Mel Kiper Jr. Includes Ravens Among Day 2's Biggest Winners

For the second day in a row, the Ravens landed in Mel Kiper Jr.'s win column.

The renowned ESPN draft expert included the Ravens among his biggest winners of Day 2 for their selections of Missouri outside linebacker Zion Young in the second round (No. 45 overall) and USC wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane in the third (No. 80).

"The Ravens wanted to pair Trey Hendrickson with another impact edge rusher, and they found a first-round talent here in Round 2," Kiper wrote. "Young was No. 22 on my board, the last remaining prospect from my final top 25 still available at this No. 45 pick. Young plays to the whistle with energy, and he uses his strong hands and quick feet to get to the QB, with 46 pressures and 6.5 sacks last season.

"But here's why I really like the fit. Baltimore was originally going to add Maxx Crosby via trade, and one of his best traits is his run-stopping ability. The move allows Hendrickson to stay on the field all three downs. Young is a fantastic run blocker, too. He seals the edge and crashes down the line, finishing 2025 with 16 run stops."

Regarding Lane, Kiper wrote: "Lane was WR15 for me, and he's a silky smooth mover with the length, explosion and strong hands to high-point the football. At 6-4 and 200 pounds, he is a challenge for smaller cornerbacks to handle on the outside, and 11 of his 16 touchdown catches over the past two seasons have come in the red zone. Lamar Jackson will love that skill set."

Ravens Get High Marks for Young Pick

Here's a look at pundits' grades and reactions to the Young selection:

The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner: "Grade: A. The Ravens addressed their porous pass rush (30 sacks last year) by signing Trey Hendrickson, and now they can pair him with one of college football's top pass rushers. Not to get too hyperbolic, but there are some physical commonalities between Young and Ravens legend Terrell Suggs."

Baltimore Beatdown’s Nikhil Mehta: "I did not think it was possible that Zion Young, a ferocious run defender with inside-outside versatility as a power rusher, would be available when the Ravens were on the clock in the second round. And yet, there he was, and after passing on Rueben Bain, Baltimore did not hesitate to add the best edge rusher remaining. Young's specific skillset really rounds out the Ravens' current stable of edge defenders, and his high floor against the run will allow Trey Hendrickson and Mike Green to prioritize pass rushing. This is an A+++ pick with absolutely no alternate in mind."

Yahoo! Sports’ Charles McDonald: "Grade: A. Your prototypical Ravens pick. Young is heavy-handed and will wear on the opposition. Baltimore's signing of Trey Hendrickson made getting someone who can stop the run critical for this defense. Young will also complement Mike Green."

Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer: "Grade: A. The run on intriguing situational pass rushers (at first) continues with the Ravens addressing a key weakness for Jesse Minter's defense. Young is a high-effort producer who needs to become more consistent with his technique to see regular downs."

SB Nation’s James Dator: "Grade: A-. You KNOW the Ravens were sweating when the Lions traded up ahead of them, but in the end they got the much better pass rusher. When it comes to athleticism, he's a little below the archetype, but I think in a better strength and conditioning program he can improve, and certainly has the frame to allow for it. This pick was a steal, and I like him so much on the Ravens."

Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski: "Grade: B+. The Baltimore Ravens understand how to draft at a high level, and they continue to show that their approach leads to landing excellent talent for their culture, even with a new coaching staff this season. … Zion Young will provide added power and explosiveness as an edge-rusher who can play opposite this year's big free-agent signing, Trey Hendrickson. Typically, nine sacks over an edge-rusher's final two seasons doesn't generate much excitement. With that said, pressures are far more indicative of a consistent presence. In Young's case, he generated the second-most pressures in the SEC last season, according to Pro Football Focus. To take that one step further, Young produced a higher pressure rate than four of the B/R Scouting Department's top five edge prospects, including Miami's Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor. The 6'6", 262-pound defensive end has an ideal frame and the ability to disrupt opposing offenses. He just needs to finish more often."

USA Today’s Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz: "Young is never afraid to get physical with his opponents. He likely will never be a double-digit sack guy, but he contrasts 2025 second-rounder Mike Green in that he can stop the run and set a firm edge."

NFL.com’s Eric Edholm: "The Ravens just let the draft come to them, eh? It's uncanny how value players of need seem to fall in their laps. Young might never burn up the edges as a pass rusher, but he has a knack for timely sacks and sets a consistently hard edge. He also talks a big game and backs it up."

CBS Sports’ Mike Renner: "Grade: C+. Young is somewhat reminiscent of former Missouri defensive end Darius Robinson in that he's a bit of a tweener. He's a jumbo defensive end, but his athletic testing numbers are closer to those of a defensive tackle. The problem is, we never really saw him play on the interior in college. He'll, at minimum, be a hard edge-setter who can spell Trey Hendrickson on early downs."

Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame: "Grade: C. Young is a bigger edge rusher who fits what new coach Jesse Minter is looking for in his defensive ends. The Missouri product is more power than speed, but wins with heavy hands and a good motor. After adding Trey Hendrickson on a four-year deal this offseason, Young should fight for snaps in a rotation with Mike Green and Tavius Robinson."

Lane Is a Polarizing Pick

The Ravens checked wide receiver off their list of needs with the selection of Lane, but the pick is getting mixed opinions.

Some pundits feel the Ravens got a steal by taking Lane 80th overall, while others consider it a reach.

General Manager Eric DeCosta acknowledged at Friday night's press conference that Lane is a work in progress but has the potential to be an effective "X" receiver.

