HEAD COACH JESSE MINTER AND EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER ERIC DECOSTA
Eric DeCosta Opening Statement: "Thanks for coming and spending your weekend with us or half of your weekend. It was a long three days, a lot of work involved, [but we are] happy with the results. I'll just kind of run down these guys that we've taken with the most recent picks. Elijah Sarratt from Indiana. [He's a] St. Frances grad, as you guys know. [He had a] great career at Indiana. [He has a] big body, strong hands, contested catch, probably a guy that can play outside or inside. We think he's really, really good inside. He has a really a good back-shoulder-fade type of receiver, physical. We just think he's a really good fit for what we want to do offensively, and I think speaks to us. We are trying to draft best available player whenever we can, and he just was really at that point in the draft – we had some other options, but in our mind, he was clearly the best player still available. [Matt] Hibner, we've seen him here in Baltimore. He was a local guy for us, a local Pro Day guy from Virginia. [Head coach] Jesse [Minter] knew him from his Michigan days. I really think he's really evolved [and] tested really, really well at the combine. His numbers are off the charts. He's really, really explosive, a great jumper, and has really good ball skills. He had an awesome year at receiving tight end. We think he's going to emerge as a blocker as well – he's a great kid. We loved spending time with him here in Baltimore. Chandler Rivers was a guy that I know the scouts are really excited to get. He's undersized, [but] very, very quick, and probably fits best inside. He plays outside, but probably fits best inside. He's very sticky in coverage. Again, he's a guy that tested extremely well. His numbers at the [NFL] Combine – his 40 [-yard dash], I think was in the 4.3s. He jumped really well. And we've had success over the years with these type of guys, even going back to some of my favorite Ravens – Lardarius Webb is a guy that comes to mind [or] Tavon Young, those kind of really good football players that might be a little undersized. So, we're excited about him. And then Josh Cuevas, you never can go wrong with an Alabama tight end. He's a guy that does a lot of different things well. He runs good routes. He has good hands. He's a competitive blocker. He can align in different spots. I think one of our goals this year was really coming out of this draft with two tight ends that we liked a lot. I think we did a good job. I really credit our coaches, [tight ends coach] Zack [Grossi] and [offensive coordinator] Declan [Doyle], for really doing a great job getting that tight end board lined up in a really nice way for us to strategize and make sure that we got a couple guys that we really liked. They weren't necessarily players that we had to jump into the first or second or third round to get, but we had options in every single round, and we were very fortunate to get Josh at that point. Adam Randall's an interesting pick. You'll probably see the video at some point – it's the first draft pick that [owner] Steve Bisciotti has ever made. So, when we were down in Florida, Steve was begging for a draft pick and he owns the team. I said, 'Yes, Steve. Of course you can have a draft pick.' And so we decided on our last fifth-round pick. He did his research. He studied the tape and talked to people. He has a really good relationship with the Clemson head coach [Dabo Swinney], and Adam's a guy as a former wideout. He has a varied skillset. He does a lot of different things well. We think the best is yet to come with him as a running back. He has really good hands. He can run routes. He's a possible kick returner – a special teams guy. He has a great body and good measurables, and we're excited to see what he can do. He's kind of a 'jackknife.' He's a phenomenal kid. We think [he's] one of the best makeups in this draft. And then Ryan Eckley, [senior special teams coach] Randy [Brown] has been scouring the country, looking at punters, and this was his top guy. I think for us, it was just a matter of when we had to take him. Looking at the board and kind of getting a sense for the teams that might draft the punter. We knew Buffalo was in the mix and potentially Pittsburgh. So, we had to figure out that sweet spot to get that done. The nice thing I think about Ryan is not only is he an excellent punter, but he's probably the best holder in the draft, which is really important, as you guys all know. So, [we are] excited to get him. Rayshaun Benny, we've coached him – [defensive line coach] Lou Esposito and [head coach] Jesse [Minter]. We like his frame, his skillset. He's a guy that can play 5-tech, 3-tech. [He's a] physical guy [who has] long arms and really has a good 5-tech body, which is tough to find. He's a strong run defender, and he fits us. He fits our mentality, and he knows our defense, and he's a plug-and-play guy coming in right out of the gates. Our last pick is Evan Beernsten. Again, a guy that plays guard. He has played some center, not a lot. He's been playing college football for a long time. And he was at, I think, South Dakota and then Northwestern. He's a guard, primarily physical, tough, 'gritty type' of Midwest, Big Ten-type of offensive lineman. At that point in the draft, he was by far the highest rated player for us, and we think he has a good chance to help us at some point. Questions?"
