HEAD COACH JESSE MINTER AND EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER ERIC DECOSTA
Eric DeCosta Opening Statement: "Well, it was a long day, but a solid, successful day. [There were] a lot of moving parts with Vega [Ioane] coming in late, and we think we did a good job getting him here across the country. As far as the draft goes, I think it fell nicely for us. Zion Young [is] a big physical, tough, really good both run and pass defender who we had a chance to see this year at the Senior Bowl in person [and who we] talked to several times. He was here in Baltimore a couple weeks ago. He really fits what we want to be on defense. And Ja'Kobi Lane's another guy that came into Baltimore recently, I think within the last 10 days. He's a really, really impressive kid to talk with. [He has a] large catch radius, phenomenal hands [and is a] big receiver. He tested really well at the combine. Just a kind of player that we haven't had lately here. I think he offers a different dynamic. As I think you guys probably know, he was mentored by Todd Heap, who we've talked to. I think Todd's son was Ja'Kobi's quarterback, which is kind of a cool story. I had the chance to get Todd in my office with Ja'Kobi on Zoom as he was getting on a plane to come back to Baltimore for the [new Ravens] jersey unveiling [event]. So, that was kind of cool. So anyway, I think it was a good day. We addressed, I think, some significant needs that we had, and we're excited that we have eight picks coming up tomorrow. Questions?"
You did mention with former Ravens tight end Todd Heap, how much – because again, I know you take input everywhere you can get it – but how much does getting a guy that's known one of your prospects since he was like 13 years old? How much does that impact your decision making? (Jamison Hensley)
(DeCOSTA) "Well, so I wasn't aware of the relationship initially, and when Ja'Kobi [Lane] told me and he said, 'Let me get him on the phone.' And I was a little skeptical that Todd [Heap] – he said let me FaceTime. I was a little skeptical that Todd might pick up. But I thought it was a good litmus test, and he picked up right away. They started talking and he said, 'Guess where I am?' He showed the screen to me, and Todd saw me, and Todd said, 'I'm ironically at the airport coming to Baltimore.' And so we talked after that for a while, and it was great. That does carry weight. These guys kind of know the fabric of this place and the culture that we have here and what's been established. Guys like Todd were a big part of that. So, when players reach out, it means a lot. I've had a couple other players reach out tonight about the picks, a couple of guys that know some of our guys. That does carry weight, because those guys have played here, and we know that all those guys want to see the Ravens – the legends – they want to see us do well. So, when they endorse a player, that carries a lot of weight."
It seemed like there was a lot of reporting about how many of the bigger wide receivers that were in this draft had visited with you guys during the pre-draft process. Was that just a coincidence, or did you kind of go into this draft wanting to make a commitment to finding the 'X' receiver that I know you talked about kind of wanting for QB Lamar Jackson? (Jonas Shaffer)
(DeCOSTA) "I think that's by design, to a degree. We were trying to find different types of players. You don't want to have all big guys, all small guys, all the guys that play inside, all guys that can play outside. So, the idea would be to really build out a room that's versatile and can do different things. [Offensive coordinator] Coach [Declan] Doyle, I think, and [wide receivers coach] Keary Colbert, those guys did a phenomenal job of evaluating players this year and really presenting their vision for what these guys could be and how those guys would fit and how those guys would help us. I know that as the person that has to make the ultimate decision, that's really, really helpful to get their input, to kind of get a sense for how they're going to fit and what they think they can become. Ja'Kobi was a player that I think our coaches were excited about [and] our scouts really liked. We just think that he's a ball of clay with a lot of upside, who has unique catching ability and unique size. I think Lamar [Jackson]'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."
Do you think, just kind of watching QB Lamar Jackson develop over his eight years here, and he's typically been a guy who's been able to find the open guy and get to him pretty quickly. There are not a lot of like jump balls that you see some other quarterbacks throw. Is that kind of a realm of his game that you are excited to maybe open up to him with someone of WR Ja'Kobi Lane's size and speed? (Jonas Shaffer)
(DeCOSTA) "Yes, well, I think – listen, this guy's proven ... Just watch [Ja'Kobi Lane]'s catches. He's 6-foot-4, over 205 pounds. He jumps 40 inches. Not many guys can do that, unless they're playing in the NBA. He has great ball skills and huge hands. I think any quarterback would like throwing a ball to a guy like him. I think Lamar [Jackson]'s going to be excited when he sees him. I think Ja'Kobi is going to earn the trust of Lamar, and he's going to be a player that can be counted on to make big plays."
