Robertson: Part of why the draft is so appealing is the unpredictability, and first-round trades add to the spice.
The Ravens could trade up a few slots if a prospect they love drops, but I think it’s far more likely they will stand pat at pick No. 14 and take the best available player on their board.
It can be very difficult for two teams to agree on terms involving a first-round draft pick. For every first-round trade, there could be 10 that never materialize and go unreported. There’s also the risk of mortgaging the future, which DeCosta addressed in 2020, saying, “In general, trading up is dangerous; it’s a little bit risky.”
At his end-of-season press conference in January, DeCosta was asked about trading for a pass rusher.
“I do think a lot about these kinds of situations, and it’s not the draft capital, which is always a lot. You’re giving up a lot of times multiple first-round picks,” DeCosta said. “It’s the combination of the draft capital and the salary, which, in some ways, it’s prohibitive. I also think that when you get into that mindset that you’re one player away, you’re ripe to be fooled.”
As for Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain, he’s a player I think the Ravens would be very fortunate to see fall to them. The talk with Bain last week at the Combine was about his sub-31-inch arms, and that concern has merit. But drafting a proven pass rusher like Bain, who had 20.5 sacks over three seasons, without giving up any draft capital could be another Kyle-Hamilton-like steal.