[2023] Ravens Recap: A Review of the Baltimore Ravens' Latest Draft Picks

[SyndaKyt]

BALTIMORE, MD

GM and El Jefe, SyndaKyt walks with the smartest unpaid intern, uhhh, head scout, @kgreene829, out of the war room. The draft is always an elusive fact of major sports, which meant that no strategy or goal will stay the same from year to year. A team with the same exact needs of another would still go through the pre-draft process differently. It can be argued the draft is more of an art than an exact science for building a winning franchise. Anyways, the draft has now finished and UDFAs will become shuffled and rosters will begin to materialize, but for now, the Ravens Front Office can rest for a short period. We are pleased you are embarking on this journey with us and the Baltimore faithful. Let's meet the rookies!

DRAFT SELECTIONS

Round 1, Pick #4 - UCLA WR Andrew Jones, OVR/POT: A-/A+

The Ravens traded down from 1 to 4 to obtain more draft capital from the Seattle Seahawks. The top 4 of 5 players overall wise were DTs, which they did not need with star defensive player, Jeffrey Jesse holding down that spot. Ravens were doing their due diligence on the top 3 offensive players in TE Scott, OT Stewart, and WR Jones. QB David Chop was banging the table for offensive help, and the front office answered his cries with the alpha WR of the class.  In 2022, he accumulated 103 receptions, 1622 yards, and 15 TDs as a game changer for the Bruins. His draw as a player was his ability to adapt to his offense as 2021 saw him as a burner up the seams with his 4.32 speed, averaging an INSANE 25 yards per catch. In 2022, he could still take the top off, but was asked to work more in the short and intermediate part of the field and his catch rate improved dramatically. Coaches have had issues concerning his off-field behavior, but Baltimore sees it as a positive that his attitude matches the rough and rugged nature of the AFC North.

2023 Projected Role: Day 1 Starter/Z Receiver

Round 2, Pick #33 - WAST OG Chris Butera, OVR/POT: B+/B

The Ravens were presented with interesting opportunities at this junction. There were talks of trading with Detroit for one of their two first rounders in hopes of securing a player high on their board like ILB Brett Zunino, who reportedly had a stellar private workout. After that fell through, they were also monitoring the free fall of OT Ryan Dunn, but nothing materialized. It was time to go up to the podium and the front office was more than satisfied with announcing OG Chris Butera as a Raven. Some pundits had him graded as a late first to early second round selection, providing good value at this pick. Graded as OG1 of the class, Butera did not waffle around on the field as he racked up 32 pancakes in 2022. He may be the best pure run blocker in the class and will develop into a capable pass blocker, with his elite frame for a guard. He provides much needed support for Chop and Taylor when they look for rushing lanes One thing the AFC North also loves is bruising bulldozers and not many players want to see him pulling out on a power run play.

2023 Projected Role: Day 1 Starter/Right Guard

Round 3, Pick #65 - ODU OG Kam Wentz, OVR/POT: B+/C+

When the camera of the war room zoomed in on GM SyndaKyt, we saw him excitedly fist pumping as this pick was announced at the podium. They felt this was tremoundous value as he was assigned with a second round draft grade and they obtained him at the top of third round. Depending on who you ask, Kam Wentz was a top 3 OG in the class and was arguably considered the best pass blocking OG. He was one of the few players that were invited for a private workout and he impressed. He didn't put players on their back like Butera, but he was exceptional at keeping his QB clean in a heavy passing offense at ODU. Baltimore is hoping he and Butera have Shaq and Kobe levels of chemistry (obviously before they went sour). He's no slouch in the run game with above average run block as a pass block specialist. They are hoping he could play a bit out of position with his long reach. He had great off-field traits with his captaincy at ODU and academic ability with his high Wonderlic score. Oh yeah, he put up 39 reps at the combine for bench press so no big deal.

2023 Projected Role: Day 1 Starter/Right Tackle

Round 3, Pick #68 - Baylor RB Dietrich Smith, OVR/POT: B/B

This pick stirred a few pots in Baltimore and raised a few questions to the Ravens' approach with this pick. Nevertheless, they continued the trend of taking the most pro-ready player at a position, as Dietrich Smith was RB1 with no contest. He had a late second to early third round grade, which was some positive value here. Some may have felt the pick was unneeded with feature back James Taylor selected last year in the second and receiving back Mike Kaid, making the room look a bit crowded. Smith will still be able to carve out a role as he recorded 1358 rushing yards, an appealing 5.33 yards per carry, and 7 TDs in 2022. In the year before, he showed his ability to score with 18 total TDs. He never fumbled in his career with his vice grip and pays a great deal attention to rushing lanes with his extensive film study. At 226 pounds, he can still bust a play wide open with 4.39 speed while he fends off defenders. Even if he is not the workhorse, he will obtain valuable time on special teams and certain situations. 4 offensive talents have been drafted thus far for an anemic offense last year.

