OTL: Mina Says NFL Would be “Infuriated” if THIS Player Falls to Ravens

We’re only single-digit days from the Draft. The Combine and Pro Days are in the books, and we’re seeing lists of Top 30 visits emerge around the league. It’s starting to feel real, y’all.

The picture is starting to get a little clearer as we whittle down the days, and by the time Draft day rolls around, the combination of whispers and context clues generally gives you a pretty good idea of the short list of prospects a team is eyeing, at least in the first round. A neat perspective on this was put out by NFL.com recently where they used machine learning, including Vegas odds, to determine the players that each team is likely favoring, and it gives us a good look at how the Ravens might be leaning in round 1.

One interesting tidbit on this list is that they have the likelihood of the Ravens going D-line in the first round at around 38%, the highest among the listed position groups, which checks out given a few of the names that have emerged as front-runners for the Ravens.

I’m 100% on board with Donovan Ezeiruaku being the pick if he’s available. Not only did he have fantastic numbers this past season in the pass rush with 16.5 sacks (2^nd in NCAAF), but his film backs up the production. Baltimore needs some juice in their pass rush, as their win rate was among the bottom five in the league last season, and Ezeiruaku looks like the real deal to make a difference off the edge. On the other hand, while I get the argument for Derrick Harmon on paper, I don’t know that he’s the player I’d select in the first round. His missed tackle rate was a real red flag…

…and while this iDL group has some true difference-makers at the top, the class is loaded with talent in the trenches, and you’re more likely to be able to find talent on the interior in the later rounds than you are to find an available top-tier EDGE.

Mina Kimes also has Ezeiruaku as an option for the Ravens but leaned toward reinforcing the trenches on the other side of the ball.

I’ve seen some mixed opinions on Booker, but I like him a lot. If the Ravens can land the top Guard in the class while staying put at pick #27, I think they come away from the first round extremely satisfied. They’d have their work cut out for them trying to secure a viable EDGE in Round 2 (even more so if they waited until later), but with 11 total selections, there’s room to make some moves up the board if they feel they need to.

Only EDC and the front office know who their blue-chip guys are, but here’s hoping these guys are on their short list as well. We’ll find out soon enough.

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