This NFL Draft could challenge general manager Eric DeCosta and the Baltimore Ravens in many ways.

They have 11 picks. Only the rival Pittsburgh Steelers have more. However, seven of those picks are outside the top 150 in a draft that’s not considered strong in several areas. The Ravens have one selection in each of the first four rounds, four in the fifth, one in the sixth and two in the seventh.

They have a new coaching staff, different schemes to consider and a list of needs that’s lengthier than usual heading into the draft. Ravens decision-makers annually say that all drafts are equally important, but after a bitterly disappointing 8-9 season and the first head-coaching change since 2008, it sure feels like this is one of the most crucial drafts for DeCosta in a number of years.

Every draft has surprises, and DeCosta acknowledged last week that he thinks it’s important to be unpredictable to avoid drafting tendencies. So what’s below is probably appropriately labeled “informed speculation.”

Best-case scenario in first round

Best case means one or two projected top-10 players are available to the Ravens at No. 14, and DeCosta has at least one enticing trade offer to move back for additional Day 2/early Day 3 draft capital.

From strictly a prospect standpoint, there appears to be a good chance Penn State guard Vega Ioane and Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq, two players who would fit Baltimore well, will be there at 14. But who will fall?

If some combination of one of the draft’s top receivers (Ohio State’s Carnell Tate or Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson), one of the top offensive lineman (Miami’s Francis Mauigoa or Utah’s Spencer Fano), one of the top edge rushers (Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr.) and the top cornerback (LSU’s Mansoor Delane) join Ioane and Sadiq as still available, DeCosta will have to feel good about his options.

Worst-case scenario in first round

For there to be a run on wide receivers and offensive linemen within the first 13 picks. That would not only limit the Ravens’ options at 14, but it would likely impact which pass catchers and offensive linemen are available when Baltimore picks in the second round at No. 45.

Let’s say the top of the first round goes mostly chalk and the first 13 picks (in no particular order) are quarterback Fernando Mendoza; running back Jeremiyah Love; wide receivers Tate, Tyson and Makai Lemon; offensive linemen Mauigoa and Fano; edge rushers Bain, Arvell Reese and David Bailey; inside linebacker Sonny Styles; Delane and safety Caleb Downs.

That would likely leave DeCosta mulling Ioane versus Sadiq. The Ravens might be OK with that choice, but DeCosta presumably wants more options.

Most likely scenario in first round

There will be a surprise pick or two in the top 13, and someone will fall. DeCosta’s phone will also be ringing with a trade offer. When the Ravens are on the clock, DeCosta will have a choice between at least three of these players: Lemon, Fano, Mauigoa, Ioane and Sadiq.

It just feels like a situation where DeCosta will choose between someone who will either protect quarterback Lamar Jackson or catch passes from him.

Sleeper options who should be discussed more

Much of the offensive line debate at 14 has centered on whether the Ravens should take Fano, the offensive tackle who could move inside, or Ioane, the natural plug-and-play guard. There hasn’t been much discussion about SEC tackles Monroe Freeling (Georgia) or Kadyn Proctor (Alabama). Perhaps, there should be.

Both have generated top-10 buzz but seem more likely to come off the board in the 15 to 25 range. If Fano or Ioane aren’t unavailable, the Ravens could be intrigued by the idea of getting a talented young tackle who could play inside as a rookie and then ultimately move outside as a successor to 32-year-old Ronnie Stanley.

Wild-card option at No. 14

Ravens fans have been salivating over the idea that Bain could fall for months. It’s not totally out of the question, due to his less-than-ideal arm length and legal issues that just surfaced in the media, but teams apparently have known about it for some time.

If he does fall, Bain would be hard to pass up. He had 20.5 sacks and 33.5 tackles for loss in 38 college games, and he plays with the type of physicality and tenacity the Ravens love.

Ravens’ quintessential best player available could be …

The Ravens have used a first-round pick on a defensive back in three of the last four years, and they already have a ton of assets wrapped up in the secondary. However, would DeCosta be able to resist Delane if he falls?

The former LSU standout has all the qualities of a shutdown cornerback in the NFL, and those guys are hard to find, particularly when you don’t often draft this early. Cornerback also looks like a need in the future with both Marlon Humphrey and Chidobe Awuzie eligible for free agency next year.

A player the Ravens could trade up for

DeCosta made clear that fixing the pass rush is a priority, and he maintained that the team considered adding both Maxx Crosby and Trey Hendrickson before the Crosby deal was scuttled by a failed physical.

