The Baltimore Ravens brought in five outside free agents and re-signed eight of their own while losing 14 players who were part of last year’s 13-4 team. Yet, nothing that happened from a transactional standpoint over the past six weeks has significantly altered Baltimore’s list of draft needs.
Solidifying the offensive line remains every bit of the team’s priority. Adding more talent and depth at wide receiver, edge rusher, cornerback and safety still feels necessary. Even after signing Derrick Henry, there’s room for at least one more running back. And the Ravens are always looking to bring in more pieces for their defensive front.
Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta has nine picks to work with, and he’s traditionally aggressive in making trades to add more. If he doesn’t make a trade in the first round, Baltimore will pick at No. 30. It’ll also have one pick in the second, third, fifth and sixth rounds, and two each in the fourth and seventh rounds.
The draft mercifully starts Thursday. It’s the right time for the final Ravens seven-round mock.
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The preference here would be to trade back and get an additional Day 2 pick, and I think there’s a decent chance that’s what DeCosta does Thursday night. Washington, which has second-round picks at Nos. 36 and 40, three third-rounders and rumored to be eyeing a move back into the first round, is a potential trade partner. However, DeCosta will have to be confident there will be a player available the Ravens really like. Maybe the hope is that offensive tackle Jordan Morgan (Arizona) or Kingsley Suamataia (BYU) will still be available in the early second, or maybe the Ravens really like one of the second-tier corners, such as Missouri’s Ennis Rakestraw Jr. or Iowa State’s T.J. Tampa.
For this mock, the Ravens stay put and draft McKinstry, a smart and athletic corner who never missed a game at Alabama and plays with the type of intelligence and intensity that Baltimore would love. At 5-foot-11, 196 pounds, McKinstry doesn’t have elite speed, but he’s long, plays under control and has very good technique. He’ll have a chance to contribute immediately at outside cornerback, where the Ravens lack depth.
Ravens trade pick No. 62 (second round) to Denver Broncos for pick Nos. 76 (third round) and 121 (fourth round) and a 2025 fourth-rounder
DeCosta is going to make a trade at some point in this draft, and it’s always more likely that the Ravens acquire picks rather than trade them. However, he made clear at the team’s pre-draft luncheon that the Ravens likely won’t be in the business of acquiring late-round picks, when they have fewer players than usual they consider draftable. For dropping back just 14 spots, the Ravens get another fourth-rounder plus add to the following year’s draft capital, which is always something they discuss doing.
The Ravens have utilized a second-round pick to select a player just twice in the past six drafts, so this is old hat for them. As for the Broncos, they’ve talked openly about drafting a quarterback — and they probably lack the draft capital to move from No. 12 into the top five. They currently don’t have a second-round pick, but this trade would put them in a better position to select South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler or Oregon’s Bo Nix, if the latter is still available.
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Round 3, No. 76 (from Broncos): Blake Fisher, OT, Notre Dame
If the Ravens are going to come out of this draft with a plug-and-play right tackle — and they need to after trading Morgan Moses to the New York Jets — it feels imperative they do it with their first or second pick. Fisher is a big (6-foot-5, 310 pounds) and athletic blocker with long arms and quick feet. He battled consistency issues at Notre Dame and has a lot of developing to do, but the Ravens have a ton of trust in offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris’ ability to teach and develop. Fisher is good enough to compete for the starting job from the jump.
Round 3, No. 93: Devontez Walker, WR, North Carolina
As much as team officials have downplayed the need at wideout, it seems unlikely DeCosta won’t try and grab another pass catcher given the talent in this receiver class. Adding Walker, who is 6-foot-1, 193 pounds and ran a 4.36 40 time at the NFL Scouting Combine, makes a ton of sense because he’d bring much-needed diversity to the Ravens’ wide receiver corps. He’s a big and fast receiver who challenges defenses vertically and creates separation with his long strides. The Ravens have targets when you look at their wide receivers and tight ends. What they don’t have are enough home run threats. That’s Walker.
