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The Baltimore Ravens had such a weird 2023 season in the grand scheme of things. The Ravens had such a historic regular season campaign, reminding NFL fans how the Seahawks handled business in the legion of boom era. What I mean by that is that the Ravens had one of the best defenses of the modern pass-happy era. The Ravens had an elite (and underrated) secondary, a pass rush that gathered 60 sacks for the whole season, and a great inside linebacker duo that could stuff the run.
Like the Seahawks, the Ravens didn't have a great defense, but a great defense only. The Ravens also had a stout offense with the MVP at the helm in Lamar Jackson. The Ravens run game was dominant as usual, with rookie sensation Keaton Mitchell on a record-breaking tear before his season-ending injury. Rarely is a team so dominant on both sides of the ball, with a dynamic quarterback standing behind center.
Crazily enough, the Ravens ran into that exact same type of team in the playoffs and blinked first. The Chiefs had a great defense and a Hall of Fame quarterback, and they looked way calmer and collected in the process.
After that loss, the Ravens are in a rough place right now. What the Ravens did was historically unique and hard to replicate, especially with their coaches and players leaving. There's still optimism, though, and not just because the team signed Derrick Henry. The Ravens still have Lamar Jackson, and aside from 2021, they'll always have the hard-nosed defense the rest of the league fears.
Most importantly, they'll still be one of the best organizations at drafting and developing players. With the talent in this 2024 draft class, Ravens can set themselves up for another dominant run this year and in the long term by picking the right players. There's A+ talent in every round, and the Ravens can benefit from taking one of these three players.
1. Brian Thomas Jr
Marvin Harrison Jr, Rome Odunze, and Malik Nabers are all being recognized as the best receivers in this year's draft. That's all fine and dandy since they're probably going to tear the league up. No one's really been talked about aside from them, though. Xavier Worthy has exploded due to his record-breaking 4.21 40-yard dash at the combine, but his lack of receiver reps in college has halted whatever momentum he could be having.
Brian Thomas Jr is the one receiver the Ravens should seriously look at. Following Odell Beckham Jr.'s departure, the Ravens are one main wide receiver short. They have talent and depth, though, with Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and Nelson Agholor making up a solid WR room.
The Ravens need someone to fill Beckham's void and honestly consider taking Thomas Jr at number 30 overall. At the same time they may want to avoid drafting yet another first-round receiver.
Regardless, Thomas Jr is 6'4" with a pretty big frame. Thomas Jr ran a 4.34 40 Yard Dash at the combine, and while he doesn't always show his speed in his play, he's done enough to succeed at the collegiate level. The Ravens lack a tall receiver, and Thomas Jr is from a college with a historically great track record and developing receivers.
2. Graham Barton
The Ravens have been heavily linked to picking this offensive lineman up in a solid number of mock drafts. Graham Barton is the type of player the franchise would take if he falls, but if a good number of high-quality players fall, Barton could drop even lower to the second or even third round. There's a chance the Ravens could take him that low, and given his abilities and background, they will certainly think about it.
Barton played at Duke and is both strong and agile. Barton did pretty well at the combine but got overshadowed by all sorts of different players. With the underrated Kevin Zeitler walking in free agency, the Ravens could use a solid guard standing beside Tyler Linderbaum to protect from the new era of dominant interior pass rushers.
3. Cooper DeJean
The Ravens are typically a best player available team. With that being disclosed, if the Ravens do stick with going for the best player available, they just might choose a defensive player. Jer'zhan Newton isn't completely off the table, but a cornerback might be more suited for the team, given their injuries and lack of depth in the secondary.
In that regard, who wouldn't love to add the defensive version of Taysom Hill to their team? Cooper DeJean can play in the box extremely well. DeJean is pretty good with zone coverage, and it's unknown as to whether he's great at man coverage, given Iowa's zone preferences.
A defensive duo of Kyle Hamilton and Cooper DeJean would be every defensive coordinator dream. The plays involving those two and Roquan Smith would be football heaven, to say the least.
