2017 Nfl Mock Draft 7 Rounds Ravens
1 day ago Monday 2021 NFL Mock Draft: 7-Rounds. Free Agency Predictions. NT from Baltimore Ravens to Jaguars for 2nd Round (#33) and a 5th Round (Trade f/CLE/Ronnie Harrison/#172). 11 hours ago NFL.com’s Chad Reuter has a new four-round mock draft and projects the Cardinals start with defense in the first round and then with offensive players with their Day 2 picks.
Luke Easterling of Draft Wire has been working his way around the NFL, doing a full seven-round mock draft for each NFL franchise. This time he found his way to the Baltimore Ravens.
Using Fanspeak’s “One the Clock” draft simulator, he chose for each of Baltimore’s known selections, including the projected compensatory picks. Let’s check out who he went after.
Quincy Wilson is a prospect many have mocked to the Ravens already. Thanks to his size and a really deep draft class, Baltimore could add to their young cornerback talent yet again. If Wilson plays anything like his film indicates he can, the Ravens will likely push Tavon Young inside, leaving outside for Wilson.
If Baltimore were to play with their roster as it stands right now, they’d be seriously lacking at wide receiver. With Steve Smith’s retirement and several players hitting free agency, the Ravens could need a major infusion of young talent to help out quarterback Joe Flacco.
An underrated prospect right now, Henderson is a big-time player in the slot and as a return specialist. Despite his 5-foot-11, 191 pound frame, Henderson can still get the job done, much like the now-departed Smith.
Pass rush help comes late in this draft after all the top players were selected early in the first round, but there is still players on the board that can make a serious difference. Derek Rivers is one of those players that could impress come Week 1, but should do wonders working under linebackers Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil for a year.
The offensive line is a place that sees injuries all over and nothing can derail a season like shifting around linemen to protect your quarterback. So increasing the depth the Ravens have as well as hopefully improving that depth is key.
Moton could play either right tackle or get moved inside as a guard, making him a valuable floater along the offensive line. It doesn’t hurt that he’s a powerful blocker, that might just need to adapt to his frame better.
Help in the secondary comes again with safety being addressed here. Lorenzo Jerome is a small-school prospect that dominated lesser competition. The big question is how he will fare against better players and the increase in speed that stumps many draft picks each year.
Baltimore already has some question marks at center, so adding a player to sit behind starter Jeremy Zuttah isn’t a bad thing. Hopefully he pans out, but this is a rather weak class for offensive linemen so don’t expect him to push Zuttah for his starting job immediately.
The Ravens have already been spotted eyeing up some backfield talent, which could indicate a desire to upgrade over someone they already have on the roster. With injuries being a major factor for Baltimore over the last few years, looking for a diamond in the rough here with a physical back should be a good idea.
Despite what will likely be a great effort to keep defensive tackle Brandon Williams, the free agent market might up his value too much to make it possible for the Ravens to keep up. A seventh-round selection won’t immediately fill Williams’ shoes, but it does add a little depth to the position. Hester is also an interesting talent this late with flashes of greatness, but consistency issues keeping him from doing more.
2017 Nfl Mock Draft 7 Rounds Ravens Playoff
The Baltimore Ravens were hoping to bounce back in 2016, following an injury-ravaged, forgettable 2015 campaign. It initially looked like that might happen, but he Ravens endured some highs and lows and ultimately choked away their shot at the playoffs by dropping the final two games of the season.
It was supposed to be iconic wide receiver Steve Smith Sr.’s last hurrah, but Baltimore fizzled down the stretch in what ultimately was a disappointing follow-up to a disastrous season. There was improvement across the board, but Joe Flacco was often left to carry the offense all by himself, as the Ravens struggled to consistently run the football and over time showed their age on the defensive side of the ball.
Baltimore still has some pieces that could help prop up a potential title contender. Joe Flacco can still have big games, John Harbaugh certainly knows what he’s doing and aged or not, the Ravens can still defend.
The bad news? Terrance West is currently the best running back the Ravens have to offer, Steve Smith retired and Baltimore is only getting older defensively. Going into the 2017 NFL Draft, Baltimore knows they still can be a Super Bowl threat. They just need to make the right moves to help make it a reality.
We’ve got some good ideas as to how they can do that. Join us as we mock their six listed draft picks going into this year’s NFL Draft:
Round 1 (Pick 16) – Derek Barnett, OLB, Tennessee
This is where it has to start. No offensive position is pressing enough to get the Ravens to reach in the middle of round one, but with an aging Terrell Suggs and little else on the edge of their 3-4 base defense, Baltimore has to finally blink here.
The Ravens have been getting by for years with aging commodities on the outside, but they just cut loose Elvis Dumervil and Suggs is going to be 35 this years. Suggs remains the face of their pass rush, but how much longer can he hold up? Even if he stays on and remains effective, Baltimore has little behind him and needs to think about the long-term future of their pass rush.
This once proud unit ranked just 24th in the league in sacks last year and they need more chaos to keep this defense from falling off a cliff. Adding someone like Barnett makes complete sense, seeing as he put up big numbers in the sack department and projects well as a 3-4 outside linebacker.
That situation very well could be Baltimore, with the only hiccup being Barnett’s elite production and next level upside having him go sooner in round one.
