Ravens Final Mock Draft Roundup: Jordan Davis the overwhelming favorite

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 with the kickoff of the 2022 NFL Draft just hours away.

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EDGE Jermaine Johnson, Florida State

Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images

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

“After transferring from Georgia, Johnson has a fantastic season at Florida State. And he told us at the combine that he felt like he had something to prove going from the SEC to the ACC. He did that and then some, then he dominated the Senior Bowl, and followed that up with an electric workout in Indy. The Ravens drafted Odafe Oweh a year ago and he’ll get a running mate with Johnson here.” - Ryan Wilson, CBS Sports

“I feel confident the Ravens will go defense with this pick, but the player is tougher to figure out. Gordon or Utah linebacker Devin Lloyd make a ton of sense. But Baltimore needs help up front, especially on the edges. Johnson is a high-motor edge defender who will play the run and pass with equal prowess. He and Odafe Oweh on the outside give the Ravens their pass-rushing duo of the future.” - Jon Ledyard, PewterReport.com

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OT Trevor Penning, Northern Iowa

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“Kudos to Good Morning Football’s Peter Schrager for IDing Penning to the Ravens. The fourth tackle, clearly, on boards around the league would be a very good fit in Baltimore, where there’s a hole at right tackle (31-year-old Morgan Moses due to fill it as of today) and where left tackle Ronnie Stanley has struggled to stay healthy. Penning started 31 games at left tackle for Northern Iowa, and his size (6-7, 325) would play well on either side. I think the Ravens feel good enough about Stanley’s future to not be forced into taking a tackle here. Picking a corner (Trent McDuffie would be very good value) will not surprise me.” - Peter King, NBC Sports

“The Ravens may have missed out on Cross, but they’ll happily select Trevor Penning. Recurring ankle injuries have unfortunately left the future of Ronnie Stanley’s career in limbo. Penning is a tough, hard-nosed offensive tackle prospect that fits the rugged culture the Ravens have created and maintained. Should Stanley recover to reclaim his left tackle position, Penning can kick inside and play guard in a pinch.” - Justin Melo, The Draft Network

“The Ravens could very well go defensive line here — Georgia’s Jordan Davis makes a lot of sense — but fixing the offensive line should be the priority. Penning’s technique needs to be cleaned up — especially his hands and punch timing — but his toughness and physical traits would work very well on the right side of the Ravens’ offensive line.” - Matt Miller, ESPN

“With Orlando Brown gone and Ronnie Stanley still a question mark, the Ravens need blockers.” - Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk

“Trevor Penning is a raw, but exciting tackle prospect that the NFL is seemingly very high on. Baltimore bets on his upside to help protect Lamar Jackson and be a catalyst in the run game.” - Ben Natan, Bleeding Green Nation

“Penning feels like a Ravens blocker. He’s huge, overwhelmingly strong and excels in the run game.” - Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports

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DT Jordan Davis, Georgia

Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images

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

“The Ravens are a little long in the tooth on the interior of their defensive line, and Davis provides a jolt of youth and athleticism to go along with his massive 6-6, 341-pound frame. Plus, Calais Campbell’s re-signing in Baltimore can aid in Davis’ quest to become more than just the two-down player we saw at Georgia.” - Rhett Lewis, NFL.com

“Davis is an impact starter right away in the NFL. He won’t be coveted for his pass-rushing skill set, but his ability to two-gap in the run game is second to none in this class. He’s the exact type of player who allows for NFL defenses to run light boxes without jeopardizing support in run defense, which combats at least some of the concerns surrounding his low snap volume at Georgia and positional value.” - Austin Gayle, Pro Football Focus

“As we get closer to the 2022 NFL Draft, the more I believe Jordan Davis will be the Ravens’ selection — if available. The Seahawks have shown interest in the big man from Athens, but if they don’t select him, he could fall right into Baltimore’s lap. He can two-gap from nose tackle or shift out into 3-tech and collapse pockets.” - James Fragoza, Pro Football Network

“Baltimore needs help at edge rusher, but Davis is a truly unique player that would be hard to pass up. The Ravens might see shades of Haloti Ngata here with the simultaneously massive and athletic Davis.” - Logan Ulrich, NFL Trade Rumors

“The Ravens are always on the lookout for unique physical talents, and Davis has a ceiling coming into the league like Haloti Ngata did 16 years ago. So while this isn’t Baltimore’s biggest need, it’s easy to see where new coordinator Mike Macdonald could make Davis a real foundation piece for the future.” - Albert Breer, SI.com

“The league’s No. 1 rush defense gets that much better after adding the 6-6, 341-pound Davis up front.” - Bucky Brooks, NFL.com

“The Ravens have more pressing needs at pass-rusher and cornerback, but they can’t pass on Davis, who would be their top-rated player on the board. Baltimore loves big, quick and intimidating lineman, and no one fits that description better in this draft than a nose tackle nicknamed “Godzilla.” Davis can be a foundation piece in the front seven for the Ravens, who didn’t re-sign longtime defensive tackle Brandon Williams. There will be high expectations with Davis, who was primarily a run-stopper in college. The only other interior defensive lineman drafted in the first round by the Ravens was Haloti Ngata, a five-time Pro Bowl player and relentless game wrecker.” - Jamison Hensley, ESPN

