Ravens Mock Draft Monday Vol. 14: Trenches dominate projections

With the 2021 season in the rearview, the Baltimore Ravens are in full offseason mode and are armed with their highest first-round draft pick since 2016. The latest wave of mock drafts have been released.

Here are what some pundits and analysts are predicting for the Ravens at No. 14 overall.

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EDGE Jermaine Johnson, Florida State

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2021 stats: 12 games, 70 total tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, two pass deflections, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and one touchdown

“Drafting Johnson would give the Ravens one of the best young edge tandems in the league—an athletic set of players who could torture Joe Burrow and get upfield quickly to keep Deshaun Watson in the pocket. Obviously, a cornerback makes some sense here for Baltimore, but if you think long-term about the way the AFC North is shaping up, the value will be in more players to swarm the passer.” - Connor Orr, SI.com

“The Ravens acquire a pass rusher who should complement their talented secondary.” - Bryan DeArdo, CBS Sports

“One year after taking Odafe Oweh at the end of the first round, the Ravens add once again to their pass rush with Johnson.” - Jonathan Jones, CBS Sports

“After a classic Baltimore Ravens trade back, they still get good value here at pick 20 in this 2022 NFL Mock Draft. Yes, Odafe Oweh is great, but getting him a good running mate is a great idea here. Jermaine Johnson II gives the Ravens contrasting styles on the edge, and he’ll be able to play on all three downs immediately because of the strength to hold the edge against the run.” - Jacob Schyvinck, NFL Mocks

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OL Tyler Linderbaum, Iowa

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“The Ravens need stability at the pivot on offense, and this latest Hawkeye OL prodigy is the 2022 version of Creed Humphrey (who was fantastic for K.C. in 2021). I know, I know — DT is also in heavy consideration here.” - Charles Davis, NFL.com

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DT Jordan Davis, Georgia

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2021 stats: 14 games, 32 tackles, two sacks, and five tackles for loss

“Davis is an enigma — an all-time freak of an athlete who needs projection in several different ways to justify a draft pick this high. Baltimore has a history of coveting big bodies up front and has the kind of program to help him realize his potential. Davis has only played a little over 1,100 snaps in his entire college career and notched only 30 pressures in four years. A team drafting him believes his impact can be orders of magnitude higher than that.” - Sam Monson, Pro Football Focus

“The Ravens need to get younger up front and Davis is one of the most imposing defensive linemen in the class. He’s got the size of a true space eating nose tackle but the athletic ability to also play three technique. He needs to develop as a pass rusher and there are stamina questions but the potential would be compelling for the Ravens here.” - Logan Ulrich, NFL Trade Rumors

“The Ravens like to build from the trenches out, and that’s what they’d be doing with Davis, the top interior defensive lineman in this class. He’s an incredible athlete who can plug up the middle of the Ravens’ defensive front with his size and disruption.” - Cameron DaSilva, USA Today Sports

“The Ravens are going to see a shift in their style of defense going from the uber-aggressive Wink Martindale as defensive coordinator to Mike Macdonald, who has roots in more two-high structures. The two-high defense relies on its spine starting with a nose tackle that can take up two gaps in the run game, and there is no better prospect in this draft to do that with than Jordan Davis. Davis was this year’s combine darling with 98th percentile height, 95th percentile weight and an absurd 40-yard dash time of 4.78. Davis might not always show up on the stat sheet, but he will be a critical piece in Baltimore’s defense as they shift to a new scheme.” - Tej Seth, Pro Football Focus

“Even though they already have Calais Campbell and Michael Pierce, the Ravens add a young run-stuffing cog who’s also capable of pushing the pocket back into the quarterback.” - Maurice Jones-Drew, NFL.com

“I’ve gone on the record a few times that I’m skeptical about how valuable Davis can be for a team because you don’t often see interior linemen suddenly develop the ability to rush the passer when they weren’t able to do so in college. That said, you also don’t see many prospects like Jordan Davis! If anybody can do it, I’d bet on him to be the one.” - Tony Fornelli, CBS Sports

“An edge rusher or corner could be in play, but Davis offers power and pass-rushing potential for the interior, always a priority in Baltimore.” - Cody Benjamin, CBS Sports

“The Ravens are in a decent position to take the best defensive player available for their needs vs. an offensive lineman. Davis no doubt eats up space against the run but he’s also shown the athleticism to be disruptive as an interior pass rusher in the right scheme, which Baltimore has for him.” - Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News

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OL Zion Johnson, Boston College

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“Why I would do it: Because I’ve seen Johnson snap. Bradley Bozeman logged more than 1,100 snaps at center for the Ravens last year but he’s off to Carolina in free agency. That leaves the center spot wide open. Imagine Johnson there along with the return of Ronnie Stanley, (maybe?) Ja’Waun James, all of their running backs, and Lamar Jackson. That changes things.” - Kyle Crabbs, The Draft Network

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EDGE George Karlaftis, Purdue

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2021 stats: 12 games, 39 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, four pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.