What excites you most about OLB Zion Young and the traits that he's bringing? What kind of separates him from some of the other edge rushers that you have already? (Alex Glaze)
(MINTER) "Zion [Young] is a rugged, tough, physical player. I think he's just scratching the surface of what he can be as a player. I think there's a ton of upside there. I love his play style. He plays extremely hard and plays extremely physical. He's very powerful in the run game, meaning, when he strikes blocks, they go the other way. When people pull on him and he strikes him, it's a train wreck. He's also proven to be – I thought he made major improvements this year as a pass rusher, something he took a lot of pride in this year, improving in that area. I do think he has the ability to rush up and down the line. So, he has some versatility there, particularly as you get into third down, and you want to put different guys in different spots. You want to have different types of rushers, and you look at that room now – that's a really versatile room that I couldn't be more excited about. Same thing with the receiver room when you talk about Ja'Kobi [Lane], you want guys that have different traits, different types of matchups. Look at the DB room [and] the receiver room, you just want different types of guys. You don't want everybody to be the same. So, when you look at the guys we picked up, they fit what we're trying to do. "
In the past, some of the better Ravens teams have just been really big, like big guys everywhere. That was something Daniel Jeremiah was saying at the combine, that when the Ravens are at their best, they're big everywhere. You get G Vega Ioane in the first round – big. OLB Zion Young is obviously big, and then you get a big receiver in WR Ja'Kobi Lane, has that been, not just at receiver, but just overall across the board, has that been a trend getting a little bigger and more physical throughout the roster? (Jeff Zrebiec)
(MINTER) "That's a great question. I do think certain positions like size. The traits that you're looking for when you do look at the history of this place and the teams that have been really good – and especially on the defensive side of the ball – when you look at the edge guys that have really thrived here, guys like that have been really good. Certainly on the offensive line, you're looking for a combination of size and athleticism, which we definitely think Vega [Ioane] has. And then, as [executive vice president and general manager] Eric [DeCosta] mentioned, just getting a different type of target for Lamar [Jackson] — a big guy, a big X-type receiver. When you watch [Ja'Kobi Lane] in the red zone make catches, that's a vision that our coaches were like, 'Man, we could really take advantage of that.' So, I think you're always looking for the best players. Oftentimes, I do think size is a requisite to be a really good player. We're definitely always looking for the best available."
When you think about how rushers play in the NFL, I think last year, obviously Los Angeles Chargers OLB Tuli Tuipulotu who doesn't have great burst, but he still was a double-digit sack guy and able to condense that pocket. What do you think about how that particular skillset plays in the modern NFL? (Jonas Shaffer)
(MINTER) "There's a lot of quarterbacks – there are so many different types of quarterbacks right now, but I would say that one of the things that's just showing up over and over again is these guys' ability to extend plays and get out of the pocket. And so, you want to have a combination of guys that can win one on one, that you can give them some freedom, and then you want the guys that can really constrict everything and keep them in the pocket. And so, I think we have a really good blend now. You have guys that can rush inside and cover for some of the guys outside that can do those different types of things. Some of the stuff we had success with the three or four edges that we had last year in L.A. So again, I love the look of that room – I love what we've done to that room in the last couple months and excited to get those guys out there and get ready to work."
Is not taking a center to this point an indication that you like your internal options? Or do you feel good about the depth in the center class and feel like you get one tomorrow? (Jeff Zrebiec)
(DeCOSTA) "Well, you can't make them up, right? You can't just create a center out of the sky and say, 'Oh, let's take this guy.' So, the board has to fall a certain way. We do have some guys we like on the third day that we think are interesting players. A couple guys got picked. A couple good players [were selected], but there's more available. We do have centers on the roster. I think we have three centers on the roster right now. So, there is going to be a competition. Hopefully, I think we'll have the chance to get some good players tomorrow. If the center ends up being the highest-rated guy, and we're on the clock, then that'll be the pick. If he's not, then that probably won't be the pick. But yes, it's something where you go into the draft with a lot of different needs. We've only had three picks, so it's kind of hard for us to fill every single need with three picks. 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 in the third day, and I'm confident that we'll do the same thing again tomorrow."
Along the same lines, there was a bit of a run on tight ends today. What do you like about maybe what's left there tomorrow? (Childs Walker)
(DeCOSTA) "Yes, they come in all different shapes and sizes. You have your guys that can move a little bit, your H-back types. You have your 'Y' [tight ends], and you have your 'F' [tight ends]. We are fortunate we have two tight ends on the roster right now that we feel really good about. 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 [Lane] that we're really, really excited about who brings something different to the table. And I think our challenge tomorrow will be our ability to go after other players that we think bring something unique to the table for us."
You mentioned that you heard from other players about some of your picks. Did you talk to CB Nate Wiggins before the draft about OLB Zion Young? Have you heard from him since? (Ryan Mink)
(DeCOSTA) "I didn't really talk to Nate [Wiggins] before the draft about Zion [Young]. We spoke a little bit about Clemson guys, but I wasn't even aware of the connection between Zion and Nate. But I did hear certainly hear from Nate after the pick. I got a barrage of text messages, and he's super excited. So, it's great when you get that excitement from your players about players that you're bringing in, or as I said, legends who played here that are excited about our players and our picks. I think it speaks to, in some ways, the culture that we have here, that players that played here feel comfortable reaching out to us to tell us that they think it's a good pick – or a bad pick, maybe – but the fact that that line of communication is open, I think, is special."
Is OLB Zion Young in kind of a "wait-and-see" situation with that pending DWI charge? Have you gotten any info on where that stands? (Jonas Shaffer)
(DeCOSTA) "Yes, we think we do a good job getting information, and I think we're comfortable with it. So, that's what I would say about that."
