Rating 14 potential first-round targets for the Ravens, from Amarius Mims to Xavier Worthy

Nobody knows for sure what the Ravens will do with the No. 30 overall pick Thursday night. But there are a lot of different ideas offered in the hundreds (thousands?) of mock drafts published this week.

As the start of the first round approaches, 14 prospects have been regularly linked to the Ravens’ top pick. On a scale of one to 10, here’s their projected approval rating, which accounts for positional need, draft value and potential impact in Baltimore.

Iowa CB Cooper DeJean

Approval rating: 9

DeJean is such a good athlete that he’s been projected to slot in at three different positions on defense: outside cornerback, nickel back and safety. He’s also an exceptional returner. DeJean mostly played on the outside at Iowa, racking up seven interceptions over the past two seasons, but he has the athleticism and football IQ to pivot where needed. That versatility would be key for a Ravens secondary lacking depth at cornerback and safety. Draft projections have him going anywhere from the top 15 to early in the second round, though most lean toward the first round. DeJean would be a potential bargain for the Ravens at No. 30, addressing multiple needs without taking on too much risk.

Georgia OT Amarius Mims

Approval rating: 9

ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. wrote in February that “if you could draw up the perfect right tackle prospect, it would be Mims, who is light on his feet and can deliver a jolt in run-blocking situations.” The 6-foot-8, 340-pound Mims has been ticketed for the NFL since he was a blue-chip high school recruit, but his injury history will likely keep him out of the top half of the first round. He started only eight games at Georgia, six of which came last year, when he dealt with a sprained ankle and underwent tightrope surgery. Still, Mims is more inexperienced than raw, and he could anchor either side of the line in Baltimore for a long, long time. With Morgan Moses traded away and Ronnie Stanley in the final year of his deal, Mims could be a fit at either position.

Duke OL Graham Barton

Approval rating: 9

Barton, who started 34 games at left tackle over four years at Duke, is expected to move inside at the next level. The Ravens have a star center in Tyler Linderbaum, but they have holes at both guard spots, and the 6-5, 313-pound Barton would rank as one of the most athletic prospects at the position in draft history. He struggled somewhat with injuries last season, but Barton’s a tenacious run blocker who could thrive in any scheme. His strong base and solid fundamentals help him win on pass sets despite less-than-ideal length.

Alabama CB Kool-Aid McKinstry

Approval rating: 8

As we broke down in the case for drafting McKinstry, this Alabama cornerback is very similar to another Alabama cornerback: Marlon Humphrey. Picking Humphrey in the first round in 2017 worked out well for the Ravens, and McKinstry could turn out to be another success story. There is concern about his full-field speed — he’s described as a good athlete, not an elite one — and he’s recovering from a Jones fracture in his right foot. However, McKinstry is a consensus late-first-round pick. Cornerback depth is sorely needed, and he should be able to contribute quickly.

Penn State EDGE Chop Robinson

Approval rating: 8

Robinson gets brownie points for his local roots — he grew up in Montgomery County — and his good vibes. He’s leaned into his nickname, which is short for “Pork Chop,” and on Wednesday, he cooked his family a predraft dinner of pork chops. Robinson showed his elite athleticism at the NFL scouting combine, running a 4.48-second 40-yard dash at 254 pounds. Pro Football Focus called him an “alien-like athlete.” He is described as unpolished, raw and incomplete, but those are all fixable traits, especially with the Ravens’ coaching staff. Robinson’s combine performance sent him soaring up draft boards, but his limited production is a red flag. He had just 9.5 sacks over his two final seasons at Penn State.

Oklahoma OT Tyler Guyton

Approval rating: 8

Guyton’s best football is ahead of him — but how long would the Ravens have to wait to get it? After not playing regularly along the offensive line until 2022, the 6-8, 322-pound Guyton has considerable room for improvement in pass protection and as a run blocker. Still, he has the physical tools to develop into a longtime starter at right tackle, and perhaps even left tackle. Guyton didn’t allow a sack at Oklahoma last season, according to PFF, and he flashed his potential as a blocker in space and on the move. He might not be better than Daniel Faalele in Week 1, but he could be the Ravens’ best right tackle by Week 11. Their patience with former right tackle Orlando Brown Jr., another former Sooners star, paid off during his rookie year.