“Stopping the run has long been a Ravens principle and simply put, that’s what Davis does best. He went viral for his unreal Combine performance in Indianapolis, showing freakish athleticism by posting an insane 4.78-second 40-yard dash (fastest ever for a player over 310 pounds), 32-inch vertical (highest ever by a player over 340 pounds) and 10-foot-3 broad jump (longest ever by a player over 300 pounds). With Calais Campbell returning on a two-year deal, he and Davis will be able to collapse the pocket and make life easier for second-year pass-rusher Odafe Oweh.” - Ari Meirov, Pro Football Focus

“Yes, I still strongly considered Iowa’s Tyler Linderbaum (the top center) here. I also considered a CB in this spot. But with the All-American DT from Georgia still available, I couldn’t pass up on him. Davis gets a year to learn from Calais Campbell and improve his conditioning so that he becomes the true three-down terror he’s capable of being.” - Charles Davis, NFL.com

“The Ravens love stockpiling large humans and Eric DeCosta has shown a desire to get athletic freaks. Davis is a rare specimen. At 6-foot-6, 341 pounds, he scored a perfect 10.0 on the Relative Athletic Score (RAS). That’s the second-highest grade of any player at any position in the entire RAS database, only trailing former Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson. Defensive tackle isn’t the most premier position in a pass-happy NFL but sometimes the player is just worth it because they’re that special.

Davis probably won’t ever fill up the box score, but he will change the game. Opponents would find a wall in the running game, which is particularly valuable in the black-and-blue AFC North. Add Davis to a line with Calais Campbell, Michael Pierce, Justin Madubuike and Derek Wolfe and the Ravens defense could wreck shop up front. Georgia’s NCAA championship defense was filled with stars, but the big man in the trenches helped make everybody else look better, and he could do the same in Baltimore.” - Ryan Mink, BaltimoreRavens.com

“Is this pick just too on the nose? Davis’ most likely landing spot is either here or the next pick to Philly. The Ravens have had this type of player before in Haloti Ngata and seem to favor mass more than other clubs. Nose tackle is a need, and this dancing bear can fill it.” - Eric Edholm, Yahoo Sports

“I know this pick won’t fill one of the most pressing needs for the Ravens, but they always lean toward drafting the best player available. Davis or Trevor Penning would make sense here, but I’ll stick with the massive SEC DT prospect.” - Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com

“Davis just feels like a Raven. They aren’t going to let their defensive front crumble to the point of what we saw last year for long. Davis can wreak havoc from the nose.” - Michael Renner, Pro Football Focus

“The Ravens have a need on the interior defensive line, and no one in this draft comes close to Jordan Davis.” - Tony Pauline, Pro Football Network

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OT Charles Cross, Mississippi State

Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

“The Ravens would probably be ecstatic if Cross was available with the 14th overall selection. He could go as high as the No. 5, so getting him at this juncture would be a steal. Cross, a redshirt sophomore, was a two-year starter at Mississippi State and would be the team’s long-term starter at right tackle ahead of veteran Morgan Moses.” - Jacob Camenker, Sporting News

“Lamar Jackson has taken a step back, largely because he wasn’t given time to operate in the pocket. Enter Cross, the best pass-protector in the entire draft.” - Dan Roche, NBC Sports Philadelphia

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CB Trent McDuffie, Washington

Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images

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

“Jordan Davis was going to be my pick here (the Haloti Ngata comps), but with the big man from Georgia gone, the Ravens shore up their secondary instead.” - Will Brinson, CBS Sports

“Baltimore’s defensive backs were decimated by injuries last year, and the division now features Ja’Marr Chase, who has obliterated the Ravens’ secondary.” - Jason McIntyre, Fox Sports

“After missing out on Davis, Baltimore settles for a guy on the opposite end of the size spectrum. McDuffie is on the small side for a corner but played at a high level for the Huskies.” - Mike Mulhern, NBC Sports Philadelphia

“The latest in a long line of quality Huskies corners, he has 4.4 speed, elite cover skills, smarts and the versatility to play in just about any scheme. The Ravens have historically stockpiled first-rate DBs yet have developed a need with Tavon Young moving to Chicago and Marcus Peters, who’s got a year left on his contract, trying to rebound from a torn ACL.” - Nate Davis, USA Today Sports

“The Ravens have a void at cornerback right now and McDuffie would give them an immediate impact player. He’s a clean prospect with a high floor, versatility and the kind of attitude that fits the “Play Like a Raven” profile. McDuffie has a knack for the football and isn’t hesitant to come make a big hit at the line of scrimmage.

McDuffie can play inside or outside, which would allow him to get on the field right away as a rookie. The only real knock on McDuffie is his size, but at 5-foot-11, 193 pounds, he’s not a small corner. Plus, he plays bigger than his size with a fiery attitude that would be a perfect fit on Baltimore’s defense. The Ravens need pro ready players in this draft, and that’s exactly what McDuffie is.” - Garrett Downing, BaltimoreRavens.com

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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 is one of the more volatile prospects in this class. Opinions are all over the board. I value his talent here and believe that he would be a great complement to Odafe Oweh; speed on one side and power on the opposite.” - Josh Edwards, CBS Sports