Baltimore Ravens Offseason Roundtable: Part I The Draft

Question: Assuming the Ravens do not trade down, which player should the Ravens select at #6?

Yitzi Weiss:  Barring a trade, my board would be: 1. Bosa, 2. Buckner, 3. Tunsil, 4. Treadwell, 5. Ramsey. I think high end pass rusher is the most important target for us, and think we need to have a player who improves the pass rush in the top 40 picks. The value at 6 is DE, so I hope one of the 2 falls to us there. OLB would be a good target with a trade down or at 36.

Wola Odeniran:  I would personally like to see Florida State cornerback Jalen Ramsey selected at number six if he is available. His athleticism between playing at corner and at safety is very intriguing especially in today’s pass-happy league. He can certainly be utilized as a rover on any defense as opposing offenses will have to keep guessing where he is going to be. Currently the Ravens are banking on veteran defensive back Lardarius Webb to play free safety and I personally do not think it is wise to just rely on him alone. If last season was any indication, this team needs as much depth in the secondary as they can get.

Chuck Mills:  FSU Safety Jalen Ramsey. The last three years have seen the Ravens trot out stopgap players at a position where greatness once played. It's time for the Ravens to ditch the stopgaps and put in a blue-chip prospect at free safety.

Michael Sedjro:  Jalen Ramsey here as well but I doubt he'll be there. Noah Spence and Myles Jack are my fall back option. Spence wrecked the senior bowl. The last player to wreck it to the tune of "unblockable" was Aaron Donald. Jack brings versatility abut more importantly, speed. He'll help cover the middle of the field.

Chris "Braven" Brown: #6 is looking frustratingly more and more like the spot just after the top targets that fit the Ravens' needs could be gone, forcing them to settle for the best athlete available. Dean Pees' defense is predicated on confusing the QB, pressuring the QB, and stopping the run. The last thing, the Ravens do well. Perhaps turnovers can come if the Ravens get back to doing the first two better. And while the most common thread in NFL Champions is the all-pro safety, the second most is all-pro LB. A young pass rusher is a must since we know Ramsey will be gone. I've seen Clemson's Shaq Lawson dominate and destroy, and his freaky athleticism suggests that he could slim down a little and play a rush LB. Clemson played him at 5-technique and standing up on the outside. The result? 25 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, Consensus All-American. People are overlooking him because of a minor injury, but I'm telling you, this guy is a true star in waiting. He would make a huge difference.

Brian Malan: Although I feel that a trade down from 6 is almost imminent, I would think going after a pass rusher makes the most sense right now. If Bosa is there, you take him, no questions asked. If he is not there, than Noah Spence has to be in consideration. He has the electric skill set that teams covet as a pass rusher, and he can do serious damage. We need to get better at the premier positions in this league, and it starts with strengthening our pass rush right now.

Vasilis Lericos:  Assuming Laremy Tunsi is off the board, I would select either DeForest Buckner or Jalen Ramsey.  Vernon Hargreaves would be my fallback option.  It is imperative that the Ravens select a proven performer at a premium position with elite upside who does not have any character concerns if they keep the 6th pick.

Question: Which positions should the Ravens target on Day 2 of the draft?

Yitzi Weiss: I really like the WR talent in the late 2nd to early 3rd round, and we have not taken advantage of the deep WR classes in 2014 and 2015. Boyd, Shepard, Coleman, Cooper, Caroo, Miller, - I hope we can snag one of those in this range, even if it means a trade up into the late 2nd. Shepard is probably my favorite. The other day 2 pick needs to be in the secondary. Either a S like Thompson or a CB like Fuller or Apple, hopefully they make it 36.

So for me, the hope is 6. Pass rusher, 36. CB/FS/WR, 70 (or higher with a trade up) whatever is left over from 36
It will not shock me if we pick a OT on the 2nd day, but my hope is that we wait until the 4th (or late 3rd with a trade up from 101)

Wola Odeniran: On day two, I think the Ravens should look to stock up on pass rushers. The Ravens defense wasn’t the same once outside linebacker Terrell Suggs went down with a season-ending Achilles injury in week one against the Denver Broncos. Outside linebacker Elvis Dumvervil isn’t as impactful in pass rushing situation without a quality rusher beside him. The Ravens should look at getting three pass rushers out of this draft.

Another spot to look at would be adding depth at left tackle. The past three seasons in general says that Eugene Monroe cannot stay healthy for a long period of time to protect Joe Flacco’s blindside. Undrafted free agent left tackle James Hurst has done a respectable job at times, but not enough to fit the requirement needed at the position for the Ravens.

Chuck Mills: WR and OLB There's a fair amount of prospects at wide receiver that the Ravens should be able to grab at the top of the second. Josh Doctson, Sterling Shepard, and Tyler Boyd are a few of the guys that could be there when the Ravens pick.

Michael Sedjro: We should target WR and CB. Ideally my Board would go Spence, William Jackson and Sterling Shepard. It would add Skill players and play making ability on both sides of the ball.

Chris "Braven" Brown: You can never have too many cornerbacks, Ozzie Newsome's saying goes. Athletic players that can double for special teams would be premium. I also like the way the Ravens develop the OL and LBs. Mainly, though, I think they should look for a KR to challenge K. Clay and be the next Tyler Lockett in the return game.

Brian Malan: The Ravens can really go any direction on day 2. At those picks, really any position other than QB, RB and TE makes sense. We can use depth at a bunch of spots, and the 2nd and 3rd rounds this year are perfect for that. I would like to see us take advantage of the deep WR class this year, as there are probably 5-6 very talented WR that will be picked on day 2. The CB class isn't that strong this year, but that would be the other ideal spot to pick a player on day 2 if possible. Don't count out Guard or Tackle either, both of which are deep in talent in those rounds.

Vasilis Lericos: With Dean Pees returning, the Ravens need to bolster their pass defense personnel to create more turnovers and protect leads better.  So DE, OLB, CB & FS are the most important positions to address early on.  Depending on who they land in the 1st, the 2nd pick should be used on a CB (Fuller) or OLB (Calhoun) unless WR Corey Coleman is availabe.  WR is a need, but Aiken, Senior, Perriman and Butler is a solid core and could be supplemented with a round 4 WR (Shepard/Cooper) from this deep class if Coleman is off the board.  The third round pick should be used on a FS (Mills) or OLB (Nicolas) if those needs are not met earlier in the draft.  Bottom line, they need to add two immediate contributors on pass D to turn that unit around, that should be the main priority in the 2016 draft.