RSR Mock Draft Duel 1.0

Welcome to Russell Street Report’s Mock Draft Duels!

The concept is pretty simple: two writers will use the same mock draft simulation to create competing 2025 draft classes for the Ravens. For fairness, the first drafter will get to make their pick first in the first and fourth rounds, while the second draft has first choice in the second and third rounds. From there, they’ll alternate.

At the end, both will have built an 11-player class representing two of the many paths the Ravens could take in April’s draft. Below is the full podcast in which Nikhil Mehta and Tanner George made their picks, followed by a written breakdown of each pick.

Nikhil’s Picks

Round 1 (#27 overall): S Malaki Starks, Georgia

This was an absolute no-brainer. Starks is a complete safety who can play a variety of roles, but I’m most enamored with his athleticism, instincts, and ball skills in coverage. That’s what the Ravens need in the short-term, and in the long-term, Starks could form one of the best safety duos in recent memory with Kyle Hamilton.

Round 2 (#59 overall): OL Marcus Mbow, Purdue

The Ravens need to add more premium talent in the trenches, and Mbow fits the athletic mold Monken is looking for along the OL. He is probably destined to be a guard in the NFL, but it never hurts to have experience at tackle. He’s a bit undersized, but compensates with solid explosion at contact and excellent movement skills. The Ravens found a way to improve Roger Rosengarten’s anchor and play strength across his rookie year, and could do the same with Mbow as well. He even profiles as a potential center convert if the Ravens don’t end up extending Tyler Linderbaum.

Round 3 (#91 overall): EDGE Kaimon Rucker, UNC

Smaller frame, profiles as a pass-rushing SAM who can occasionally drop into coverage.  Long arms which he uses to knock back bigger blockers.  18.6% PRWR in 2024active, violent hands, strong feel for how to use them/find leverage. Won’t be an elite run defender but his skillset will lead to some splash plays . Ravens fans may be wary of another Day 2 EDGE, and in most cases, I would target the position on Day 1, but Rucker’s pass-rushing upside is worth this pick.

Round 4 (#129 overall): WR Tory Horton, Colorado State

Receiver is not a primary need for the Ravens, but I couldn’t resist drafting one of my favorite ones with this pick. Horton bounced back from season-ending knee surgery for an excellent Combine, and every other part of his game – strong hands, polished routes and releases, and an uber-competitive streak – will translate to the NFL. Wherever he lands, he’ll be a steal.

Round 4 (#136 overall): OL Emery Jones Jr., LSU

Jones jumped off the screen when I was watching LSU’s 2023 offense, and though he took a step back in 2024, he still profiles as a future starter. He has the length to play tackle, but not the athleticism, so I think he has a higher ceiling at guard. Still, three years of SEC experience at RT makes him a capable backup early in his career with the potential to develop into a high-caliber starter at guard.

Round 5 (#175 overall): CB Denzel Burke, Ohio State

Burke may lack elite athletic traits, but I’m betting on his experience as a four-year starter for the Buckeyes. He’s a smart player who is willing to get physical, even if his frame doesn’t always support it. I’m not sure he’ll ever emerge as an above-average starter, but he’s the kind of ‘next man up’ that teams need to withstand injuries at CB.

Round 6 (#183 overall): RB Ollie Gordon III, Oklahoma State

Gordon is a big, powerful back with solid receiving chops, which checks multiple boxes for a Ravens’ RB target in this draft class. At a minimum, he’s a situational back who can fill a few roles in Monken’s offense, and in the long-term, he could feast as a downhill runner in a read-option attack. This is excellent value for a late Day 3 pick.

Round 6 (#203 overall): WR Ricky White, UNLV

White has become a common Ravens projection as a strong run blocker and special teams ace. He had more than 2,500 yards over his last two seasons, but likely belongs in the slot in the NFL due to his slender frame and lack of long speed. White could be a long-term replacement for Tylan Wallace, and a BPA double-dip at WR is a byproduct of having 11 picks in one draft.

Round 6 (#210 overall): LB Teddye Buchanan, CAL

Buchanan is an excellent athlete who could contribute on special teams right away. I’m particularly intrigued by his upside as a blitzer and in coverage. Linebacker is a sneaky need for the Ravens in this draft, and Buchanan fits the passing-down LB mold that I’m looking for on Day 3.

Round 6 (#212 overall): S Malachi Moore, Alabama

Moore spent plenty of time in the box in college, but he looked best as a free safety in 2024. I’m not sure he’ll ever be a true three-down safety due to his lack of physicality against the run, but he could grow into a Geno Stone-type who can cover the deep parts of the field on passing downs.

Round 7 (#243 overall): DL Ty Robinson, Nebraska

I’ll admit, I waited far too long to target a strong DL draft class, but I’m happy with Robinson’s athleticism and versatility with my last pick in this draft. He’s a little undersized to play nose tackle, but a few years with Chuck Smith could bring out the most of his potential.

Tanner’s Picks

Round 1 (#27 overall): S Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina

Nick Emmanwori is my favorite player in the entire draft class, so I was really excited to see him on the board at #27. He’s freakishly athletic, running the 40-yard dash in just 4.38 seconds despite his 6’3”, 220-pound frame. The former Gamecock hits hard and is aggressive when tackling, in addition to possessing really good ball skills (4 INTs in 2024, including 2 pick-sixes). Emmanwori is an instinctive defender that simply plays like a Raven, and pairing him with Kyle Hamilton and Ar’Darius Washington would create a ton of flexibility on defense. With the Steelers and Bengals making significant investments in the passing game this offseason, the Ravens need to shore up their secondary—and the addition of Emmanwori would allow them to do just that.