So if the Ravens do trade up, the odds are that it would be for an edge rusher, with Reese, Bailey and Bain as the candidates. The offensive line and wide receiver classes are deep, making it unlikely the Ravens would trade up for either spot.

Potential teams to watch if Ravens want to trade up

The Arizona Cardinals (No. 3), Cleveland Browns (No. 6) and Washington Commanders (No. 7) have all been mentioned as teams that could trade back, but the price to move well inside the top 10 would probably be too rich for Baltimore.

The Kansas City Chiefs, who pick ninth, are never shy about moving around the draft board. And the Miami Dolphins, who pick 11th, have a ton of needs, so perhaps they could be enticed to move back for additional draft capital.

Potential teams to watch if Ravens trade back

Given DeCosta’s comment that there is a drop in talent in the second half of the first round, if the Ravens move back, they likely won’t go far. Perhaps, the New York Jets, who pick 16th and have multiple picks in the first, second, fourth and seventh rounds, might be willing to move up if they like Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson or they’re eyeing a receiver.

If Ravens trade a player during the draft, it will be …

There’s no obvious answer, but since there has been trade speculation around wide receiver Rashod Bateman for three consecutive offseasons, he’d be the best guess. However, the Ravens are already dangerously thin at receiver, so the only way it would make sense is if Baltimore also uses an early-round pick on a receiver.

Even then, would the Ravens get enough of a return for Bateman to warrant it? That’s highly doubtful.

A position run that would do the Ravens a favor

In last week’s seven-round mock from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, eight defensive backs were selected from picks 18 to 40. The late first round/early second is viewed as a potential sweet spot for cornerbacks. That would work just fine for the Ravens.

It’s not that the Ravens couldn’t use another corner, but they have much bigger needs. A run on defensive backs could help the Ravens land an interior offensive or defensive lineman or a wide receiver they covet at pick No. 45.

Day 2 player who feels like a typical Ravens pick

An undersized center from offensive-line rich Iowa, who is known for his athleticism, grit and durability? Sounds familiar? Iowa center Logan Jones isn’t as celebrated as Tyler Linderbaum was when the Ravens selected him in the 2022 first round, but he’d be a potential plug-and-play guy at a position of need.

The Ravens almost certainly will pick a center in this draft, and Jones feels like their type of guy.

Biggest Ravens concern heading into the draft

You could easily group the interior offensive and defensive lines together, but this draft is well stocked with interior offensive linemen. Where are the quality interior defensive line options, particularly ones who disrupt the passer? Solidifying the defensive front will be DeCosta’s biggest challenge in this draft.

Two questions that could shape what Ravens do late Days 1 and 2

Do the Ravens believe Emery Jones Jr., a 2025 third-round pick, is ready to be a quality starter at guard? If the answer is yes, perhaps adding a guard on Day 1 or 2 won’t be as big of an organizational priority.

Are the Ravens confident that Nnamdi Madubuike, who missed most of last season with a significant neck injury, will play in 2026? If the answer is no, DeCosta may have to force the issue in trying to solidify the defensive line.

An underrated need

There has not been a whole lot of time spent discussing what the Ravens are going to do at inside linebacker despite there being legitimate questions. Roquan Smith is 29, and his future in Baltimore is cloudy beyond 2026. Teddye Buchanan, a fourth-round pick in 2025 who had a promising rookie year, tore up his knee in mid-December.

Trenton Simpson is in the final year of his rookie contract and has struggled to establish himself as an every-week starter. Jay Higgins, who made the team as an undrafted free agent, played just seven defensive snaps as a rookie. The Ravens have enough to piece together the position, but this draft could yield an upgrade.

Safest bet for Ravens

They’ll draft at least one tight end. This is being heralded as a great tight end draft, and the Ravens’ depth chart at the position features Mark Andrews and Durham Smythe, who are both 30, and no one else. It’s not a matter of if the Ravens draft a tight end. It’s a matter of when and how many.

As draft nears conclusion, two things to keep in mind

The window where unrestricted free agents count toward the compensatory formula closes at 4 p.m. ET on the Monday following draft weekend. The Ravens, who are sitting on the maximum of four projected comp picks for the 2027 draft, have been known to slow-play free-agent deals so they won’t count in the compensatory game. If they exit the draft without filling a notable need, it’s a safe bet that they have a free agent in mind at that position.

Baltimore enters the draft with only 58 players on its roster. That means even if the team uses all 11 draft picks, it’ll still have room for 21 undrafted free agents.