Late for Work: Daniel Jeremiah Predicts Which Draft Picks Will Be Lamar Jackson's Favorite Targets

Daniel Jeremiah Predicts Which Draft Picks Will Be Jackson's Favorite Targets

One would think Lamar Jackson is excited about the Ravens' draft haul, specifically on his side of the ball.

After selecting mauling guard Vega Ioane in the first round, Baltimore took a wide receiver in the third and fourth rounds (Ja'Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt), two tight ends (Matt Hibner and Josh Cuevas) and a dual-threat running back (Adam Randall), giving Jackson a bunch of new potential weapons.

Even though they had players at their positions picked ahead of them, NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah expects Sarratt and Cuevas to emerge as Jackson's favorite targets from this class.

"I'm going to say Sarratt has the biggest impact of those receivers," Jeremiah said. "Ja'Kobi Lane is going to be a red zone guy, but I think you look at Sarratt can win on third down, he's physical, he's going to help the run game as well. I think he'll earn some reps very early on in this offense and be someone to watch.

"One other name of their pass-catchers to keep an eye on is Josh Cuevas. Look at [the Ravens'] history. They have drafted two tight ends in the same draft numerous times. … This is historically what they've always done and they have a track record of that second tight end being very impactful."

Jeremiah cited Dennis Pitta (2010), Mark Andrews (2018), and Isaiah Likely (2022) as examples.

Eric DeCosta on Jackson's Future: 'I Am Confident Lamar Will Be Here'

General Manager Eric DeCosta has repeatedly said that contract extension talks with Jackson will remain private, but he did express optimism about the two-time MVP's future in Baltimore.

"I am confident Lamar will be here. I'm excited about it," DeCosta said in an interview on WBAL Radio’s “C4 and Bryan Nehman” show. "I think he loves the team, he loves the city, he loves our fan base. And when I think of the Ravens, I think of Lamar Jackson being on the field."

NFL Network's Judy Battista reacted to DeCosta's comments on “The Insiders.”

"Certainly the fact that there's no real movement on the Lamar Jackson contract, or at least nothing that Eric DeCosta is willing to talk about publicly, is not something to sweat over," Battista said. "Lamar is his own agent, so that is a different dynamic for a team and a player to negotiate directly with each other.

"He will almost certainly be the Baltimore Ravens quarterback for a very, very long time."

Jackson attending the start of the Ravens' strength and conditioning program earlier this month is a positive sign, as is wide receiver Zay Flowers’ comments about Jackson being excited about the new coaching staff and getting to work with Offensive Coordinator Declan Doyle.

Jackson has two years remaining on his contract. As of now, his cap hit for next year is $84.49 million.

Ravens Find King Henry's Successor in Way-Too-Early Mock Drafts

Just when you thought mock draft season was over, the aptly named way-too-early 2027 mock drafts have been released.

The draft order was determined by current Super Bowl odds. Since different sets of odds were used, the Ravens were slotted between Nos. 28 and 31.

Here's a look at the pundits' picks for Baltimore:

Missouri RB Ahman Hardy

ESPN’s Jordan Reid: "Derrick Henry has been an extremely productive and durable running back, but he'll be 33 years old in January. This would be a great spot for the Ravens to bring in his heir apparent, and the 5-foot-10, 206-pound Hardy was one of the FBS' best running backs last season. He finished with 1,649 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns but was especially devastating after contact, with his 1,208 yards ranking first in the FBS. He's a no-nonsense, powerful downhill runner who can run through or around defenses. Kind of sounds like Henry, no?"

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler: "With his physical run style, Hardy rushed for exactly 3,000 combined yards over his first two seasons in college (2024 at Louisiana-Monroe, 2025 at Missouri), and he averaged 6.4 yards per carry last season for the Tigers."

Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski: "The Baltimore Ravens should be big players in the running back market next offseason. Derrick Henry is 32 with only two years remaining on his contract and the team didn't draft a ball-carrier until the fifth round this past weekend. That setup should make Hardy's production—3,000 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns over two seasons—impossible to ignore."

