The Ravens certainly enjoy zigging when others think they will zag. But when it comes to the top of the draft, they\u2019ve been fairly easy to predict in recent years.<\/p>\n
They were strongly linked to recent first round picks like Rashod Bateman and Maliki Starks and Kyle Hamilton and Odafe Oweh and Patrick Queen and Zay Flowers, and, whether the design of merely following their best player available or not, they have been grabbing plug-and-play starters at positions of need under general manager Eric DeCosta\u2019s guidance. Then again, they offered to ship two first-round picks for Maxx Crosby and fired John Harbaugh as head coach emeritus, so times are definitely changin\u2019 too. And while you aren\u2019t hearing as much buzz about them throwing a curveball or two in this draft as say, the Browns or Cowboys, the Ravens certainly have the capacity to surprise.<\/p>\n
It begs the question of which draft rumors about the Ravens are grounded in truth, which will prove to be largely fiction and what you should pay most attention to before and during the draft.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s Real?<\/p>\n
We bought them sticking at 14 and grabbing an offensive lineman all along. Our reporting with trusted execs and agents around the league led us there, and while we wouldn\u2019t go too far trusting anything that any general manager says this time of year, DeCosta\u2019s soliloquy about 14 being a \u201csweet spot\u201d hit home <\/a>with us. <\/p>\n We felt it. He had us at hello. We buy it.<\/p>\n We don\u2019t believe this is a smokescreen. Sometimes the buzz is on point, and it merely is what it is. The potential for the Ravens to have their pick of multiple offensive linemen might not come to fruition, but someone who looks like he could Play Like A Raven in their starting five from Week 1 is going to be sitting there. I hope it\u2019s this guy<\/a>. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhat\u2019s Smoke?<\/p>\n The Ravens will always be linked to veteran pass catchers who become available in trade. It began before they became more adept at drafting and evaluating them, and it might never end. Part of it is due to them constantly collecting over-the-hill former stars in free agency \u2013 a trend that must stop now<\/a> \u2013 and, well, the roster looks pretty suspect in that regard right now. So you will see headlines about AJ Brown or Brandon Aiyuk or even a tight end like Kyle Pitts.<\/p>\n And in none of those cases does it really make sense or pass muster with me. This is a great draft to address those needs in a meaningful enough way, and if that doesn\u2019t happen, then I have ideas for adding a free agent at a cheaper price point and without having to part with real draft capital HYPER. I could maybe make an exception for a value play to land Kayshon Boutte. But chasing names, no thanks.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhat To Watch <\/p>\n