Round 2 (#59 overall): DL Shemar Turner, Texas A&M

Michael Pierce’s retirement leaves a big hole (literally) along the defensive line, and Turner could be the guy to fill it. Listed at 6’4”, 300 pounds, he’s skilled at shedding blocks and generating pressure along the interior of the defensive line. He didn’t put up the biggest numbers in college, but his potential is through the roof, especially considering Baltimore’s history of developing DL talent. I considered going edge rusher here, but there wasn’t anyone on the board whose value felt right at #59. Adding a guy like Turner next to Justin Madubuike (a Texas A&M product himself) could pay dividends down the road.

Round 3 (#91 overall): OL Wyatt Milum, West Virginia

Following Patrick Mekari’s departure, the Ravens are pretty thin on the offensive line. Ben Cleveland took a veteran minimum deal to return to the team in 2025, but that doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in terms of the front office’s trust in him. Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele aren’t exactly proven options at guard, and adding a guy like Wyatt Milum could address a pretty important need on this team. Despite playing tackle at West Virginia, Milum projects more as a guard in the NFL. He has a big body (6’6”, over 300 pounds) but is also very athletic (8.08 RAS). The value feels really good here for the Ravens, and Milum would be a nice addition to help solidify a shaky offensive line. He could compete for the starting job at guard from day one.

Round 4 (#129 overall): EDGE Savion Jones, LSU

I wanted to address edge rusher much earlier than the fourth round, but the value just wasn’t right based on how the board fell. However, I like taking Jones at this spot. As you can probably tell now, I really value size when evaluating prospects, and the former Tiger is simply a massive human being. He’s both tall and long, and his 280-pound frame is difficult for opposing offensive tackles to move. Jones is more of a developmental guy after not posting fantastic stats at LSU, but the Ravens have proven time and time again that they’re not afraid to take chances on those guys.

Round 4 (#136 overall): WR Pat Bryant, Illinois

Bryant is far from the fastest receiver in the class, but the Ravens don’t really need another burner at WR. The Illinois product has decent size but plays a very physical game, something that Baltimore has been lacking at that position group. He projects as a future WR3 specializing in short- to mid-range routes. Again, Bryant isn’t the most explosive, but he’s skilled at catching passes over the middle. This is another developmental guy, but he’s gotten significantly better each year in college, proving his coachability and capacity to grow. I like the value of grabbing a WR at #136. Don’t expect him to make an immediate impact; rather, he’s a guy that could become a solid option down the road.

Round 5 (#175 overall): LB Cody Simon, Ohio State

Linebacker is a sneaky-underrated need for Baltimore. Malik Harrison departed for Pittsburgh this offseason, and Trenton Simpson failed to be the guy the Ravens needed him to be in 2024. Last season, Chris Board was the team’s best option behind Roquan Smith, which speaks volumes to the state of the position group. Now, I’m still a firm believer that Simpson can succeed as a LB2, but there’s a gap at #3 in the future. Simon projects as a player that can fill that hole.

Round 6 (#183 overall): OL Logan Brown, Kansas

Brown’s a guy who’s been around the block in college football, and I truly believe that the Ravens need to double-dip at offensive line in this draft. They just need bodies who can develop, and Brown fits that mold. He has good size and could turn into a solid backup down the line.

Round 6 (#203 overall): QB Brady Cook, Missouri

Ever since they lost Tyler Huntley, the Ravens have lacked a true long-term QB2. They moved on from journeyman backup Josh Johnson in the offseason, instead electing to sign Cooper Rush to a two-year contract. Baltimore took a chance on Kentucky’s Devin Leary late in the 2024 draft, betting on his admittedly raw arm talent. Coaches didn’t seem to be too pleased with him last season, and he didn’t look great in limited preseason action. The Ravens might be inclined to take another late-round flyer on a guy who could be the QB2 of the future, and Brady Cook is a solid option here.

Round 6 (#210 overall): RB Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech

Tahj Brooks was an impressive model of consistency for Texas Tech, putting up over 1,500 yards and double-digit touchdowns in each of his final two years with the Red Raiders. Obviously, no one is really sure of how Keaton Mitchell will perform in his first full season back from his 2023 ACL tear, and I got the impression that the Ravens weren’t exactly overwhelmed by 2024 rookie Rasheen Ali’s first year in the league. Brooks is a solid pick if Mitchell’s health becomes a problem and if the team has lost faith in Ali.

Round 6 (#212 overall): CB Jason Marshall Jr., Florida

As Eric DeCosta likes to say, you can never have too many cornerbacks. Jason Marshall is a decent choice to be a developmental CB. He’s an athletic guy, which is something the Ravens love. It’s safe to say at this point that the Jalyn Armour-Davis experiment has failed, and Marshall could step into a rotational role in the secondary if he can contribute on special teams.

Round 7 (#243 overall): S Dante Trader Jr., Maryland

Dante Trader is another guy who’s athleticism jumps out to me. He was a two-sport athlete at Maryland (football and lacrosse) and was a solid contributor for a number of years for the Terps. Taking a 7th-round flyer on him is far from the worst idea in the world.

The post RSR Mock Draft Duel 1.0 appeared first on Russell Street Report.

Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2025/04/16/nfl-draft/rsr-mock-draft-duel-1-0/