With Nate Wiggins now in the fold, the Ravens look ahead to Day 2 of the NFL Draft. We do the same here at Russell Street Report.
Kevin McNelis
In a lot of ways, the selection of Nate Wiggins at #30 feels like a luxury pick. Sure, the Ravens had a need at CB, but the needs at OT, WR, and maybe even EDGE outweighed CB, for my money. Beyond that, the defense was one of the best in the NFL last year, so it does feel a little odd to take Wiggins there, but they got a premier player and a guy they wanted.
For day two, let’s get some guys we NEED.
With an abundance of comp picks coming in 2025, EDC could parlay some future picks to move up in Rounds 2 or 3 if need be. That’s good, because there aren’t that many OTs that feel viable to plug in at RT this season, and I think it’s imperative that they grab one. Hopefully, Houston’s Patrick Paul is somehow still available at pick #62, but I’ll continue pounding the table for Yale’s Kiran Amegadjie as well. At receiver, this class has plenty of guys with upside, so I’m willing to be patient, but MAN, would it be nice to land a guy like Ja’Lynn Polk or Javon Baker here.
If we don’t see selections in these rounds at both OT and WR, I think it’s safe to say that the front office has a scheme behind the scenes that we won’t know about until it happens, whether that’s a free agent or (more likely) a trade.
Darin McCann
The obvious route here would be to assume the Ravens are going to target offensive line and receiver tonight, but I just don’t think that’s how they operate. They don’t target specific positions in the draft as much as they prefer to add players that are true to their brand.
I do believe they could move a few Day 3 picks to acquire another pick tonight. Eric DeCosta was on record recently saying they didn’t see as many “draft able” players this year as they have in others, and I just feel like they could try to get as many good players tonight as they can.
If you are looking for a specific addition, I could see Blake Fisher or Christian Jones landing in Baltimore. Buckle up. Tonight could get weird in a hurry.
Rob Shields
The Ravens made the exact move they should have on day 1 of the draft and now it’s time to build out the rest of the roster.
My expectation for today is that they go with two offensive lineman. Alternatively, it will be one OL and either a WR or Safety with WR being the most likely.
In a draft that is said to be very deep in both WR and Oline, there will be starters and very good players found at those positions today and tomorrow. I expect the Ravens, who have a history of finding very good offensive linemen on days 2-3, and who can coach them up as well as anyone, to find capable players that will be in the mix to start immediately.
Jared Pinder
For me this is easily OT. With the run on Offensive Tackle in the first we could see players drop on day two and the one I want the Ravens to draft is Blake Fisher. He is athletic and as sound as a pass blocker for a day two pick as can be. So please continue the Notre Dame pipeline and bring me Fisher in the second or third.
Chad Racine
With so many great players on the board it’ll be frustrating watching most of them go before the Ravens pick. I don’t think it’s a secret that the Ravens will likely draft an offensive tackle and preferably in the 2nd round. I’d love to see Kingsley Suamataia be the pick or other notable options like Blake Fisher, Christian Jones or Roger Rosengarten. If the board falls the way the Ravens would like a receiver would be an ideal 3rd round selection. I like Troy Franklin, Ja’Lynn Polk or Roman Wilson.
I’d also be OK if the Ravens went for offensive lineman in both the 2nd and 3rd rounds. After all, they did lose three of the five offensive line starters.
Brennan Stewart
Baltimore’s front office is not the kind to reach for positions of need, more commonly taking the route of selecting the best player available and seeing what holes need to be filled after the draft. But sometimes, as we’ve seen with the Zay Flowers pick last year and Nate Wiggins last night, there are happy mediums where the Ravens not only satisfy positional needs but still pick the player who’s going to be the most impactful.
And I think that could still be the case tonight with Baltimore ensuring that an offensive tackle is selected at pick 62, especially with Eric DeCosta saying last night that he still sees talent available at the position. Many among the fanbase believe there’s no point in going for an OT at this point with nine offensive linemen exiting in the first round, but there are still names to be considered at tackle. A few who I think are worth mentioning: Kiran Amegadjie, Patrick Paul, Blake Fisher, and Kingsley Suamataia.
I’m going to pin it down to Amegadjie based solely on a hunch. As for the pick itself, it’s either going to be 62, or we’ll see that pick traded away for more opportunities in the third or fourth rounds depending on who’s available. EDC also said last night that Baltimore is “not really a trade forward team,” so don’t expect to see any action before pick 62 is close.
