Ravens have draft capital to rebuild defense, quickly return to Super Bowl contention
The Baltimore Ravens are one of the NFL's best organizations. Few teams have the strength the Ravens possess in their ownership, front office, coaching staff, and quarterback. Last season was an aberration and there probably was not a team in the league that was hampered more by injuries.
Despite earning the sixth overall pick in the upcoming draft, Baltimore is not a bottom-feeding franchise or a rebuilder and they, too, believe this to be true. Their offseason moves told us as much. The Ravens' prominent free-agent additions, Eric Weddle, Mike Wallace, and Benjamin Watson, will be a combined 98 years old when Weddle turns 32 in January. Those aren't moves that a team building for years down the road makes. They are in it to win in 2016 and that is the correct approach for this organization.
Yes, Baltimore plays in a very difficult division, doing battle with Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, but their schedule isn't overly difficult and they now have the uncommon luxury of selecting very early in every round of the draft. Baltimore has nine total selections, including four picks in the fourth round (two of which are compensatory selections). This roster certainly isn't perfect, but if the Ravens make those picks count, they could immediately resume contending for a Super Bowl title.
Assessing the areas of need
So who should Ozzie Newsome be targeting in the early portion of this draft class and what are his team's biggest needs? The Ravens' needs are actually very clear. Many will argue that they need an upgrade at running back, but there should be enough able bodies at that position for 2016 that running back can be deferred to next year's to-do list.
The need at offensive tackle is much more pressing. With Kelechi Osemele now in Oakland and Eugene Monroe being difficult to count on, the Ravens ideally need one high-end prospect on the offensive front, but could probably live with going offensive line twice in the third or fourth-round neighborhood, particularly if they have faith in Monroe.
The rest of the draft should be dedicated to rebuilding this once proud and outstanding defense. Baltimore looks as though they will be utilizing more of a base 4-3 scheme and counting on the 32-year-old Elvis Dumervil and Terrell Suggs, who will turn 34 during the season and is coming off a major injury, as their edge pass-rushers is a very faulty plan. Who better for a young pass-rusher to learn from than Dumervil and Suggs? Also, in a very deep defensive tackle draft, Baltimore certainly should not turn their nose up at a talented big man to add to the interior of the defense.
The Ravens also need another linebacker, preferably a rangy coverage-type player, to pair next to C.J. Mosley. The secondary, despite the addition of Weddle, could use another cornerback to pair with Jimmy Smith and a safety to play next to Weddle.
Identifying draft targets
That sounds like a lot to get, but this draft sets up very well for them. The Los Angeles Rams' move to get the first overall pick helps Baltimore out quite a bit. It's very safe to say that two quarterbacks will be off the board when the Ravens are on the clock at No. 6. That might have been the case before the trade, but now it's basically a certainty. One of Laremy Tunsil, Joey Bosa, Jalen Ramsey, or Myles Jack will be sitting there for the Ravens and all fit a major need. The easy move would be to grab whoever is left from this group and run the card up to the podium. It would be hard to argue with that approach.
But the Ravens could consider trading down. This is an organization that very much values draft picks and has proven to be quite effective finding value later in the draft. Plus, with the players likely to be on the board at No. 6, this pick could be quite attractive and yield much in return. If Baltimore moved down a few spots, they might still end up with DeForest Buckner, Ronnie Stanley, Vernon Hargreaves, Kevin Dodd, or even Ezekiel Elliott, who would be more palatable if the Ravens added a Day 2 pick to address other needs when moving back from No. 6.
On the second day of the draft, the Ravens will look to fill the several needs they didn't address in Round 1. Some viable options should include Jason Spriggs, Cody Whitehair, Joshua Garnett, Christian Westerman, and Joe Dahl on the offensive line. Some defensive ends to consider are Noah Spence - who would be a perfect project for Baltimore - Shilique Calhoun, Charles Tapper, and Carl Nassib.
A few athletic linebackers like Su'a Cravens or Deion Jones should also be under heavy consideration on the second day.
At safety, there should be plenty of interesting options with varied skill sets, such as Vonn Bell, Karl Joseph, Jeremy Cash, Keanu Neal, Jalen Mills, Darian Thompson, Justin Simmons, and DeAndre Houston-Carson.
Lastly, the Ravens should have their eyes on some cornerbacks as well. Some of those include Xavien Howard, Kalan Reed, Will Redman, and Sean Davis from nearby Maryland, who could also project to safety.
If done properly, Baltimore could be back in a big way in 2016. This draft is going to be about defense, which should be music to Ravens fans' ears.