2018 draft talk

[DreamKid]

I was watching some Darren Carrington WR Utah Cut Ups over again and besides being more worried about his physical profile than I was before, I found this. His music video. Big time cringe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjOeTfNBVPA

With his DUI incident and this, our FO might deem him a little too much off the field. 

 

[diamondbull424]

So I’ve been thinking about this for the past couple days. But I really don’t like the idea of going receiver with a pick in the first round. They typically take the longest to adjust to the nfl over other positions.

Now the impact of a great tight end can usually be pretty immediate in the passing game. We’ve been talking about double dipping at wide receiver, but not the idea of double dipping at tight end. And I know we have two decent options returning. But if we’re not going to see a lot of playmaking receivers in the draft or in free agency, perhaps another strategy is to run more double tight end sets and inject more athleticism there.

Add a true game breaking back to the equation and some deep threats on the outside and boom.

Guys like Dallas Goedert, Hayden Hurst, and Mike Geseki being the ones I would target somewhere in that 2nd-5th round range.

[coordinator0]

Tight ends take longer to adjust to the NFL than receivers do. That's a notoriously slow position to develop, just doesn't get the recognition that other areas (like safety) do. There's always outliers. Evan Engram (not that he's really a tight end) made an impact as a rookie this season. Hunter Henry did so last year as well. Otherwise... it's not a good list. 

No to double tight end as well. It's just not going to work out where the team would get enough production out of more than one player at that position to justify investing multiple "real" assets. Especially not when Boyle and Williams will be back anyways. Even Kubiak's double tight end sets were mostly one receiver and one blocker. I'm not backing an investment into a blocker at a skill position. Getting one makes sense since Maxx isn't inspiring any hope and NIck is just a blocker.

------------------------

I'm not sure where I want the Ravens to go this year. Not going to get too involved in the draft process this time around, at least from a forming opinions about prospects standpoint. More focused on needs and roster construction. If the Ravens take someone who solves a problem or at least projects to solve a problem, great. If not and it's more duplication of talent that won't get utilized... well, I won't be surprised. 

[Danand]

What happened to the DJ Moore talk? I know he got the local product and all, but he seems like a nice pick in the 2. to 3. round. So far, from all I've seen, this WR class is very thin at the top, and very heavy in the middle of the draft. I could easily be in for the double dip in the 2 and 3 round or 3 and 3 round etc. While I like Sutton, the idea of getting an Anthony Miller, James Washintong, Deontay Burnett, DJ Moore, Austin Proehl in the mid rounds are just as intriguing if we can solidify the offensive line and get an explosive back who can also catch the ball.

[M.10.E]

I'm 99% sure we're going to pick and OL in the first round.

[diamondbull424]

Not ranking need but what position I feel like we’re most likely to see in the first round will be something like:

1. RB 2. ILB 3. Safety 4. WR 5. RT

I don’t usually subscribe to the theory that running backs should be a first round need. But our franchise has proven to not necessarily be the best at developing receiver talent. And the one talent I know Flacco would utilize as a receiver would be a running back (chuck downs to Rice). So a back that can do it all, yet also be a dangerous receiver like either Saqoun Barkley would be perfect. I wouldn’t even be against trading up for him if he were to fall some... which since he’s a running back, COULD happen. Especially if the off-season doesn’t go his way. His stock is about as high as it can be, an average combine could be exactly what we would need to secure him.

[Mancunian Raven]

Unless the Ravens pick up a decent WR in free agency, I don't see any way they don't at least try to find one in the first two rounds of the draft. They know that area is embarrassingly weak, they know Perriman is a bust, they know Maclin hasn't worked out. They know that Flacco needs weapons.

They papered over the cracks in the O-line, and in the RB corps pretty well (and that seems to be how the Ravens address the offense). But that passing attack was still woeful. Now, the WRs might all be gone whenever the Ravens get on the clock, but if they're not, then I think they'd need a really persuasive reason not to pick one.

[diamondbull424]

So I’ve been looking more at Courtland Sutton. And he reminds me of Jordan Matthews in both profile and playing style. Tall. Decent strength. Nice quickness. Deceptive speed. The only difference between the two is that Matthews had better hands, was a better route runner, and got it done vs higher level competition consistently. I’d much rather we not take him in the 1st round at pick #16. Earliest I would take him is with a late 1st round pick. Though if Jordan Matthews checks out medically I’d much rather just pick him up since they’re essentially the same player.

