Daniel Jeremiah Changes Ravens Pick to Another Cornerback in His Final Mock Draft
NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah unveiled his final mock draft, and he again has the Ravens selecting a cornerback when they're on the clock tonight with the 30th-overall pick in the first round.
This time it's Clemson's Nate Wiggins. In Jeremiah's mock draft last month, he sent Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean to the Ravens, but he now has DeJean going to the Green Bay Packers at No. 25.
"The Ravens always value players who can rush the quarterback and guys who can cover pass catchers," Jeremiah wrote. "Wiggins has outstanding cover ability, but Baltimore will need to help him be a little more of an urgent defender against the run."
Wiggins ran the second-fastest 40 at the Combine (4.28 seconds), and at 6-foot-1 and 173 pounds, he has the height and wingspan to match up with bigger receivers.
Jeremiah has another cornerback who is often mocked to the Ravens, Alabama's Kool-Aid McKinstry, being taken at No. 29 by the Detroit Lions.
Many mock drafts have had the Ravens taking an offensive lineman such as Georgia's Amarius Mims and Oklahoma's Tyler Guyton at No. 30, but Jeremiah has them both off the board within the top 20 picks.
Local Pundits Praise Rashod Bateman Contract Extension
The Ravens made a noteworthy pre-draft move yesterday by reaching a contract extension with 2021 first-round wide receiver Rashod Bateman, keeping him under contract through the 2026 season.
Here's a look at what local pundits said about the deal to keep Bateman in Baltimore:
The Baltimore Sun's Childs Walker: "A skeptic might look at Bateman's production through three seasons and say there's no way he merits an extension. An optimist would counter that he has flashed plenty of talent for getting open downfield and that the interruptions to his career have been beyond his control. The bottom line is it's a reasonable bet on a pass catcher with so much upside. On a human level, it's cool to see the Ravens show faith in a guy who has done his best to stand tall through maddening injuries and personal anguish. Bateman is in line to start and be Lamar Jackson's top deep target this season. This is his time."
The Baltimore Sun’s C.J. Doon: "I was wondering whether the Ravens would trade Bateman during the draft, let alone pick up his fifth-year option before the May 2 deadline, so this is pretty surprising to me. That said, it makes a ton of sense. Bateman's stats haven't been what many expected since he was drafted in the first round in 2021, but his underlying numbers and performance on film suggest better days are ahead. … The Ravens are betting he'll ascend, and that's probably a smart bet. And given the exploding wide receiver market (Amon-Ra St. Brown just got $120 million over four years with $77 million guaranteed from the Detroit Lions), signing a young player to a reasonable deal is prudent team building."
The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer: "I think it's good business all around, but probably more favorably to the Ravens just because they didn't have a wide receiver besides Zay Flowers signed beyond this year. So now you have the possibility of Zay and Rashod Bateman being together as a partnership through 2026, which has got to be really exciting if you believe in those guys' potential."
Baltimore Beatdown’s Joshua Reed: "This is excellent and savvy move by the Ravens and General Manager Eric DeCosta to lock up one of their top receivers for the additional two years on what could look like a bargain of a deal of he stays healthy and balls out the way they hope and know he is capable of. While injuries have prevented Bateman from popping in the way he looked destined to do after he made his delayed debut as a rookie and before suffering a lisfranc foot injury in the first half of the 2022 season, he has still flashed playmaking potential when he's been on the field and his tape shows that he is consistently getting open and creating gaping amounts of separation. … The Ravens might just have the most uncoverable duo in the league for the foreseeable future with Bateman and Zay Flowers who established himself as the No. 1 receiver in the offense as rookie last year."
Russell Street Report’s Rob Shields: "We have yet to hear the contract details, but I love this move. … I think Bateman has a chance to really break out and with the way WR are getting (wrongly) paid, I think this deal is likely to be team friendly and has a chance to really pay off. There was no way they weren't picking up the option, and they likely lowered the cap hit in that fifth season as a result."
Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Brener: "Bateman finished sixth on the team in receiving yards last season, but with Odell Beckham Jr. gone and Nelson Agholor entering his age-30 campaign, there's room for Bateman to have a larger role within the offense. With Bateman under contract, it also gives the Ravens an opportunity to focus on other positions when picking in this weekend's draft. The team has been eyeing defensive backs, pass rushers and offensive linemen, and with receiver moving down on the priority list, the other positions move up. … Given the fact that he has first-round upside, the deal could turn into a massive bargain for the Ravens."
Five Prospects Linked to Baltimore Who 'Play Like a Raven'
When assessing draft prospects, DeCosta, like his predecessor and current Executive Vice President Ozzie Newsome, looks for guys who "play like a Raven." But how is that defined?
Shaffer "reviewed biographical information, pre-draft measurables and statistical profiles of DeCosta's draft picks from the past decade to decode what, exactly, goes into playing like a Raven."
Based on his research, Shaffer came up with five prospects linked to the Ravens who check a lot of boxes:
BYU OT Kingsley Suamataia
"Suamataia is 21, was a multisport athlete, started his career as a top-250 recruit at Power Five school Oregon, served as a team captain, played in the Senior Bowl, has a RAS (Relative Athletic Score) of 9.40 and a limited medical history, and ranks in the 80th percentile for weight among tackles."
Mims
"Mims is 21, was a multisport athlete and top-250 recruit, played for a Power Five school, has a RAS of 9.59, and ranks in the 91st percentile for height and the 94th percentile for weight among tackles."
Duke OL Graham Barton
"Barton is 21, was a multisport athlete, played for a Power Five school and in the Senior Bowl, has a RAS of 9.99 and ranks in the 85th percentile for height among guards."
Arizona OL Jordan Morgan
"Morgan was a multisport athlete, served as a team captain, played for a Power Five school and in the Senior Bowl, has a RAS of 9.82 and ranks in the 79th percentile for height among guards."
DeJean
"DeJean is 21, was a multisport athlete, played for a Power Five school, has a RAS of 9.85 and a limited medical history, and ranks in the 86th percentile for weight among cornerbacks."
Baltimore Could Be 'Ideal Spot' for Free Agent Guard Dalton Risner
Guard Dalton Risner has been a durable and capable player in his five seasons in the NFL, but he remains available in free agency. Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox said that if the Ravens don't address the offensive interior in the draft, they should consider signing Risner.
"The Baltimore Ravens could be an ideal spot for Risner, as Baltimore remains one of the top teams in the AFC," Knox wrote. "The Ravens also lost starting guards Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson in free agency."
Risner, 28, started 62 games with the Denver Broncos from 2019-2022. He started 11 games for the Minnesota Vikings after signing with them in September.