Syracuse CB Chris Peal

Sports Illustrated’s Daniel Flick: "Marlon Humphrey and Chidobe Awuzie are both set to be free agents in 2027, and the Ravens' lone cornerback draftee — fifth-round pick Chandler Rivers — projects best as a nickel corner at the next level. Peal, meanwhile, should be a starting-caliber outside cornerback. The 6' 1", 200-pounder spent the first two years of his career at Georgia before delivering a standout 2025 campaign at Syracuse, where he started all 12 games and showed the fluidity, athleticism and route anticipation of a potential first-round pick."

Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer: "The Ravens will find this prospect appealing with his size and strength in coverage and ability to support the defense well elsewhere."

Ole Miss RB Kewan Lacy

Sharp Football Analysis’ Brendan Donahue: "Derrick Henry is defying all the odds of being able to continue playing the running back position at such a high level at his age, but he will be 33, turning 34 in the 2027 season. While he hasn't shown any signs of slowing down yet, it's time for the Ravens to start looking for his long-term replacement, which Lacy would certainly be."

Texas WR Ryan Wingo

CBS Sports’ Cooper Petagna: "Wingo is far from a finished product, but at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, his size and vertical playmaking ability make him an intriguing prospect. He should benefit from the arrival of Cam Coleman as he settles into a more defined complementary role."

Oregon DL A'Mauri Washington

Pro Football Focus’ Daire Carragher: "Washington can play either 1-technique or 3-technique, and if he improves his finishing ability — a 22% career missed-tackle rate — he could be considered an early first-round pick. He also logged snaps at fullback last season."

LSU EDGE Princewill Umanmielen

FOX Sports’ Rob Rang: "The NFL is willing to pay a premium for pass rushers, and Umanmielen has the initial burst and ankle flexion to slip past heavy-footed blockers. He began his college career at Nebraska but exploded onto the NFL radar a year ago at Ole Miss, recording nine sacks. He's undersized and is currently too reliant on his agility to elude would-be blockers rather than forcibly shedding blocks, but his one-trick is valuable."

Ole Miss DT Will Echoles

A to Z Sports’ Travis May: "Will Echoles is an extremely fun player to watch. He sheds blockers with ease, and doesn't mind giving up his body to make absurd leaping tackles (rare for defensive linemen). Echoles racked up six sacks last year for Ole Miss, and brought pressure nearly 10% of the time rushing the passer. He needs to clean up his missed tackle issues, but the physical abilities and high motor are undeniable."

Ravens Projected to Receive Three 2027 Compensatory Picks

Speaking of looking ahead to next year's draft, NFL.com’s Dan Parr projected how many compensatory picks each team will likely receive, based on data from Over the Cap.

The Ravens are expected to have three (two fifth-rounders and a sixth-rounder), but could potentially end up with the maximum of four.

"No team does a better job of stockpiling compensatory picks than the Ravens, who have been awarded a league-high 64 such selections since 1994. So, it's no surprise to see them near the top of the mountain again in 2027," Parr wrote. "The blockbuster signings of Trey Hendrickson and Tyler Linderbaum cancel each other out. Dre'Mont Jones should net a fifth-rounder, recouping the pick Baltimore sent to the Titans for Jones before last season's trade deadline.

"The remaining projected comp picks are tied to moves by the Harbaugh brothers. Likely (fifth) reunited with John in New York and Charlie Kolar (sixth) joined Jim with the Chargers. The Ravens might even end up with a fourth compensatory pick, depending on where Patrick Ricard ultimately lands in the pecking order relative to his other CFAs in the Round 7 range."

The Ravens used their four compensatory picks in this year's draft on Cuevas (fifth round, No. 173), Randall (fifth round, No. 174), defensive tackle Rayshaun Benny (seventh round, No. 250), and guard Evan Beerntsen (seventh round, No. 253).

Quick Hits

Yesterday's Most Read: Eric DeCosta's Plan for Ravens' Starting Center Job

• The Ravens are No. 9 in FOX Sports’ top 10 draft class rankings.

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