When owner Steve Bisciotti's making that, why did you select that fifth round as the one that – was there any backstory to why that was the point in the draft that he was going to take one? (Jamison Hensley)
(DeCOSTA) "I think [owner Steve Bisciotti] probably coerced me with a nice bottle of wine down there in Florida. We had all those picks. We knew we were going to have all those picks. And so, we just decided on that last pick in the fifth round."
Obviously, maybe your best offseason departure is former Ravens C Tyler Linderbaum. There's no obvious center in this draft class, although I guess G Evan Beernsten might convert. What was your overall take on this center class available in this draft? Ultimately, you traded back into the fourth round when there were some available. Why do you think it wasn't in your best interest to take one? (Kyle Goon)
(DeCOSTA) "I think that's a good question. So, there were a couple centers that we really liked; the guys that went in the second round. I think after that, could we have traded up? Potentially, we could have maybe traded up into the second round and maybe take one of those guys? And we really assessed it; where we were picking at 80 for us to do that would have cost our second-round pick, our third-round pick and our fourth-round pick, points-wise to do that. Third round, fourth round, fifth round, whatever you're going to say, points-wise, to do it, probably prohibitive for us to get up that high in the draft. Would I rather have Ja'Kobi [Lane], [Elijah] Sarratt and [Matt] Hibner, I probably would than one player at that point. So, it was impossible for us to really get back up into the second round unless we gave up our first-round pick next year, maybe, potentially. There were some other centers, but there was nobody that we looked at that we thought necessarily, like this guy's going to come in here ... They're good players, but there's nobody that's going to necessarily be an impact player for us this year. I do think we'll have a plan at the position, I feel confident in saying that. I think we have a couple guys here that will compete for that position. But as the Hall of Fame general manager [Ozzie Newsome] once said, 'You don't play games until September.' And I think we'll have a great offensive line at that point. We have a plan. It didn't necessarily fall our way this weekend, but it's still early, and I'm thrilled with what we've been able to accomplish."
Were you surprised that the two guys went as early as they did, those first two centers? (Brian Wacker)
(DeCOSTA) "I was a little surprised. I would probably attribute that to the run on offensive linemen in the first and second round, and that trickle-down effect, because when you saw those tackles and guards go, that's what happens. I think you see it. You saw it in a different way this year with receivers and tight ends. And so again, you saw these receivers get picked, and then you saw a huge run on tight ends. These teams have to adjust quickly on the fly. So, I think actually one of the centers that was drafted got turned in as a guard just because all those guards got picked. So, now as a team, you're trying to look at it and go, 'Oh man, how are we going to fill this guard position? Well, let's take this center. He can probably play guard.' So, it's hard. It's challenging. A lot of times when you find yourself in a position like that – and we've been in this many years – it's just the pick that you have, the number that you have and not just being able to maneuver the right way or not having the ammunition or maybe the cost of doing so is probably prohibitive. So, [it's] unfortunate, but I'm ecstatic with the players that we were able to get. Honestly, like looking at this list of [our drafted] players, I probably wouldn't do anything differently."
What is your plan now with G/T Emery Jones Jr.? Is he someone who you're still looking at as a guard or a tackle, or is he someone who could even potentially have a shot at center? (Jonas Shaffer)
(DeCOSTA) "Well, coming out, [Emery Jones Jr.] was a right tackle, and he's a damn good right tackle. We think he's going to be a damn good guard, too, coming off the injury. We think he's a talented guy with a great mentality and great makeup, and he's going to compete. He'll compete to start, and we're going to have great depth. We're going to have a great sixth man. I don't know who that sixth man is going to be, but whoever it is, if you come out of it with this group, you're going to be really talented, you're going to be really good. So, I like the depth that we have right now. We still have some moves to make. I think we're in a much better place than we have been, and I'm excited to see what happens."
