the table.
Kevin McNelis
By design, the machinations of EDC and Company are, as always, shrouded in secrecy. No one had an inkling about the Rashod Bateman extension until it got inked, similar to how no one knew about the Hollywood trade until it was announced on Draft night a few years ago. To borrow a phrase from Meek Mill, “Gangstas move in silence.”
What I’m getting at is that we won’t have any idea what the grand scheme is until it happens. If I had to guess, my assumption is that Baltimore likes a number of these OTs but knows that most of them will be well off the board by the teens to 20s. If there’s a run at the position, I can easily see Baltimore trading up to grab their guy, and my gut says that guy is Tyler Guyton. If they like Kingsley Suamataia or Jordan Morgan, maybe they stand firm at 30, but OT seems like the position.
Of course, this is EDC we’re talking about. If that OT run does happen, combined with a scramble for QBs pushing premier players down the board, they could get lucky and have a player like WR Brian Thomas or CB Cooper DeJean fall into their laps (I doubt it, but stranger things have happened). For me, as long as it’s not a member of this very raw EDGE group in Round 1, I can probably make peace with whatever the decision is.
Chris Schisler
I have a strong hunch that the Ravens could trade back into the second round, like they did in 2012, resulting in Courtney Upshaw‘s selection. That’s not a fun pick though, so I’ll make a mock draft prediction that will appease the Flock.
I think the most likely pick for the Ravens is the best offensive lineman they can get. Judging by their draft position my guess is that will be Graham Barton. He’s a solid 6-5 tackle that looks the part. Barton seems like a safe pick. He’s not a project, you can plug him in at right tackle, and he has left tackle experience. A good player comp for him would actually be Pat Mekari, but with more upside.
I’d rather have Tyler Guyton, but he’ll probably be swept up in the 20’s. One way or another, the Ravens hopefully get a long-term starter on the offensive line with their first pick.
Brennan Stewart
Eric DeCosta’s decisions are typically unpredictable, but last year there was a widespread expectation within the fanbase that a wide receiver would be chosen in the first round, and then we got Zay Flowers. Predicting this year’s first pick feels much more challenging, with a case to be made for several positions including WR, OL, DB and DE.
There’s speculation EDC could move the Ravens up, but there’s also speculation he could trade down for more picks in the second round. No matter what he decides to do, one fact is certain: the offensive line is concerningly thin. The right tackle position needs to be prioritized most, right now only having Daniel Faalele and Patrick Mekari. This doesn’t bode well for Baltimore considering that so many other teams are rumored to be jumping at the position early in the first round.
I’m still pinning this pick down to Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton (6’8”, 322 lbs), who played at right tackle for 1,011 of his career snaps and at left tackle for only 70. CBS Sports ranks Guyton as the seventh-best tackle in the draft with an overall player ranking of 36.
This puts Guyton within reach for the Ravens if they choose to stay put at pick No. 30, and in five of his seven career first round picks, Eric DeCosta has sat between 25 and 31. There won’t be a trade tonight.
Chad Racine
This year I think is much more unpredictable than in recent years. There are about 15 or so prospects that could be selected that wouldn’t surprise me at number 30. My hope is for an offensive tackle that could either play right tackle or left guard and move to left tackle next year. Chances are the top seven offensive tackles will be gone and the Ravens will be forced to wait until the second round. There should be quality receivers, corners, and edge rushers available at the 30th pick and the highest one rated on the board will likely be the pick. I think a trade back early into the second round would be an ideal scenario for Eric DeCosta if the value is there. If the Ravens stand pat and pick at 30 some of my favorite options would be Amarius Mims, Tyler Guyton, Cooper DeJean, Kool-Aid McKinstry, Ladd McConkey, Adonai Mitchell, or Chop Robinson.
I’m going to go with a bold pick and say the Ravens trade up into the early 20’s and select either Mims or Guyton. Left tackles are hard to draft if you’re not picking in the top 10. With this year being so deep at offensive tackle and getting a player that may normally be in the top 10 in other years will be too tempting and EDC will not miss an opportunity like this.
Tanner George
With the Rashod Bateman extension done, logic tells us that EDC will either take a tackle or corner with his first selection. Between those two positions, I honestly think the Ravens will go with BPA; that’s always been their M.O. So, I turned to ESPN’s Mock Draft Simulator to see who might be on the board by the time #30 rolls around. After playing with it a couple of times, I think there are two players EDC should seriously target:
Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama – ESPN gives Kool-Aid (really cool name, by the way) a 57% chance of being there at #30. The Alabama-to-Baltimore pipeline is real, and the Ravens are known for loving the Crimson Tide. With the struggles and injuries of Marlon Humphrey becoming more notable, and a big Brandon Stephens extension on the horizon, it makes sense for the Ravens to go corner with their first selection. McKinstry is great in coverage and has a high football I.Q. to go along with good athleticism—all traits the front office loves.
Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma – I’d rather go tackle with the first pick, but ESPN only gives Guyton a 44% chance of being on the board when the Ravens go on the clock. As I see it, the Ravens have two major holes on the line—RT and G. The versatile Patrick Mekari can fill one of them, and it makes more sense for him to play guard. Neglecting OL with the first pick runs the risk that a quality plug-and-play tackle isn’t available at #62, which really worries me. Plus, taking a tackle at #30 provides an insurance policy for Ronnie Stanley, who’s probably nearing the end of his time in Baltimore. Amaris Mims out of Georgia scares me as a prospect, and he’s far too risky for my taste, especially at such a pivotal position.
Kool-Aid is the flashier pick, no doubt. But there will be quality corners available in the 2nd, and the Ravens can afford to take a year to develop a project at the position. This isn’t necessarily true for OT, and I think EDC knows that.
The Pick: Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma
Nick Polinsky
The Ravens have a few different ways they can go with their pick at #30. A trade back is always a significant option, especially for Eric DeCosta, but even with a few good fits likely to fall just short of their pick I don’t see a trade up in the cards. The Ravens would rather keep all their ammunition and take as many shots as possible.
If they stand pat the Ravens have three main positions of need on the roster. Offensive tackle, wide receiver, and cornerback all need some capacity of upgrading. With the extension of Rashod Bateman a receiver seems a little less likely, and regardless it seemed like the least logical position of the three to draft in the first round.
Kool-Aid Mckinstry is a guy that I don’t think the Ravens can pass up if he falls to them. The Ravens cornerback depth took a hit with Ronald Darby’s departure, and you can never have too many good cornerbacks. We also know how the Ravens’ front office loves the Tide. Offensive tackle is most likely higher on the Ravens’ positional needs but that well may also run dry before pick 30.
I do however think Tyler Guyton sticks around long enough for Baltimore. If the Ravens want to continue to succeed, you need to protect Lamar Jackson, especially after the massacre of the Ravens o-line in free agency. The 6-foot-7 tackle out of Oklahoma has the ability to play either left or right tackle, and even though it’s not flashy, Guyton may be just what the Ravens need.
