RSR Mock Draft Duel 2.0

Welcome back 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 this week’s draft. Below is the full podcast in which Nikhil and Kevin made their picks, followed by a written breakdown of each pick.

Nikhil’s Picks

Round 1 (#27 overall): DT Derrick Harmon, Oregon

Harmon checks all the boxes (frame, athleticism, durability, effort) for a premier disruptor and profiles as a long-term running mate for Nnamdi Madubuike. With a good feel for positioning and leverage, he’s able to hold his ground but prefers to use his active hands and lower body to attack downhill. Harmon can line up at a variety of spots along the defensive line and looks like a prototypical Ravens DT on tape. I really like the depth of this DL class on Day 2, but Harmon is a clear first-round talent that should be an easy stick-and-pick at 27 if he’s available. I think he’s only scratched the surface of his physical gifts and can reach his potential in Baltimore. 

Round 2 (#59 overall): CB Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame

Injuries and a lack of elite upside have dropped Morrison’s stock, but he’s still a rock-solid, scheme-diverse cornerback prospect. His size/speed limitations may prevent him from being a lockdown CB1, but his smooth, smart coverage skills are ideal for a CB2 role in a talented secondary. The Ravens already have plenty of elite talent in the secondary, which led opposing quarterbacks to go after Brandon Stephens last year. It will be harder to pick on Morrison’s combination of football I.Q. and maturity. As long as his health checks out, I love this value in addressing a long-term need at outside cornerback in the second round.

Round 3 (#91 overall): OT Charles Grant, William & Mary

Grant’s background as a wrestler shines in his play style and competitiveness. He’ll be facing a jump in competition in the NFL and will need time to adjust, but he has the size and athleticism to develop into a Ronnie Stanley replacement. That will take most of the two- to three-year runway the Ravens have to find their next LT, and in the meantime, Grant can serve as a swing tackle and potentially compete for time at guard. He has the requisite tools to succeed, but he’s still an unfinished product. With five returning starters from last year’s line, I’m okay with adding a more developmental prospect in Grant.

Round 4 (#129 overall): EDGE Sai’vion Jones, LSU

I think this is the latest the Ravens will be able to add an impact EDGE, as the talent really starts to fall off on Day 3. Jones has impressive explosiveness for his size and could flip inside as a pass-rusher, similar to Za’Darius Smith and Pernell McPhee. I trust the Ravens’ coaching staff to coach him up against the run and channel his aggression into a more productive plan to get off blocks. As a 22-year-old senior, Jones has plenty to build on and towards, making him a fine choice at the end of the fourth round.

Round 4 (#136 overall): WR Kyle Williams, Washington State

I think Williams’ short-area movement skills will make him a reliable WR3 in the NFL, and he could reach his WR2 potential if he relies on more than just that athleticism to get open. His ability to get off the line of scrimmage despite his below-average size is an encouraging sign that he can add more nuance into his game. He has the speed to separate downfield and competes at the catch point. He’ll need to learn to do more than just screens underneath, but he’ll have time to develop in Baltimore. The biggest knock is his lack of special teams ability, but he has the athletic ability and ball-tracking skills to become a solid returner if he works at it.

Round 5 (#176 overall): DT Tonka Hemingway, South Carolina

Credit to Cole Jackson for turning me onto Hemingway, an athletic, undersized defensive line prospect. His explosiveness and agility offer a solid pass-rushing foundation, but he’ll likely be at his best from wider alignments. Despite an always-hot motor, Hemingway lacks elite strength to make up for his size and may struggle to hold the point of attack against the run. This is a bet on a 9.46 RAS for a defensive lineman, a rarity on Day 3. With a more projectable prospect secured in Harmon, I’ll roll the dice on Hemingway’s athletic upside in the fifth.

Round 6 (#183 overall): S Malachi Moore, Alabama

Moore is one of my favorite Day 3 targets in this draft class. His size and athleticism leave plenty to be desired, but that’s true of plenty of successful NFL safeties over the years. He’s a smart, tough competitor who is at his best as a traditional safety who will contribute right away on special teams. I could see him quickly ascending to a role similar to Geno Stone’s in 2023: instinctive, playmaking third safety who will primarily operate in deep-half or single-high zone coverage. There are plenty of safeties I like more in this draft, but Moore is my Day 3 ahem safety valve for how this board fell.