Clemson CB Nate Wiggins

Approval rating: 8

Wiggins, who ran the 40 in a lightning-fast 4.28 seconds, is described by PFF as a rare athlete. He can play both man and zone coverage and seems to have the physical and mental skills for success at the next level. His two biggest weaknesses are not overly concerning, either. Wiggins weighed just 173 pounds at the combine but bulked up to 182 pounds at Clemson’s pro day about two weeks later. He also had just three interceptions over his college career — but he had plenty of pass breakups. Most projections have Wiggins going late in the first round and turning into a long-term starter.

Arizona OL Jordan Morgan

Approval rating: 7

Morgan has NFL-level mobility, but he’s something of a tweener prospect with a few medical red flags. At 6-6 and 320 pounds, he doesn’t have prototypical arm length for a tackle. He also lacks the power to displace the bigger linemen he’d face as a guard. Even if Morgan sticks at tackle in Baltimore, there could be growing pains as a rookie; Morgan was a three-year starter at left tackle for Arizona, and Stanley’s unlikely to switch sides next season. It’s not hard to imagine Morgan finding a home, though. If the Ravens embrace more zone concepts in their rushing attack, his athleticism would make him a good fit for coordinator Todd Monken’s offense.

Texas WR Adonai Mitchell

Approval rating: 7

Mitchell ran routes and moved like an NFL receiver last season. (Just ask McKinstry and Alabama’s other talented cornerbacks, who struggled against him in a loss to Texas.) Mitchell just didn’t produce like a college star, much less a potential first-round pick. He had 55 catches for 845 yards and finished with three or fewer receptions in 10 of his 14 games in 2023. Monken was Georgia’s offensive coordinator during Mitchell’s two years at the school, so the Ravens should have a good sense of his fit in Baltimore. With his size (6-2) and speed (4.34-second 40), Mitchell projects as a potential impact “X” receiver.

BYU OT Kingsley Suamataia

Approval rating: 6

Suamataia has special traits — before last season, The Athletic ranked him one of the biggest athletic “freaks” in college football — but the consistency is not there yet. He struggled with his awareness in pass protection and graded out as only an average run blocker, according to PFF, which could keep him from being a Day 1 pick. The 6-5, 326-pound Suamataia’s potential is obvious, though. He has big hands, quick feet, won’t turn 22 until January and was named a team captain in only his second year at BYU. He also has starting experience at left and right tackle.

Missouri DL/EDGE Darius Robinson

Approval rating: 6

Robinson played every position along the defensive front for Missouri, but he didn’t regularly line up against offensive tackles until last season. He stood out on the edge, where his power was on display, and his versatility and run defense should only help his profile. There are questions about Robinson’s athleticism — especially after his combine performance, where he ran a 4.95-second 40 at 285 pounds — but he has the production (8.5 sacks in 2023) and character to convince teams to take a chance on him in the first round.

Texas WR Xavier Worthy

Approval rating: 6

The Ravens sure do love having speed at wide receiver, and Worthy might be the fastest in the NFL next season. His 4.21-second 40 was a combine record, elevating his stock even higher after a standout 2023 season in which he led Texas with 75 catches for 1,014 yards. It’s hard to overlook concerns about his play strength, though. The 5-11 Worthy weighed 165 pounds at the combine and 169 pounds at his pro day. Will he win regularly over the middle or in contested-catch situations at the next level?

Georgia WR Ladd McConkey

Approval rating: 6

Three wide receivers are expected to be drafted in the top 10 Thursday night, but it’s McConkey, according to ESPN analyst Matt Bowen, who’s the best in the class at getting open. “McConkey has the change-of-direction speed to shake defenders at the break point and the route mechanics to separate in tight quarters,” Bowen wrote. “His tape is full of one-on-one wins versus SEC competition.” But a series of injuries limited McConkey’s production at Georgia, where he also overlapped with Monken. He never had more than 58 catches or 762 yards in a season.

Michigan CB Mike Sainristil

Approval rating: 5

Sainristil, who started his college career at wide receiver, has the hands to pick off any pass that comes his way (six interceptions in 2023, including two returned for touchdowns). He is also athletic, and he didn’t show any hesitation embracing the more physical responsibilities of defense. But, of all the cornerbacks linked to the Ravens in the first round, the 5-9, 182-pound Sainristil is by far the smallest. And, like McKinstry, he lacks long speed. Sainristil projects as a slot cornerback, where he primarily lined up for Michigan, and teams typically wait until at least the second round to take nickel backs.

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