DTF Three-Round Mock Draft: Baltimore Ravens Draft Picks

Over the past couple of weeks, the Defiant Takes Football writing staff completed a team mock draft where a collection of writers acted as each team’s GM, managing picks, trades, and the lot. This practice gave a much more realistic take on mock drafts, with multiple minds balancing the interests of their own teams to dictate the futures of their franchises. Today, we look at what I, Kyle Starrett, put together for the Baltimore Ravens draft.

The Ravens are, in my opinion, the best drafting team in the league. Eric DeCosta does not mess around with his draft picks, consistently taking the biggest names and best players available. Although it hasn’t translated into a Super Bowl over the past near-decade, it consistently has the team in the hunt just based on rostered talent.

However, going into this draft, they only have two picks in the first three rounds. Perhaps they make some moves for extra capital, but for now, they can only make so much noise during draft weekend. With that, let’s take a look at what moves were made during the first three rounds of the Baltimore Ravens draft.

Baltimore Ravens Draft Picks

Former Penn State Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. – Mark Selders/Penn State Athletics

Round One, Pick 22: Joey Porter Jr. (CB/Penn State)

The Ravens have a couple of big needs, most notably at wide receiver and cornerback. With that in mind, the Baltimore Ravens draft Porter Jr. out of Penn State, son of former NFL LB Joey Porter Sr.

Porter Jr. is a stud and should not have been available at pick 22. If he somehow ends up available here on night one of the draft, expect to see someone boasting a Baltimore logo sprinting to the podium. What a great value pick. After Devon Witherspoon and Christian Gonzalez, the consensus number three CB is Penn State’s own, and that hype is entirely warranted.

Apart from being one of the larger corners you’ll see, Porter Jr. is very athletic. He’s no Gonzalez, but he has the speed and explosiveness to stick with any kind of receiver anywhere on the field. This really shows itself in his man coverage ability–he’s super sticky and doesn’t give receivers room to breathe. He also has great ball skills, able to create turnovers and knock away passes with ease. This comes from not only his coverage ability but also his instincts, a trait you can expect from the son of a former All-Pro.

For Baltimore, this is a grand slam. However, I can’t really foresee this pick actually happening because of one team: the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Steelers need a cornerback pretty badly. If Porter Jr. becomes available at 17, they shouldn’t hesitate to jump on him. However, that’s only the beginning of the connections between the Penn State product and the Steel City. I’ve mentioned Porter Jr.’s father multiple times already, but it’s not just the “bloodlines” point you hear from a lot of draft analysts. Porter Sr. actually played for Pittsburgh for eight seasons, making three Pro Bowls and earning an All-Pro in that span. There couldn’t be a greater connection between draft product and team, and for the Steelers, that’s a lot to ignore.

It seems like a match made in heaven for Pittsburgh, and because of that, I don’t think Porter Jr. will make it past 17. However, in this mock, he does, and Baltimore gets rewarded for it big time—nothing to complain about with potential top-ten talent in the back half of the first round.

TRADE: Baltimore Receives WR KJ Hamler and Pick 172, Denver Receives Pick 86

As was previously mentioned, perhaps Baltimore’s biggest need is at wide receiver. They signed Odell Beckham Jr. earlier in the offseason and still have former first-round pick Rashod Bateman, but in terms of proven guys, the roster is pretty depleted. Maybe they chose to fill that need in the first round, but with the value of Porter Jr. in this mock, they couldn’t.

However, one of the strengths of this draft is the depth at receiver. Guys like Tank Dell, Michael Wilson, and Rashee Rice could all be available late in day two, meaning the Ravens could choose to fill their receiver need then. In this mock, though, all of the most intriguing receivers were gone by pick 86, leaving me to ditch the pick for a young, unproven player with sky-high potential.

Hamler was drafted by the Denver Broncos with the 46th pick in the 2020 draft, intended to become the team’s deep threat for the foreseeable future. However, during his time in Denver, he has suffered from awful quarterback play, majorly limiting his production. The college tape shows a guy who can flat-out fly, a staple prototype in the modern NFL, but without the arm talent to allow his success, he hasn’t been much more than a situational player.

This is where Baltimore comes in. Despite what some fans may think, Baltimore’s Hollywood Brown was a very good target for Lamar Jackson, even with some drop issues. Jackson was clearly a more productive player with that speed on the field, and with Brown off in Arizona, he needs that type of player in his offense. Maybe Lamar will be gone before next season and never utilizes his new weapon, but while he’s still there, this trade gives him a better player than anyone who could have been drafted in the same spot.