Ravens mock draft 3.0: What happens if Eric DeCosta trades out of the 1st round?

Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta will head to work Monday with the team’s draft preparations largely complete. There will be changes here and there to the prospect grades and draft rankings over the next 10 days, he said Tuesday, but the heavy lifting is done. Team officials should know by now who’s in their range with the No. 30 overall pick on April 25.

Now comes the hard part: waiting to figure out which players might make it to the Ravens, and deciding what to do if they don’t make the cut.

“I always think about it as, ‘What picks do you need to get the players that you want to take?’” DeCosta said Tuesday at the team’s predraft news conference. “You can have some great picks, but if the board doesn’t fall the right way, and you’re looking at a bunch of players that aren’t any better than the players you have on your roster, those picks don’t really help you very much.”

The Ravens have taken at least one player in the first round in 11 straight drafts. But what happens if the best player available is less valuable than the best trade offer available? With the help of Pro Football Focus’ mock draft simulator, here’s how the Ravens could address their needs if they make their first pick on Day 2.

Round 2 (No. 42 overall): Florida State WR Keon Coleman

Trade: Ravens send the No. 30 overall pick for Nos. 42 and 86 overall from the Houston Texans.

Teams trading out of the first round “should get a premium” in their return, DeCosta said Tuesday. The nebulous value of draft picks makes that hard to quantify, but according to one trade value chart, this is a pretty fair exchange.

There weren’t any better offers in PFF’s simulator, and the best players still available might not have met DeCosta’s threshold for blue chippers; he estimated that there would only be about 15 to 20 prospects with first-round grades in this year’s class. Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry doesn’t have elite speed. Georgia wide receiver Ladd McConkey has a questionable medical history. Arizona offensive tackle Jordan Morgan has battled injuries and might project best as a guard.

With Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton and Georgia’s Amarius Mims snatched up, the hope in trading back was to land Morgan or BYU offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia in the second round. Neither made it out of the first round, though. Given the slim pickings at tackle and edge rusher, the 6-foot-3, 213-pound Coleman was the most appealing prospect. He has prototypical size for an “X” receiver, if not prototypical speed (4.61-second 40-yard dash), and he can also produce as a slot option. The Ravens nearly acquired the Denver Broncos’ Courtland Sutton in a trade last offseason, and Coleman could give quarterback Lamar Jackson the same kind of contested-catch winner.

Also considered: Kansas State G Cooper Beebe, Michigan CB Mike Sainristil, Florida WR Ricky Pearsall

Round 2 (No. 62 overall): Connecticut G Christian Haynes

The Ravens can’t make it out of the second round without some investment in their offensive line, and Haynes is one of the draft’s best guards. The Bowie native was a four-year starter at right guard and could be a Year 1 replacement for Pro Bowl pick Kevin Zeitler, who left in free agency to sign with the Detroit Lions.

The 6-2 Haynes is short for a guard, with small hands (second percentile), but he has a solid wingspan (47th percentile) and plays with impressive intelligence and grit. He’s strong enough to carve out running lanes in gap schemes and agile enough to succeed on the move in zone schemes. In pass protection, Haynes allowed just one sack over the past two seasons, according to PFF.

Also considered: Western Michigan EDGE Marshawn Kneeland, Oregon CB Khyree Jackson, Yale OT Kiran Amegadjie

Round 3 (No. 86 overall): Notre Dame OT Blake Fisher

The longer the Ravens wait to take a swing on an offensive tackle, the harder their reset at the position will be. There’s immediate instability on the right side, where Daniel Faalele and Patrick Mekari could battle it out to replace Morgan Moses, and there’s looming instability on the left side, where Ronnie Stanley, now entering the last year of his restructured contract, has dealt with persistent injuries.

Fisher was the first freshman offensive lineman to start a season opener for Notre Dame in 15 years, and an unnamed AFC personnel executive told NFL.com that he’s “more naturally talented” than teammate Joe Alt, a potential top-10 pick in this year’s draft. But even after 26 starts at right tackle over the past three seasons, Fisher is far from a finished project. At 6-6 and 310 pounds, he looks and moves like an NFL tackle. Deficiencies with his balance and technique, though, have proved troublesome. Fisher allowed eight sacks over the past two seasons, according to PFF, and he was penalty-prone last year.

Also considered: Florida State RB Trey Benson, Florida State CB Renardo Green, Notre Dame CB Cam Hart

Round 3 (No. 93 overall): Notre Dame CB Cam Hart

If the Ravens don’t take a cornerback on Day 1, they should have plenty of appealing options on Day 2. There are nine corner prospects ranked from No. 35 to No. 100 on one consensus big board, good news for a secondary that can never have too much talent. Marlon Humphrey couldn’t stay healthy last season, Brandon Stephens is entering the last year of his rookie deal, and the drop-off in production after nickel back Arthur Maulet is alarming.

Hart, a Baltimore native who’s close friends with Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton, is built like an X receiver: 6-3 (97th percentile at the position), 202 pounds (84th percentile), 33-inch arms (93rd percentile). But in Notre Dame’s man-to-man-heavy defense, he blossomed into a lockdown outside corner. According to PFF, Hart allowed just 15 completions for 137 yards on 28 targets in coverage last season. His change-of-direction ability isn’t especially fluid, and he has a long history of shoulder injuries, but Hart has the tools to develop into a solid starter.