I know you were kind of non-committal in terms of G Vega Ioane, where he would play. Does he have that – I know he's played a little bit of center, is that something you guys would even look at? (Brian Wacker)
(MINTER) "Yeah, I think we'll start off thinking [of Vega Ioane as] more of a guard, but I think there's always ... I really think [offensive line and run game coordinator] Coach [Dwayne] Ledford does a great job, and I am highly confident that we'll be able to put a great O-line together. I do think there's the thought of, how do you get your best five guys on the field? No different than [with] secondary or linebackers. It's like, how do you get the best players that can help you win onto the field? And so, I think that's the great part about the offseason – getting a chance to work with these guys. It's a good time sometimes to experiment with people like that and see what the versatility that guys have. And then again, come September, figure out where everybody fits best, where they can best thrive and succeed and help us have the best O-line."
As executive vice president and general manager Eric DeCosta mentioned yesterday, you have three guys on the roster who can play center, is that C Drew Pinter, OL Jovaughn Gwyn and C/G Corey Bullock? (Jeff Zrebiec)
(Minter) "Those three guys for sure. I think we feel good about [Drew Pinter, Jovaughn Gwyn and Corey Bullock] competing. And then again, just like all the guys – all the interior, all the offensive linemen, having that ability to potentially showcase some versatility and play different spots and us figure out the best five, the best six, the best seven, the best eight [players], that'll be a major work in progress between now and September."
When you sort of step back and look at the 11 guys you drafted over the last three days, do you see any sort of theme that runs through the entire class? (Childs Walker)
(MINTER) "Tough and physical. A lot of these guys are big, physical players. When you look at the O-line, obviously you start with Vega [Ioane] and just him setting the tone for the draft class. [He is] dominant at the line of scrimmage. And so, I think we added the best interior offensive lineman in the draft. Zion [Young], again, he is a big physical, tough, rugged player. Ja'Kobi [Lane] is a big matchup guy – he has size, speed, length, catch radius and an ability to make tough plays. [Elijah] Sarratt, as well, that was a really cool opportunity to double dip at [the wide receiver] position, the way the board fell and taking the best guy. He is a guy that's had a ton of production and major impact games the last two years at Indiana. And then I think when guys are really productive wherever they're playing – he played a year at a JMU, and he played a year at even a smaller school before that – he is a super productive player. [Matt] Hibner, I mean, I've seen this guy in some really bloody, physical nine-on-sevens, two, three or four years ago, being a really physical blocker, even maybe more so than showed up and what they were asking him to do at SMU. Again, we are excited about him. But all the guys, you can go all the way down the list. Even Chandler Rivers, who is not as big in stature, but plays with a really cool mindset. I love the way that guy plays football. He attacks the ball, plays really physical and is a good tackler for his size. I just think if you go all the way down the list, it is a really physical group. With the big, strong, tough, physical team that we're trying to have here, and all these guys fit that bill."
It's been probably a blur these couple months of everything you've had on your plate. What was this experience like in your new role with all the firsts you're experiencing? And what's kind of a general takeaway for you, just being part of your first draft as a head coach? (Jeff Zrebiec)
(MINTER) "It was incredible. Obviously, we talked about this all the way back, but this is the job I wanted because of the people here and how they operate. [Executive vice president and general manager] Eric [DeCosta] does an amazing job. You've got [executive vice president] Ozzie Newsome sitting in there, you've got [owner] Steve Bisciotti – just people that are unbelievable. [They are] people first, and then they can just manage situations. They've got a great mind for what's happening throughout the draft. They've done a great job of bringing the coaches in, and I feel like everybody on the staff really felt valued and felt input into how we ended up with these players, which I think is a cool quality to have, to bring people in and make it collaborative. But at the end of the day, it's just a really cool situation to kind of see the team come together. When you go into it, there's, I think, 50 or so players on our team, and you add 11, and then obviously we'll add more the rest of the day. That'll be really exciting when we look out there, and there's 90 guys on the roster."
