Newsdays Bob Glauber mocks Calvin Ridley to the Ravens

Even with the acquisitions of wide receivers Willie Snead, John Brown, and Michael Crabtree, the Baltimore Ravens shouldn't be done looking for receiver help for quarterback Joe Flacco and this offense. While getting three players to try and bring new life into the receiving unit that needed it is good to see, the team can’t ignore the position early in the draft starting on Thursday.

A lot of mock drafts have Alabama wide receiver Calvin Ridley falling into the Ravens lap with the 16th pick, and Newsdays’ Bob Glauber predicts the same in his mock draft which released on Monday. Glauber stated about the pick:

“Joe Flacco gets some much-needed help in the passing game.”

Ridley is widely considered by many to be the best receiver in this class, along with other prospects such as Courtland Sutton and D.J. Moore. Ridley is the most polished route-runner in the draft, and adding him to a unit that now has Snead, Crabtree and Brown gives this offense more to work with. If Chris Moore further develops from a season ago, that would be an added bonus. While he was a first-round selection, there isn’t a guarantee Breshad Perriman will make the roster.

However, getting a receiver in the first round is no longer an immediate necessity thanks to Baltimore’s activity this offseason. So it is fair to ask if Ridley is on the board at 16, do the Ravens rush to the podium to take him or do they select someone else like offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey or tight end Hayden Hurst? Do they go defense in the first-round for the fourth time in what would be the last six drafts? Luckily, we won’t have to wait long to find out what general manager Ozzie Newsome has in mind with the 16th pick.