An 8-8 finish put the Baltimore Ravens right in the middle of every round (except the seventh) of this NFL draft. If you’re anything like me, this is the perfect spot if you’re playing fantasy football. For the Ravens, it’s a terrific place to pick since this was an underperforming team in 2016 that’s significantly better than the 8-8 record they put up.
Picking at this spot, especially with two quarterbacks likely going before their pick, gives the Ravens a pretty much guaranteed playmaker in the first round on either side of the ball. Knowing how general manager Ozzie Newsome’s brain works, I see the Ravens shoring up the holes on their defensive unit before addressing holes on their offense.
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Round 1, Pick 16: Haasan Reddick, OLB, Temple
2016: 65 tackles, 22.5 for a loss, 9.5 sacks, one interception, three passes defended, one fumble recovery, three forced fumbles
Reddick is a ferocious pass rusher and complete all-around outside linebacker. He was built from the ground up to play in this Ravens defense and if he’s on the board here, I don’t see any way Baltimore passes on him. The Ravens need to think about the future and Terrell Suggs’ age, but the beauty of bringing in Reddick now is they should have a couple of years with both Suggs and Reddick on the field together.
Round 2, Pick 47: Quincy Wilson, CB, Florida
2016: 33 tackles, one sack, three interceptions, one defensive touchdown, six passes defended
The Ravens have done plenty to address their problems in the secondary this offseason. They brought in Brandon Carr and Tony Jefferson and re-signed Lardarius Webb, but picking Wilson here adds a starter-level talent that the team can use in the slot if needed. Wilson is a huge, physical corner at 6-1 and 213 pounds and could even potentially play some safety.
Round 3, Pick 74: Marcus Maye, Safety, Florida
2016: 50 tackles, 1.5 for a loss, one sack, one interception, five passes defended
Speaking of safety, Maye is the best one on the board in the third round and, like his teammate Wilson, has NFL starter talent. He’s spent four seasons lining up against some of the best offensive players in the country in the SEC and helped Florida stay in the mix, as their offense was so ass Kanye West asked it to marry him.
Round 3, Pick 78: Chad Hansen, WR, California
2016: 92 catches, 1,249 yards, 11 touchdowns
With the emergence (finally) of former first round pick Breshad Perriman into a solid No. 2 wide receiver, the Ravens have their starting unit set with a rejuvinated Mike Wallace, who recorded his first 1,000-yard receiving season since 2011. What they don’t have is anyone worth a shit behind them or in the slot. Enter Hansen, who I not only think can fill that role, but eventually emerge as the team’s No. 1 receiver. This is a very deep wideout draft, and if you paid attention to my pre-draft position rankings, I had Hansen at No. 8 right ahead of Amara Darboh from Michigan and right behind Curtis Samuel at Ohio State.
Round 4, Pick 122: Deatrich Wise Jr., DE, Arkansas
2016: 49 tackles, 5.5 for a loss, 3.5 sacks, three passes defended
At 6-7 and 271 pounds, Wise is the perfect 3-4 defensive end. With the Ravens trading away starter Timmy Jernigan, they need to develop a replacement and, frankly, they may not have that guy on the roster right now. Only Brent Urban recorded any sacks last season and he just had two. Carl Davis did next to nothing as a back up behind Jernigan and Brandon Kaufusi and Willie Henry never played a down.
Round 5, Pick 159: Jarron Jones, DT, Notre Dame
2016: 48 tackles, 10.5 for a loss, two sacks, one interception, three passes defended, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble
The Ravens re-signed starting nose tackle Brandon Williams and his back up, Michael Pierce, is pretty solid as well, which is why the Ravens can wait until the fifth round to take a tackle. By my estimation, that puts the 6-6, 316-pound Jones right in their lap. He can rotate with Williams and Pierce, and also role in at defensive end. The truth is, other than Williams and Pierce, Jones and Wise are better than any defensive lineman the Ravens have on the roster right now.
Round 6, Pick 186: Cole Hikutini, TE, Louisville
2016: 50 catches, 668 yards, eight touchdowns
For the Ravens offense to roll, they need a solid, pass-catching tight end on the field. Dennis Pitta’s return to form in 2016 solidified that position at starter, but their depth needs some punching up. Hikutini gives quarterback another huge target at 6-5 and 248 in the red zone and third downs and allows Baltimore to use more double tight end sets in their regular offense.
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