What was the position that executive vice president and general manager Eric DeCosta tasked you with in evaluating specific prospect class? (Jonas Shaffer)
(MINTER) "It was really cool. I've always taken really a lot of pride as an evaluator. It was honestly really neat and fun to do a lot of different positions over the time. And so, it was my first time really evaluating offensive linemen and wide receivers in a different way than just preparing to play against them. And to me, the things that jump out as a defensive history coach, I would say, the play style and how these guys play, just the down-after-down mindset that they play with when you're looking at offensive players really jumps off the tape with all these guys. Their ability to make tough – especially the playmakers, the skill players – their ability to make tough plays, contested plays, key plays on the field in the red area, both of these wide receivers, [Ja'Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt] are huge red zone targets. So, it was just fun to evaluate all the different positions and look at different things. And then certainly the secondary has probably always been a knack of mine to try to get some of those guys."
Obviously, you have very detailed records of all these guys and their various idiosyncrasies, but when you look at your two receivers in WR Ja'Kobi Lane and WR Elijah Sarratt and then your two tight ends in TE Matt Hibner and TE Josh Cuevas, they are very sort of similar on the surface profiles for each of those positions. High-point, tall receivers and tight ends who are maybe sort of "tweener" types who have blocking ability and then some pass catching ability, are there ways in which those guys sort of diverge from each other, or is the overlap some of the point and why you decided to draft them? (Kyle Goon)
(DeCOSTA) "The biggest thing, I think, is just that they're versatile players that do some really good things. They're not exactly the same. Our vision for Ja'Kobi [Lane] is probably a little bit different than maybe the vision for [Elijah] Sarratt. They're going to compete for playing time, right? They both catch the ball really well. They're both big, but they're not exactly identical. I think Matt [Hibner] and Josh [Cuevas], they're a little different. They're a little different with how they're used, and the offense is different, but I love the fact that they're both versatile players who can do different things. And in our offense, not to give a lot away – and I don't even understand our offense yet, to be honest – but I know that versatility and flexibility and being able to do a lot of different things is really important. Being smart and being adaptable is really, really important. The idea of deception and all these things and just flexibility to play multiple roles, I think is really a plus. And then just being able to handle the physical aspect of the game, being tough, being tough-minded and being able to handle adversity. Again, I talked a little bit yesterday about this, but I had a bunch of other players reach out to me today about some of these guys. They know their stories and think these guys were made of the right stuff, most of these guys. And I want to thank – I think it's opportunity for me to thank the scouts, specifically the area guys and then also a couple unheralded guys, [director of learning and development] Steve Claggett and [director of data and decision science] Derrick Yam, as well. They do a lot of work on the draft in different ways. [Vice president of player personnel] George [Kokinis] and [director of player personnel] Mark [Azevedo] and all those guys – and [vice president of football administration] Nick [Matteo], but we get great information on how these guys, about who they are as people, their background, motivations, drivers and all those different things. And the scouts and those guys upstairs, they're really the guys that are able to kind of put that all together for me to help me make the decisions. And so, without that, this process would be much more complicated and probably not as accurate."
On the topic of versatility, offensive coordinator Declan Doyle obviously spent time working with Broncos head coach Sean Payton. I think you used the word jackknife when describing RB Adam Randall. As a receiver turned into a running back, is there sort of a "Joker" role that he could kind of be in the running for that's new to this offense? (Kyle Goon)
(DeCOSTA) "Well, I think that remains to be seen, but I will say [Adam Randall] is very smart. He's big. He's athletic. He catches the ball well. He runs good routes. He's physical. He's a physical runner. He's played special teams. He can return kicks. So, his value, it does get magnified. And I think, not to speak for Coach [Jesse Minter], but one of the hardest things to do is come up with a 48-man roster. And if you have guys who can do multiple things, it really makes your job a lot easier because now you can create roles for other people, because you might have a player who can do more than just one thing. So, if you can run routes, run the ball, pass protect and return kicks, now your value really skyrockets."
Did you get a chuckle out of watching former Ravens RB Mark Ingram II and Ravens International Fan of the Year Jamie Pembroke announce the draft picks? (Jerry Coleman)
(DeCOSTA) "We did. We laughed. We saw that. It was great. I think someone said it, but you'd think that Mark [Ingram II] spent his whole career with us. He was only with us for two years, but they were memorable years, that 2019 season, especially. He has a special place in my heart. And I think of him as a real, original Raven, even though obviously he played more years in New Orleans. And so, [he's] a guy that I really respect. I love his passion. I thought it was really funny. And certainly, I think the back and forth between Pittsburgh and Baltimore, we saw that this weekend, right? I think that's kind of been actually a special thing. It's kind of fun that we have that type of rivalry that's celebrated across the country. Everybody understands. It's like the Red Sox versus the Yankees. Everybody understands it and kind of celebrates it. And I think it's one of the things that makes sports special."