“Karlaftis and Jermaine Johnson are just about tied in my draft evaluations, but Karlaftis comes into the league with the size necessary to be a versatile piece in Baltimore’s defense. Odafe Oweh needs to take a step forward and develop into a lead rusher, and Karlaftis can play a role of run stopper on the edge and kick inside on obvious passing downs to crush the pocket and move quarterbacks with stunts and twists” - Diante Lee, The Athletic

“The Ravens get a pass rusher who fits in well with what they do. Their other option here would be to bolster the offensive line.” - Mark Maske, The Washington Post

“Karlaftis is a great fit for Baltimore. He is going to set the edge in the ground game while applying power to condense the pocket. Meanwhile, they have a more athletic Odafe Oweh operating on the opposite side. They are great complements to each other.” - Josh Edwards, CBS Sports

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CB Trent McDuffie, Washington

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2021 stats: 11 games, 35 tackles, four tackles for loss, one sack, and no interceptions

“The Ravens have options here. They could also go with an offensive tackle or defensive lineman. McDuffie gives them versatility and depth at a position that was injury-hit last season.” - Mel Kiper, ESPN.com

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OT Trevor Penning, Northern Iowa

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“Love this fit, both for the landing spot and value. Lamar Jackson will relish playing behind Penning, who has a nasty streak the Ravens may have lost when they traded Orlando Brown Jr. a year ago.” - Peter Schrager, NFL.com

“With the Saints leapfrogging the Ravens for Cross, Baltimore takes the last tackle prospect before pick No. 28. This could be a tough decision if the Ravens believe Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis is the run-stuffing presence they need long-term alongside 2020 third-rounder Justin Madubuike, as Calais Campbell is set to be 35 years old while Derek Wolfe will be 32 years old for the 2022 campaign. However, tackle Ronnie Stanley has struggled to get back to 100% health, and Baltimore is still looking for their Orlando Brown Jr. replacement. Penning is just that, bringing a nastiness and edge to an offensive line that needs to crave contact to clear lanes for quarterback Lamar Jackson.” - Brad Spielberger, Pro Football Focus

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OT Ikem Ekwonu, NC State

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“Hello, exquisite fit. Ekwonu’s run-blocking prowess will be a welcomed addition in Baltimore.” - Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports

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CB Derek Stingley, LSU

Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

2021 stats: Three games (season-ending foot injury), eight tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble

“The Ravens could use some help on the back end. With Marcus Peters aging, the Ravens should reinforce their secondary and improve the cornerback spot opposite Marlon Humphrey. Derek Stingley Jr. has no business falling this far, but the Ravens will take advantage — as they always do — with this pick.” - Mike Kaye, Pro Football Network

“Stingley’s injury history and drop-off from his stellar freshman season keep him on the board, and once again, Baltimore scores a huge first-round value. The Ravens need help at corner in both the short- and long-term due to free-agent losses and Marcus Peters turning 30 in January.” - Chad Reuter, NFL.com

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DL Devonte Wyatt, Georgia

Photo by Steven Limentani/ISI Photos/Getty Images

2021 stats: 13 games, 39 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and one pass deflection

“Having likely eyed Jordan Davis as the hope here, the Ravens can take solace in the fact Wyatt is still available, and use him and his versatility to help level up a Baltimore defense that is also becoming whole after a rash of season-ending injuries to star players in 2021.” - Patrik Walker, CBS Sports

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EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon

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2021 stats: 10 games, 49 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, one pass deflections and two forced fumbles.

“We still don’t know what exactly the character concerns are with Kayvon Thibodeaux. On the surface, however, it feels like the NFL over-thinking another high-level prospect. Let’s not get carried away — Thibodeaux isn’t on the level of Chase Young or Joey Bosa. His hips aren’t overly flexible and his hands need more work. But he has elite explosiveness and power capacity. And opposite Odafe Oweh in Baltimore, he could be a menace.” - Ian Cummings, Pro Football Network