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Round 4, No. 113 (from Jets): Caedan Wallace, OL, Penn State
It’s not a question of if the Ravens draft two offensive linemen. The more appropriate questions are when will they take them and could they even draft three? Wallace was a four-year starter at Penn State, exclusively playing the right tackle position. He plays up to size at 6-foot-4 and 314 pounds, and he also exhibits impressive footwork and athleticism for a big man. It’s not out of the question that he ultimately could settle in at guard at the next level. At the very least, he’d give a Ravens team that has multiple questions up front another potential competitor for the starting right tackle job.
Round 4, No. 121 (from Broncos): Dominique Hampton, S, Washington
It wouldn’t be surprising if the Ravens drafted a safety before the fourth round. They could also add a veteran safety after the draft, but they need youth at the position, too. Hampton is a bit of a polarizing prospect because his tape is littered with inconsistency and moments of undisciplined play. However, he’s an elite athlete with good size (6-foot-2, 213 pounds), speed (4.45 40 time at his pro day) and physicality. He’s a big hitter who has also excelled on special teams in college.
Round 4, No. 130: Will Shipley, RB, Clemson
DeCosta all but promised that the Ravens would select a running back in the middle rounds. Shipley, an all-purpose standout for the Tigers, would check a lot of boxes. The former high school lacrosse star has average size (5-foot-10, 206 pounds) but plays with the mentality of a bigger back. He’s also an experienced receiver (85 career catches at Clemson) and an accomplished return man. Henry will shoulder the backfield load for the Ravens, but Shipley would be a nice complement and can contribute in other ways.
Will Shipley had 85 receptions during his college career at Clemson. (Ken Ruinard / USA Today)
Round 5, No. 165: Javon Solomon, OLB, Troy
The Ravens have hit on Day 3 edge rushers before. In evaluating pass rushers, they also are known to put a lot of value on college production, which heavily impacted their decision to use a fifth-round pick on Matthew Judon in 2016. That’s not to say Solomon is the same type of player as Judon. He’s undersized at 6-foot-1 and 246 pounds. However, he was extremely productive with an FBS-leading 16 sacks last year and 33 sacks and 49 1/2 tackles for loss in his college career. Solomon is a freakish athlete with some enticing pass-rush traits.
Round 6, No. 218 (from Jets): Trevor Keegan, G, Michigan
The Ravens don’t necessarily need to add guard depth, even after losing starters Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson in free agency. They have Ben Cleveland, Andrew Vorhees, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu and Josh Jones, along with Tykeem Doss and Tashawn Manning, both of whom spent all of last season on the practice squad. What they need is a capable starter, and Keegan may not be that guy, particularly as a rookie. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a spot for him. The three-year starter got better every year in Ann Arbor and plays with great effort and physicality. Did I mention he played at Michigan?
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Round 7, No. 228 (from Jets): Darius Muasau, LB, UCLA
If somebody comes calling for any of the Ravens’ late Day 3 picks and offers 2025 draft compensation, I’m guessing DeCosta would gladly accept. At this point of the draft, the Ravens will be just looking for somebody who could make their roster and contribute. They could use some inside linebacker depth after losing Patrick Queen and Del’Shawn Phillips in free agency. Muasau, who played under former Ravens safeties coach D’Anton Lynn at UCLA, is a strong run defender with good instincts and sure-handed tackling ability. At the very least, he should be able to contribute on special teams as a rookie.
Round 7, No. 250: Logan Lee, DL, Iowa
It used to be a pretty safe bet that the Ravens would take a flier on an interior defensive lineman on Day 3 of the draft. That’s not been the case over the last few years, but this feels like a draft where they’ll want to add a youthful rotational piece to their defensive front. Lee was a three-year starter at Iowa who projects as a five-technique at the NFL level.
(Top photo of Kool-Aid McKinstry: Brianna Paciorka / News Sentinel / USA Today)