2023 Projected Role: Rotational/3rd Down and Short Yardage Back

Round 3, Pick #82 - FSU DE Alex Taijeron, OVR/POT: B-/B

Man, the hype for this kid coming into the year was unreal but the lofty expectations never became reality. If you asked front offices as the end of the 2021 season where he could be drafted, everyone would say Top 10. Teams keyed in on him with creative blocking schemes and FSU deteriorated from the Natty appearance. KGreene raved for Taijeron as he scouted him with the best pure pass rushing skills in this class and his generational get off the line of scrimmage. He racked up 26 TFLs which is a good sign for a pass rusher but an underwhelming 9.5 sacks across 2 years. Some could say this was a reach for the Ravens, but the speed and elite pass rush was too good for them to pass up at this spot. With Robert Jackson aging, they are hoping they can train him up to throw QBs in the dirt in this league. For now, he looks to be a depth piece but with his athleticism and relentless motor, he will be demon on special teams as he shores up his skills in hopes of living up to the hopes of being a premium edge rusher and capable run stopper in this pass heavy league.

2023 Projected Role: Depth/Special Teams

Round 4, Pick #123 - WASH ILB Trevon Romero, OVR/POT: C+/A+

Romero is no Zunino, Palardy, or Cunningham but Baltimore could not be a more perfect situation for him to develop as an early Day 3 pick. The Husky had 76 tackles as well as 22 tackles for loss, which was good for Top 10 in both categories among other PAC-12 defenders. He could be seen as a project player with a bit of an undersized frame at 6'0 and 235 pounds to man the Mike LB. However, his coaches have raved about him as a leader and he tested pretty well as a late combine invite. With his late start to playing football, his blitzing and run defense could use work but his football IQ is evident as he was called to be the field general of the defense for the Huskies. The upside is very high for Romero with his great potential rating and the right factors could see him hit the field soon. With the addition of Thomas Gupta and Patrick Green in FA, he will have ample time to develop and learn behind these veterans. Ravens must monitor his progress or else he could become a case of stunted growth. Expect him to gain valuable reps on Special Teams and in training camp.

2023 Projected Role: Depth/Special Teams

Round 4, Pick #127 - USA FB Doug LaFromboise, OVR/POT: B/A-

This pick may indicate that the Ravens are hellbent on finding offensive help at any position, at any school. With the way the draft was headed, this could be seen as a BPA pick with two fullbacks on the roster already. LaFromboise was not too far behind Craig Crosby as top fullback as the player profiles are very similar, but he has slightly less upside. His stats do not reflect that of a very impactful player, with only 47 total touches over his two years but he was drafted here to block and be a safety blanket in the pass with his soft hands. His Pro Day impressed with 4.49 speed for a FB, 33 reps on the bench, and a 40 inch vertical jump. How he did not get a combine invite is a mystery, but he could be an intriguing weapon that the Ravens coaching staff could look to employ. Even if he does not immediately take over the starting FB spot, he could easily snag a special teamer spot with his surprising and raw athleticism.

2023 Projected Role: Rotational/Special Teams

Round 5, Pick #150 - WVU CB Pedro Gathers, OVR/POT: B-/B-

This pick came to fruition as Las Vegas traded pick #150 and #197 for #129 to select a target on their draft board. With the research done on Pedro Gathers, whether he can become an impactful player for a winning franchise will take a few years, but the scheme fit is clearly there with his zone coverage instincts. With the zone master himself located in Baltimore and the trade taking place with Las Vegas, he has earned the nickname Baby Vega from fans after his selection. He was a large part in the redemption arc for the Mountaineers, shutting down complete sections of the field. His speed could be a big question mark but he is a player where he can play above his expectations if placed into the correct situation. He is a player that may not win for you every possession, but he is a player that you can win with on the field with his effort and excellent football IQ. Expect him to see time in the preseason and special teams rep alongside his new teammates.

2023 Projected Role: Depth/Special Teams

Round 7, Pick #193 - TROY DT Lorenzo Reed, OVR/POT: B-/B-

With the crop of DT talent in this class, the front office couldn't help themselves with adding a third defensive player with big boy, Lorenzo Reed. Do not confuse him with Paul.  Considering he was entering with a fourth to fifth round draft grade, snagging him in the seventh round is appearing to be great value. He had a knack for stopping the run with 12 TFLs and even rushed the passer with 2 sacks and has pro measureables with his height, weight, and reach. He may not be a generational talent like Rua or Suarez, but his high motor is second to none in the class. One of his issues is his flaring hot temper as he has caused fights on the field, but as stated before, he will be right at home in the AFC North with this intensity. There is a good amount of competition with Gregerson being brought in from a trade last year, so his best bet is to be a rotational player as Jesse and Gregerson take plays off.

2023 Projected Role: Depth/Body Guard and Enforcer

Round 7, Pick #197 - MISS K Nick Cravy, OVR/POT: C+/B+

As an accessory pick to the Las Vegas trade, the Ravens front office must have fell asleep while selecting their last pick. In all seriousness, it will be interesting to see if he can make a roster spot with his accuracy. The thing is, he was not very accurate with a 10/17 percentage. However, he was asked by the Rebels to do double duty as a punter as well and they punted a fair amount, so we imagine his leg could have been tired. He doesn't have to have a super boot but the most optimal result would be him converting extra points after Chop to Jones touchdown connections. If not, he could always be an equipment manager.

2023 Projected Role: Practice Squad/ Camp Body

Conclusion
Overall the draft seemed to workout for the Ravens as they left here with several impact players. The Ravens faithful is hoping that the top of the draft can develop into stars and the lower end selections can become starters as well as players that excels in their roles. Thanks for reading!