Ravens News 2/25: Draft Profiles and more

2021 NFL free agency: Nine players who CANNOT hit the open market - Adam Schein

Matt Judon

Baltimore Ravens · OLB

The Ravens smartly placed the franchise tag on Judon last offseason. Talking to the pass rusher on my CBS Sports Network show a few weeks ago, Judon made it clear he loves Baltimore. And he likes money, too. (Who doesn’t?)

“I’d love to be back in Baltimore. I haven’t been nowhere else, so I’d love to be back in Baltimore,” Judon told me. “Just, it’s gotta line up, it’s gotta be perfect, and we’ve gotta make it work. So, if I’m in Baltimore, I won’t be sad. Trust me, I love it here. I got a home, a really nice home. But if not, I’ll still love the city and it’ll be, I think, exciting and fun to play for a new organization and figure out what other teams are like out there.”

Don’t let him explore that latter option, Ravens! Judon is a versatile player and a strong locker room presence, to boot. He went into great detail with me about the real hate with the Titans over the last few years. He’s a classic John Harbaugh player. I hope it stays that way.

Allen Robinson landing spots: Colts, Dolphins among 12 potential destinations for one of top 2021 free agents - Cody Benjamin

Ravens: Few teams outside of the Packers make as much football sense for Robinson, who’d prefer to land on a contender. Baltimore needs Lamar Jackson to become a more consistent downfield passer, and A-Rob would surely accelerate the process. The only question is whether they’ll be ready to meet his monetary demands.

2021 NFL Draft Profile: Minnesota WR Rashod Bateman - Sam Monson

I understand why there is less buzz around him than some of the other top receivers in this draft class — he doesn’t have many “special” traits — but he is good at everything, and I don’t think he has been helped to look his best with how the Minnesota offense deployed him. He has the classic skill set to be an excellent X-receiver at the next level — a player who can win one on one on the outside, defeat press coverage at the line of scrimmage, win at the catch point and make things happen after the catch.

In truth, the negatives often thrown at Ja’Marr Chase by people who aren’t enamored with him as a prospect seem to actually fit the bill better for Bateman, in that his best asset may be circus catches and he doesn’t blow you away with special traits that receivers usually need at the NFL level. While he may not be special in any area, he is impressive in a lot of them — more than you need to find success in the NFL.

The fact that Bateman’s best traits are the ones that most closely resemble the role he will have at the next level also bodes extremely well for him, and he could be the ideal receiver for a team that doesn’t pick at the top of the draft to target. He can actually potentially outproduce those elite prospects by landing in a better situation early in his career.

2021 Ravens Draft Watch: Liam Eichenberg - Ken Zalis

Height: 6-foot-6

Weight: 302 pounds

Strengths: Three-year starter at Notre Dame (38 consecutive starts); did not allow a sack in the last two years; has a solid base (very technically sound); terrific at using his hands; excels in the run game; high football IQ; very strong at the point of attack and rarely is outmuscled; plays with excellent balance.

Areas For Improvement: Speed rushers could give him some issues at the NFL level — his feet are slow at times. If pass rushers come directly at him, he is strong enough and good enough with his hands to fend them off, but if rushers try to go around him, they could have some success. Again, he did not give up a sack in two years, so take that for what it’s worth. He’s also not the best overall athlete, so some will peg him as a right tackle.

Richie Grant, S, UCF – NFL Draft Player Profile - Ian Cummings

Grant offers an enticing skill set for teams in need of a playmaker at safety. The middle rounds seem like the best range of value for him. Given the safety class’s obscurity, Round 2 is possible, but Round 3 and Round 4 seem like more realistic destinations. Whenever he comes off the board, however, Grant brings immense potential. The right destination can kickstart his NFL career.

Given his range and physicality, Grant projects best on a team that uses two-deep safeties often. Even so, his athleticism and experience allow for a degree of versatility.

Looking at Grant as a free safety primarily, he profiles well with the Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Washington Football Team, Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, and Atlanta Falcons.