Also considered: Florida State RB Trey Benson, Utah S Cole Bishop, Auburn CB D.J. James

Round 4 (No. 113 overall, via Jets): Notre Dame RB Audric Estimé

The last of an unexpected run on Fighting Irish standouts, Estimé would check an important box for the Ravens. Even with Derrick Henry signed, Justice Hill returning and Keaton Mitchell expected to recover from his knee injury at some point in 2024, DeCosta said Tuesday that there is “probably a pretty strong chance that we will draft a running back at some point.”

The 5-11, 221-pound Estimé moves faster than his 40 times (4.71 seconds at the NFL scouting combine, 4.61 seconds at his pro day) might suggest. He rushed for 1,341 yards (6.4 per carry) and 18 touchdowns last season, with 14 carries of 20-plus yards. Estimé is also strong enough to be an asset in pass protection, and he was a reliable receiver over his career, with 26 catches on 26 targets. If Henry proves to be a one-year rental in Baltimore, Estimé projects as a suitable successor.

Also considered: Wisconsin RB Braelon Allen, Texas OT Christian Jones, Virginia WR Malik Washington

Round 4 (No. 130 overall): Wake Forest S Malik Mustapha

Mustapha might not have high-end physical traits, but then, neither did Geno Stone, and his 2023 production will be hard to replace: seven interceptions (second in the NFL), 951 defensive snaps (fourth on the team), 231 special teams snaps (seventh on the team). Not bad for a third safety.

The 5-10, 209-pound Mustapha has the kind of resume the Ravens seek on Day 3. He was a team captain, a multiyear starter and a regular on special teams. He lined up everywhere for Wake Forest, with 100-plus snaps in the slot, in the box and as a deep-lying safety last season, according to PFF. Mustapha’s also considered one of the surest tacklers in this year’s defensive back class, a skill that Stone struggled with at times.

Also considered: Florida State QB Jordan Travis, Penn State TE Theo Johnson, Maryland S Beau Brade

Round 5 (No. 165 overall): Houston Christian EDGE Jalyx Hunt

It’s hard to find potential starters at outside linebacker this late in the draft. Fifth-rounders typically have athletic limitations, injury concerns or underwhelming production. Hunt doesn’t fit neatly into any of those boxes. He started his career at Cornell as a safety before transferring in 2022 to Houston Christian, where he moved to a hybrid outside linebacker role. He led the team in sacks each of the past two seasons (13 total), and at the combine, the 6-4, 252-pound Hunt ran the 40 in 4.64 seconds and posted a broad jump that ranked in the 95th percentile for edge defenders.

The jump in competition from the Football Championship Subdivision to the NFL will be steep, but Hunt has the traits and experience to contribute on special teams while continuing his development as a pass rusher. In Baltimore, he would have one of the NFL’s best teachers in outside linebackers coach Chuck Smith. David Ojabo’s injury history and Kyle Van Noy’s age could force the Ravens to look for more immediate-impact help in the draft, but the Ravens have found late-round gems at the position before.

Also considered: Missouri OT Javon Foster, Maryland OL Delmar Glaze, Rice WR Luke McCaffrey

Round 6 (No. 185 overall, via Jets): Maryland OL Delmar Glaze

Trade: Ravens send the No. 218 overall pick and a sixth-round pick in 2025 for No. 185 overall from the New York Jets.

The Ravens could face a long wait on Day 3, with more than 50 picks separating their lone fifth- and sixth-round selections. That could spur action from DeCosta, who acknowledged Tuesday that, with a shallow pool of underclassmen, the Ravens will likely have fewer “draftable” players on their board. The Jets have proven to be reliable trading partners over the years.

Offensive line should be a good place to look for late help; DeCosta said the position is “pretty stacked across the board in most rounds.” Glaze showed starter-level tools over his two-plus years as a starting tackle at Maryland, but his career could follow a trajectory similar to that of Ravens swing tackle Patrick Mekari, who’s entering the final year of his deal. Mekari played primarily tackle in college, but he’s lined up at all five spots in Baltimore. The 6-4, 315-pound Glaze has starting experience at both tackle spots, but he could also move inside at the next level.

Also considered: Auburn CB Nehemiah Pritchett, Washington State EDGE Brennan Jackson, Illinois TE Tip Reiman

Round 7 (No. 250 overall): Kentucky QB Devin Leary

Trade: Ravens send the No. 228 overall pick for a sixth-round pick in 2025 from the Los Angeles Chargers.

This is dart-throw territory, so if the Ravens don’t like their options, they’ll likely try to get a pick in next year’s draft, which should be deeper. Joe Hortiz was in the Ravens’ war room last year when they stopped guard Andrew Vorhees’ Day 3 fall, and a similar impulse might strike in his debut draft as Chargers general manager.

If the Ravens aren’t willing to spend a fourth- or fifth-round pick on Tulane’s Michael Pratt or Florida State’s Jordan Travis, two mobile Day 3 quarterback prospects, their remaining options could be unappealing. Still, with Josh Johnson turning 38 next month and Malik Cunningham’s best position uncertain, the Ravens need to bolster their depth at the position. The 6-1, 215-pound Leary has solid arm strength and was a team captain at North Carolina State and Kentucky.

Also considered: Notre Dame QB Sam Hartman, Minnesota TE Brevyn Spann-Ford, Temple ILB Jordan Magee

Jonas Shaffer

jonas.shaffer@thebaltimorebanner.com

Jonas Shaffer is a Ravens beat writer for The Baltimore Banner. He previously covered the Ravens for The Baltimore Sun. Shaffer graduated from the University of Maryland and grew up in Silver Spring.

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