Round 2 (Pick 47) – Malik McDowell, DE, Michigan State
I really think the Ravens need to attack quality defensive talent early in the draft, as some of these positions will fade faster than people think. There is also a ton of interesting middle to late round talent on the offensive side of the ball, so making some splashes on defense would be advised.
The Ravens could certainly do that with the talented and versatile McDowell, who was once a first round lock and is starting to look more like an early day two pick. It’s no given that the former Spartan will last all the way to the 47th selection in the draft, but he’s the kind of big defensive end the Ravens love.
Baltimore currently has Timmy Jernigan and little else to get excited about, so they certainly could use another able young prospect to come in and compete for a big role.
Raw and inconsistent, McDowell has good size, athleticism and untapped upside. If the Ravens can reach him and help him progress, he provides immediate depth and a stud starter down the road.
Round 3 (Pick 78) – JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, USC
At some point the Ravens will have to shift their focus back to offense, as they do have some question marks there. The biggest is probably at wide receiver, as Smith retired and Mike Wallace is 30 years old. Wallace is fine for another year, but the Ravens let Kamar Aiken leave in free agency and Breshad Perriman has yet to prove he’ll be the answer on one side.
Needless to say, the Ravens might be okay for 2016, but then what? Baltimore needs to think long-term with their passing game and bring in a talented receiver that knows how to get open and attack the ball. Built in the mold of former Raven Anquan Boldin, JuJu is very arguably the best option the Ravens can look at. Smith-Schuster gets knocked for less than elite home run speed, but he’s a fine athlete that put up strong production against tough competition on a regular basis.
Baltimore needs a young receiver like this to help move the chains and there’s a good chance they can get it in round three.
Round 3 (Pick 99) – Antonio Garcia, OT, Troy
2017 Nfl Mock Drafts
This second third round choice is a nice spot for the Ravens to either get a running back, go back to defense or add some nice depth to an ailing offensive line. Baltimore does have nice pieces to their offensive line, but they’ve had issues at guard, tackle and even center.
Considering they could really use two big tackle prospects, this is the direction we’d go here. Garcia has proven to be a very reliable offensive tackle, starting all four years at Troy and displaying sound athleticism, good size and the ability to mirror the best of pass rushers.
The latter could prove to be huge, but Garcia’s size and athleticism should allow for him to be effective on either side of the line. Carrying heavy weight has been an issue and is probably Garcia’s main deterrent, but once he gets in an NFL program it’s unlikely that continues. When the weight comes and stays, Garcia’s strength and consistency should round out. He doesn’t need to be the savior of the line in round three, anyways, and should have a little time to develop.
Round 4 (Pick 122) – Samaje Perine, RB, Oklahoma
Back to the offense we go, as the Ravens do not have a high level running back right now. They need to find a guy who can do all of the heavy lifting mostly on his own and shed one of their ball carriers. Right now they’re stuck in a weird spot where they just have a collection of passable runners but lack a true difference-maker.
Perine won’t be that when it comes to home run speed or explosiveness, but he otherwise fits the bill in every way when you’re looking for a guy to dominate your rushing workload. The Ravens have suggested they don’t necessarily want to get back to being a run-dominant team, but it fits them and it would work a lot better than trying to beat everyone with Flacco and the passing game every game.
Whether that’s the direction they go in or not, the physical Perine should work, as he’s a menace between the tackles, craves contact and can carry a full load. He’s a much more enticing early down option than the guys Baltimore currently has, while the door can still be left open a crack for the likes of Buck Allen and maybe even Danny Woodhead to pick up some scraps and be of good use on passing downs.
Round 5 (Pick 159) – Nate Hairston, CB, Temple
Baltimore could go back to the o-line here, they could try to acquire more picks or maybe even go find a backup for Flacco. They’re running out of high level real estate in round five, but Temple defensive back Nate Hairston could be worth a look.
The Ravens certainly could use some extra depth in the secondary, as they did go out and add Brandon Carr to work opposite of Jimmy Smith, but lack ideal depth at cornerback. Hairston could provide that as the third or fourth guy right away and eventually compete for a bigger role a couple years down the line.
A former wide receiver for three seasons with the Owls, Hairston knows the position well, which allowed him to make a huge leap last year as a corner. He understands angles, timing, anticipation and is already very physical – all traits that are impressive for someone lacking positional experience. Hairston also has a nice size/speed/athleticism blend to help his transition even more.
The beauty here is Hairston’s physicality and build fit the Ravens, but he will be afforded the necessary time to mature into the player he could become. Doing so as a depth piece initially should help mask glaring flaws until he’s ready to take his game to the next level. In round five, he’s a solid gamble worth taking.
Summary
Overall, the Ravens remain in a pretty good spot. Adding a runner and receiver on offense should help round out a steady attack, while the main focus should be high impact defensive talent that can hopefully help right away and stick around as difference-making additions for years to come.
Chargers Nfl 2021 Mock Draft 7 Rounds
Nabbing the likes of Barnett and McDowell early could do that for Baltimore, while the rest of the draft could be about depth and key pieces that could eventually carve out big roles. This is still a team that really isn’t that far away from their next Super Bowl run. They just need to rebuild their pass rush and hope their offense comes together again to make it happen.
2017 Nfl Mock Draft 7 Rounds Ravens
Think these players could be good fits with the Ravens like we do? Think Baltimore should be looking to draft other prospects? Tell us your thoughts on what the Ravens should do in the 2017 NFL Draft in the comments below!