[coordinator0]

Jordan Matthews draft prospect =/= Jordan Matthews NFL player. He hasn't developed or lived up to the expectations some had when they were high on him as a player coming out of Vanderbilt. I think you're remembering him more from back then as opposed to his recent years.

[diamondbull424]

2 hours ago, coordinator0 said:

Jordan Matthews draft prospect =/= Jordan Matthews NFL player. He hasn't developed or lived up to the expectations some had when they were high on him as a player coming out of Vanderbilt. I think you're remembering him more from back then as opposed to his recent years.

I don’t understand what you mean. He had multiple NFL seasons of around 900 yds and 8 tds. He was never going to be a dominant 1300 receiving option unless he was force fed a ball by a desperate receiver needy team (which we were). He was more pro-ready than Sutton is. That guy rounds his routes like no other. And his route fakes are basic. Rarely ever uses his head and shoulders to fake a different route to force talented corners to think twice about anticipating his movements.

But back to Jordan Matthews his production has slipped as a receiver due to a knee injury that he hasn’t taken care of. He finally got the surgery this season and was put on IR. Thus if he checks out medically, why would a 25 year old that is much more developed and doesn’t cost a draft pick not be a better version? Mike Wallace had multiple down seasons in Minnesota before bouncing back with us.

Notice that I’m not saying that we should forego receiver. But I’m saying we should forego Courtland Sutton for better prospects. What’s more I’m going to rewatch Calvin Ridley without bias to see if he would be worth a first round pick over some of the other options. But as it stands, I’m not confident with any of these receiving options as pick #16 worthy. Perhaps if we trade down I could be convinced of their value. Anthony Miller might be the only receiver I would select in the first round... and that would be after a trade down. But again, I’ll have to rewatch these guys to double check my opinion of this wide receiver crew.

If we have to stay put however, I would most likely want to go for a RT. From what I’ve seen of some of these OTs this season, it would be the only offensive position with the value worthy of such a premium selection where the talent of the players in that position also fit the bill. I could also see ILB fitting the bill and/or some sort of hybrid defensive back as well, but that doesn’t help the offensive side of the ball which has the bigger need.

Though trading down for a do it all running back like a Derrius Guice (Ray Rice clone) would both present us with another target as well as one that could provide a more immediate impact to the offense.

[diamondbull424]

So Frank Ragnow is an elite center. I wouldn’t want to take him at pick #16, but if we were to trade down to the 25 range, I would love to pick him. One of the better center prospects I’ve looked at since I’ve been looking into the draft. He can do it all. He pulls better than most guards. He’s able to handle the power of big defensive lineman. His understanding of how to combo block is astounding. He’s going to be one of the best centers in the NFL from the jump. He’ll be on the Nick Mangold, Alex Mack level of talent. He’s Marshal Yanda at center.

edit: He’ll be a five Star prospect at the center position. He’s better than the Pouncey’s.

[Rein]

1 hour ago, diamondbull424 said:

So Frank Ragnow is an elite center. I wouldn’t want to take him at pick #16, but if we were to trade down to the 25 range, I would love to pick him. One of the better center prospects I’ve looked at since I’ve been looking into the draft. He can do it all. He pulls better than most guards. He’s able to handle the power of big defensive lineman. His understanding of how to combo block is astounding. He’s going to be one of the best centers in the NFL from the jump. He’ll be on the Nick Mangold, Alex Mack level of talent. He’s Marshal Yanda at center.

edit: He’ll be a five Star prospect at the center position. He’s better than the Pouncey’s.

Considering the impact Alex Mack had on the falcons O-line, I could actually get behind draft Ragnow in the 1st. If we trade down - great!

[DontTazeMeBro]

So all that talk about offense, offense, offense. I changed my mind. I want DeShon Elliott 

[diamondbull424]

9 hours ago, DontTazeMeBro said:

So all that talk about offense, offense, offense. I changed my mind. I want DeShon Elliott 

Is this assuming that Minkah Fitzpatrick and Derwin James will both be off the board, which is a smart assumption but just wondering?

All I know is that Derwin James is going to be special at the next level. Easily the most excited I’ve been about a safety since Eric Berry.

edit: It’s like college football is COD Black Ops and he’s playing on 15th prestige as a dominating 8 year old and everyone else just started playing the game.

[Danand]

I am on the Frank Ragnow wagon. I hope he falls a bit due to injury. Still I would prefer overall to keep Jensen.

What is our situation with Jefferson, because with him on the team, we are more or less forced to play with the single high safety and let him roam in the box.