Round 6 (#203 overall) LB Smael Mondon Jr., Georgia

Mondon is an exciting athlete who, at minimum, should be a plus special teams contributor in the NFL. He has the athleticism, physicality, and leadership of a Ravens linebacker, but like so many prospects at the position, he needs to improve his vision and processing to become a starter. He violently attacks downhill as a run-defender and blitzer, but he’s too susceptible to getting caught out of position against the run and the pass. His physical abilities form a solid base that mentorship from Zach Orr and fellow Bulldog Roquan Smith could form into a productive defender.

Round 6 (#210 overall) RB Raheim Sanders, South Carolina

I think this running back class is deep enough that the Ravens can see who falls to them late on Day 3. Sanders is a sneaky-good athlete for a larger back (6 feet, 217 pounds) who struggles to optimally use that size when breaking tackles or blocking blitzers. His patience and balance are pro-level traits I look for in running backs; they would especially help him exploit the gravity of Lamar Jackson in the Ravens’ rushing attack. I’m also intrigued by his pass-catching chops and experience as a receiver. Average ballcarriers can be productive rushers in Baltimore, so why not add someone who brings more to the passing game? 

Round 6 (#212 overall): OT Hollin Pierce, Rutgers

Pierce has all the size an NFL tackle could ever need, making him an enticing Day 3 prospect for the Ravens to draft and develop. His ability to become a starter will largely be dictated by his ability to compensate for the downsides of his massive frame, in particular his high pad level and lack of bend. Pierce fires his lower body through contact, but his footwork lacks the precision and balance to mirror agile rushers or block out in space. Right now, if he can’t win with physicality alone, he’s toast. But this late on Day 3 with Grant already in pocket, I’ll once again double-dip on a prospect with significant physical upside.

Round 7 (#243 overall) S Dan Jackson, Georgia

This is a classic instance of ‘draft the best player, figure the roster out later.’ The Ravens already have two safeties who are core special teams contributors in Sanoussi Kane and Beau Brade, so Jackson would have to fight for his roster spot as a late seventh-rounder. He has some of the same positives as his competition – attacking downhill, running the alley – with more abilities on the back end. I’m not sure he’ll ever develop slot versatility, though, but I think his skillset better matches what the Ravens need to add to their safety room.

Kevin’s Picks

Round 1 (#27 overall): OL Grey Zabel, North Dakota State

As the selections landed in Round 1, many of the players I would have loved to target here were already gone in guys like Donovan Ezeiruaku, Malaki Starks and Tyler Booker. While Walter Nolen was a tempting selection, he wasn’t quite the fit I was looking for, and other mocks I’d done tended to go poorly when I went DT in the first round. Looking for quality players at my positions of need, I went with Zabel due to his versatility and high upside. Zabel’s had college experience all over the O-line, and I view him as having a legitimate shot to win the LG spot against Andrew Vorhees and/or Ben Cleveland. Beyond that, he’s got the chops to develop as a Tackle if they view him that way, and, worst case scenario, you can get your offensive everyman replacement for Pat Mekari.

Round 2 (#59 overall): DT Omarr Norman-Lott, Tennessee

In the second round, I’d considered going with a DB given that the Ravens are looking at both Safety and Corner, but with Darien Porter off the board just a few picks before we got back on the clock, I saw Omarr Norman-Lott still sitting there as the best player available, and he was too good to pass up. Norman-Lott was hard to handle for interior linemen at the college level, and he frequently moved the pile backwards or blew a run play up before it could get started. He may not be exactly what they’re looking for when trying to replace a true NT in Michael Pierce, but his strength and quick first step could help provide some pass rush juice on the inside.

Round 3 (#91 overall): S Andrew Mukuba, Texas

Between the fit for the player and the position we were able to get him, this might be my favorite selection from this exercise. Mukuba would really fit the bill for what the Ravens are looking for in a deep safety, and to land him at 91 would be a steal. Not only is he extremely physical when generating contact, but he’s also got enough range in his catch and coverage radius to become a real centerfielder if a ball hangs up there, and the Ravens could certainly use his ability to generate turnovers.

Round 4 (#129 overall): EDGE Tyler Batty, BYU

By this point in the draft, the EDGEs were flying off the board. I gambled that Alabama’s Que Robinson would still be available here and I could scoop him up, but unfortunately, the Packers sniped him just a few picks ahead of me. Knowing I still needed an EDGE, I grabbed the best guy available at the position before it got away from me in Tyler Batty. Batty’s athleticism and unique body composition make him a similar prospect to what Baltimore got in Tavius Robinson. He’s tall at 6’6”, and his wingspan and range could allow the Ravens to use him in some fun looks if Chuck Smith can mold him.