How does the scouting process compared to find P Ryan Eckley this year after you were looking for a kicker last year in the draft? (Luke Jones)
(DeCOSTA) "Well, I don't get involved in that too much. And I don't want to create a monster, but he's already been created. He's already been created. But [senior special teams coach] Randy [Brown] does a phenomenal job. He does. And so, it's probably the two positions that, if Randy comes to me and says, 'This is the guy that we need,' I'm going to accept it. Normally, I'd be a little skeptical, and I want to watch the tape and do my homework and put my eyes on the guy, but when Randy does this and says, 'Yes, this is the best one,' then that resonates. And I think our track record with kickers, punters and long snappers is pretty good. So, it's not something I'm going to mess with. Now, I might fight with him as to when we have to draft the guy or what round – but as far as being the best and ranking – I think he's the best at that."
Do you look at Monday afternoon, when free agent signings no longer account for the compensatory pick formula? You're fond of saying that building a roster is sort of an everyday, year-round thing. Do you view this almost as another phase of free agency for this team? (Jeff Zrebiec)
(DeCOSTA) "We do. Yes. I mean, we don't have any agreements that would be illegal, of course, but there are always players out there that you can go after that you'll try to talk to at some point. The draft is really [where] you go through this process, and now you know what the roster looks like. So now it's easy next week to go out and say, 'OK, we need this. We might need this. We might need this.' So, I think with free agency, potentially trades, terminated players, we still [look at] June 1, where you are still at risk for players to be terminated, which is an opportunity for us to sign a few guys. And I remember, I don't know what year it was – maybe 2021 or 2022 – I was driving up to Penn State with my daughter, and I negotiated the contract for OLB Jadeveon Clowney in the car. That was in August. So those things can happen, right? And so again, we try to be patient [and] not be too reactive to things [or] overreact. [We] just [try] to be patient and see what happens, let good players fall to us. There's going to be opportunities coming along, and we'll be ready to pounce."
How have you seen DL Rayshaun Benny progress both when you were with him in Michigan and since then? (Noah Trister)
(MINTER) "Yes. 'Ray' [Rayshaun Benny] is a tough, rugged, physical defensive lineman that's got some real athleticism. I think there's some real upside there with him and some pass rush ability. I thought in 2023, he was our third or fourth defensive lineman. We had Mason [Graham] and Kenneth Grant and Kris Jenkins Jr., and we had obviously a pretty loaded group, but he made some really key plays for us in that season. He got hurt in the Rose Bowl that year, and I know it affected him. I was gone after that, but I thought this year he really bounced back after kind of battling through the injury in 2024. He showed some really good stuff. He does a lot of things on tape that obviously we like to see. And so, I think he's just a guy that's gotten better and better. He was really, really raw and kind of a young player coming into Michigan, but I know he's been well trained and well coached, and I'm excited to add 'Ray.'"
We didn't get a chance to ask you about your voluntary minicamp you were able to have this past week. What stood out about that in terms of guys' attendance? What'd you learn about your football team in getting to have most of them together for the first time? (Luke Jones)
(MINTER) "Yes, it was an unbelievable turnout. We had a great three days together. I think we learned a lot about each other and just kind of how we're operating on the practice field and some of the things that we're doing. We didn't do a ton of full speed teamwork in that, just from a health and safety standpoint of where we're at in the offseason program, but the guys had a real opportunity to kind of see where they're at learning new schemes on both sides of the ball, so it was incredible. It was a lot of fun. It was cool to see the coaches out there coaching these guys up. We kind of knew. It kind of gives you, especially going into the draft, it gives you a little bit of sense at different positions of kind of where you're at. So, it's a great rule. I do love that for new [coaching] staffs to be able to have that opportunity. And now we go right back into Phase 2 and continue to try to get better."
Since we're not going to talk to you until September now, is anything you can tell us about progress with QB Lamar Jackson and contract talks? (Jamison Hensley)
(DeCOSTA) "No, not really."
