Not only has the draft dust settled, but the undrafted free agency season has cooled. With it comes UDFA class rankings, where Thor Nystrom of NBC Sports placed the Ravens class second-best in the AFC.
TCU S Ar’Darius Washington is like a discount rack Tyrann Mathieu. A ball of muscle that plays ticked-off like a pit bull, Washington is an undersized do-it-all playmaker. Hailing from Louisiana’s Evangel Christian Academy, Washington has a tattoo on his hand with a world with a crown on it, just like Matthieu’s.
He looks up to the Honey Badger, studies the Honey Badger, and flashes Honey Badger’s sweet tooth flying to the ball. It remains stunning that Washington turned down his very first scholarship offer, from Mathieu’s alma mater LSU, to sign with TCU. But in Fort Worth, he got to play in Gary Patterson’s hyper-aggressive 4-2-5 defense as one-half of the nation’s most vaunted safety duo alongside Trevon Moehrig.
No doubt, Washington was the biggest pickup of this class for the Ravens. He also has a real chance to make the Ravens’ roster, as the safety position in Baltimore has next to zero depth after starters DeShon Elliott and Chuck Clark. If Washington turns out within the same realm as his idol Matheiu, he could become the best Ravens player added in 2021.
After Washington, the Ravens biggest name comes in the form of 6-foot-6, 318 pound Adrian Ealy. In fact, the Ravens showed real interest with Ealy, offering him $115k guaranteed. Among AFC UDFA’s, that was ranked No. 21 for guarantees and most for the Ravens UDFA class. As Baltimore situates their offensive line, they will be looking for depth at the tackle position and Ealy could very well find a spot. Baltimore’s tackle depth is thin after Orlando Brown Jr. was traded and D.J. Fluker signed with the Miami Dolphins this offseason.
Baltimore has churned out NFL talent from UDFA finds at one of the best rates in the NFL and they very well could find a starter or two in this class. Watch for these names in training camp this season.