"We just think that he's a ball of clay with a lot of upside, who has unique catching ability and unique size," DeCosta said. "I think Lamar's going to like throwing a ball to him, and I think he has a chance to really make an impact on this team at some point."

Count former Ravens and multi-time Pro Bowl wide receivers Steve Smith Sr. and Dez Bryant among those who are high on Lane.

Here's a look at pundits' grades and reactions to the pick:

SB Nation’s Mark Schofield: "Grade: B. Ja'Kobi Lane has a massive catch radius and will immediately become a weapon for the Ravens down in the red zone. He could benefit from adding some strength, as he can get re-routed by press coverage defenders, and needs to complete the route tree. But he'll find a way to contribute early due to his ball-winning skills."

Iyer: "Grade: B. Lane had a Day 3 grade but at one point had some second-round buzz to go not so long after former Trojans teammate Makai Lemon. This pick for a big target may suggest the Ravens are looking for big targets for Lamar Jackson to help replace Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar."

Middlehurst-Schwartz: "Grade: B-. Highlight-reel grabs came easily to the 6-4 Lane, who made a habit of skying up for one-handed catches. He's overly reliant on that skill set, however, and might struggle to shake coverage. He'll have to earn Lamar Jackson's trust to win in those scenarios."

Renner: "Grade: B-. The Ravens wanted an infusion of size in their receiving corps this offseason and got it with Lane. I see Lane as a project, which is why he falls to this point in the draft, but he has unique movement skills for a 6-foot-4 receiver."

Edholm: "A long, lean target with a huge radius and nice athleticism, Lane still leaves some meat on the bone as a prospect. He's more of a flash player and might never be more than a WR3, but that could work in Baltimore."

The Baltimore Sun’s Josh Tolentino: "Lane wasn't widely viewed as a top-100 prospect, but Baltimore is banking on what he can become if his size, catch radius and physicality translate against NFL defensive backs. That's precisely where rookie coordinator Declan Doyle comes in. Lane's value could show up quickly in the red zone. If Doyle can scheme him into favorable matchups — Lane revealed late Friday evening his favorite route is the fade — he doesn't necessarily need to be a high-volume receiver early in his pro career to justify the selection."

Russell Street Report’s Darin McCann: "He provides that contested-catch skill the team has been largely lacking, with a nice dash of explosion, to boot. I don't think this is necessarily a true 'one,' at least at this stage of his development, but he can win downfield and can beat-feet downfield if he breaks a tackle on a short one. He should also become a dangerous red-zone target right from the start. Hands, height and hops = matchup nightmare."

Baumgardner: "Grade: C. This is a reach. Lane (6-4, 200) is a big, long target, but he's also skinny and doesn't play up to that 6-4 size. Despite having some pretty effortless athleticism and impressive acrobatic catches, I'm not sure he's ever gotten everything out of his body. There were much better WR options on the board."

Sobleski: "Grade: C. Ja'Kobi Lane is a 6'4", 200-pound receiver. For comparison, Baltimore's top three targets before Lane's addition were 6'1 or under and under 200 pounds. Lane immediately adds value as a red-zone target."

Verderame: "Grade: C. Baltimore needs a playmaker to take the pressure off Zay Flowers. While Rashod Bateman remains a viable second option, he caught only 19 passes for 224 yards last season. He's a third receiver on a functioning attack, giving Lane the opportunity to see snaps as a rookie before potentially elevating on the depth chart."

Ravens Have Day 3 Options at Center, Tight End

Center and tight end remain positions of need for the Ravens heading into Day 3.

Between the Ravens' picks at Nos. 45 and 80, six tight ends and two centers went off the board. Two more tight ends and a center were selected after that.

It wasn't an ideal scenario, but DeCosta said there are still viable options at both positions.

"We've only had three picks, so it's kind of hard for us to fill every single need with three picks," DeCosta said. "I think tomorrow is a new day. We're excited about it. I think tomorrow – we always call it the 'Scouts Day' because we have opportunities to kind of go after some of those guys that are maybe under the radar. I thought last year we did a good job with some of those guys that we took on the third day, and I'm confident that we'll do the same thing again tomorrow."

Regarding tight ends specifically, DeCosta said: "I definitely would expect us to probably draft a tight end tomorrow at some point. With eight picks, you'd think that we'll have a chance to at least add one or two guys. There certainly was a run today. It's a blessing and a curse when you're at pick No. 45, and you don't pick again till No. 80. You get a guy that you have at No. 45, and you have him as a first-round type of player, and then you see all these tight ends get picked between No. 45 and No. 80, so it's challenging. But I think we did get a playmaker on offense in Ja'Kobi that we're really, really excited about, who brings something different to the table."

Teams Reportedly Tried to Jump Ahead of Ravens for Vega Ioane

The Los Angeles Rams reportedly played a role in the Ravens being able to get Penn State guard Vega Ioane with the 14th pick in the first round on Thursday night.

"The Rams received trade calls on the 13th pick, a source confirmed," ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote. "Teams coveted Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane, and a trade with Los Angeles would have helped a team jump Baltimore for the top guard. But Los Angeles stood pat."

It's unknown which teams called the Rams, but former Steelers Head Coach Bill Cowher said Thursday night on "The Pat McAfee Show" that Pittsburgh, which was picking at No. 21, wanted Ioane, who had been linked to the Steelers in some mock drafts.

Quick Hits

Yesterday's Most Read: Ravens Select OLB Zion Young in Second Round