Round 4 (#136 overall): TE Mitchell Evans, Notre Dame

This pick was a true “best player available” flyer, and it operated under the assumption that Baltimore isn’t ruling out a potential trade involving Mark Andrews. Because we didn’t do trades in this mock, I didn’t have the luxury of trying to use a transaction to move around the board, but I wanted to come away with a tight end before they all slipped away from me. Evans stepped up bigtime in the CFP for the Irish, and he’s a big body with reliable hands. While he’s not in the stratosphere of big name TEs in this class like Colston Loveland or Tyler Warren, I’m of the opinion that spending high on a TE usually doesn’t work out (Brock Bowers being the recent exception to the rule).

Round 5 (#176 overall): CB Zah Frazier, UTSA

This was another pick where I was lucky enough to come away with one of my real targets in this draft. Frazier is getting a lot of love from pundits and scouts as we get closer to Draft Day, so I doubt he stays available this long, but I love his athletic upside. His weight makes him a little undersized at just 186 pounds, but he clocked a 4.36 40-yard dash with a 1.47 second 10-yard split, as well as a 10’6” broad jump. He’s got sideline-to-sideline burst, and if you bring him into a room with Nate Wiggins and Marlon Humphrey, it would mean having another guy with a wide catch radius that Zach Orr could deploy as a ballhawk when they need one.

Round 6 (#183 overall): OT Jack Nelson, Wisconsin

Tons of credit to Cole Jackson for advocating for Jack Nelson, because even as a guy who watches a lot of Wisconsin football, Nelson wasn’t on my radar much until I started digging into his film more. Wisconsin is a program known for a run-heavy offense, and they produce high-profile O-line talent as a result since they need guys that open those lanes. Nelson is a raw prospect for sure, but the Ravens have the benefit of not needing him to start right away, so they could bring him in for the needed depth and allow him time to develop, maybe even to become an everyday starter in the post-Ronnie Stanley era if the stars align.

Round 6 (#203 overall): WR Elijhah Badger, Florida

Going from one Badger to another, I picked up a receiver late in this one that was another investment on the upside. While Badger didn’t have any dominant numbers over his college career, his ability to break long gains had him put up a whopping 20.7 yards per reception last season. Combine his ability to stretch the field with an SEC pedigree and fantastic hands on 50/50 balls, and I would gladly use a late pick to see what he can do in camp.

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

With Malik Harrison’s departure in free agency, the Ravens are going to be looking for an inside linebacker with some ability to shift outside when necessary, but more than anything, they need a guy that can plug the middle of the field and just rack up tackles. Buchanan did that last season with Cal as he racked up 114 total tackles to add to his five sacks. As much as I like some of the iLBs farther up the board (especially Oklahoma’s Danny Stutsman), the Ravens may very well do what I did and prioritize other positions first, banking on the ability to develop an athletic prospect like Buchanan later on.

Round 6 (#212 overall): RB LeQuint Allen, Syracuse

The Ravens currently have four running backs under contract coming into 2025, so it’s certainly not a glaring area of need, especially with your top trio being well-established. That said, this class is loaded with RB talent, and I wanted to take a late swing. Oregon’s Jordan James went off the board just a few picks before this, which was a bummer given that he was one of my late-round steal targets, but I like being able to grab LeQuint Allen late. Allen had a huge season last year with over 1,500 all-purpose yards and 20 total touchdowns, and his receiving work could be a big asset in this offense. He could be a nice option if you’re looking for another back with receiving chops beyond only Justice Hill, because Hill’s brief injury last season showed you what the offense lacked without the receiving option out of the backfield.

Round 7 (#243 overall): K Ryan Fitzgerald, Florida State

With the last selection, I went with another pick that’s totally dependent on the conversations happening in the front office. Kickers will likely be available as UDFAs, so the Ravens could have their pick of the litter as contenders if they choose not to draft one. That said, they conducted a private workout with Fitzgerald, and if they want the assurances that they’re coming out of the draft with the guy they really like, this is one way to do that. While we don’t know how the situation with Justin Tucker will eventually resolve, this gives the Ravens a layer of protection from looking around for an option if they choose to move on.

The post RSR Mock Draft Duel 2.0 appeared first on Russell Street Report.

Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2025/04/22/ravens-draft-central/rsr-mock-draft-duel-2-0-2/