The Baltimore Ravens are one of the best drafting teams in the NFL, as their recent history with both Ozzie Newsome and Eric DeCosta is littered with standouts picked in the first round and promising Day 3 selections. For some reason, the Ravens haven’t landed a stud in the second round of the NFL Draft for more than a decade.
Since 2010, the only second-round pick who played more than five years with the Ravens was Tyus Bowser, who was recently released after years of injuries and inconsistency. Torrey Smith was a quality player for Baltimore, but if he’s the best second-round pick in a 12-year span, that’s not very promising.
These four players all look like standouts that could be the first player in more than a decade to both make an impact with the Ravens and get extended past their original rookie contract. With so many positions of need after free agency ravaged their depth, all of these players could get playing time as a rookie.
4 Day 2 studs who could break Baltimore Ravens’ second-round curse
4. Khyree Jackson, CB, Oregon
Cornerback is deep this year, as there are multiple future starters hanging around in this range. Rutgers’ Max Melton, Iowa State’s TJ Tampa, and Michigan’s Mike Sainristil are all solid prospects, but there’s a chance Jackson ends up with the highest ceiling in this class due to his physical gifts.
A 6-3 corner with proven 4.5 speed, Jackson fits on a Baltimore defense that prioritized bigger defensive backs with length. While he can get burned by being overaggressive, his physical skills make him a top-flight turnover creator who could become a Pro Bowl talent in the right scheme.
The Baltimore Ravens should consider Khyree Jackson
Jackson is a fiery corner who is both pesky at the line of scrimmage and an absolute menace when the ball is in the air. With solid tracking skills and reactions, the Alabama transfer knocked away seven passes and intercepted three more during his lone season as a starter in Eugene.
Jackson only has one year of starting experience to his name, but he flashed so often and so brightly at Oregon that it seems unikely he makes it out of Day 2. Baltimore likes to see some production and turnovers generated from their defensive backs, which could help DeCosta sell himself on Jackson.
3. Ricky Pearsall, WR, Florida
There are many solid receiver prospects in this range, with Washington’s Ja’Lynn Polk and Western Kentucky’s Malachi Corley (who Baltimore has met) standing out. Pearsall’s recent surge up the rankings is further proof the league considered the Arizona State transfer as the best of that bunch.
Pearsall finished last year with 65 catches, 966 yards, and four touchdowns despite a conservative passing game with Graham Mertz at the trigger and a lack of elite weapons around him. He’s not the most physical player in the world, but Pearsall appears to have been created in a lab to play in the slot for a coordinator like Todd Monken.
The Baltimore Ravens should consider drafting Ricky Pearsall
Pearsall’s 4.4 speed makes him a master at getting separation at the line of scrimmage, and he is more than elusive when he gets a chance to make plays as a runner. A solid route technician with five years of collegiate experience, Pearsall should be more prepared to contribute as a rookie than most wideouts in this class.
Even if the Ravens are in on the Rashod Bateman resurgence, putting Pearsall in the slot could give the offense a kick in the rear. With solid hands and route-running, Pearsall has the ability to move outside while Zay Flowers piles up the yards in the slot. If he is there at 62, he needs to be the pick.
2. Patrick Paul, OT, Houston
If the Ravens want to select a tackle in this range, prospects like Kansas’ Dominick Puni or Yale’s Kiran Amegadjie look like future impact players who could slide into Baltimore’s scheme. The middle ground between the finished product (Puni) and the gamble on upside (Amegadjie) is a Senior Bowl standout in Paul.
Paul is 6-7 and 330 pounds, but one of his main concerns is the fact he can often appear lumbering as a run blocker. Baltimore, however, could be the best spot for him, as they have used picks on mammoth players like Orlando Brown Jr. and Daniel Faalele in the past. You can’t teach size like that.
The Baltimore Ravens may consider Patrick Paul
Paul has three years of starting experience at Houston, and he has one of the best pass pro anchors of any player in this class. In pass protection, Paul has surprising technical polish and ability to handle complex stunts and twists, which is exactly what Lamar Jackson would like to see from his potential future teammate.
Paul mostly played left tackle at Houston, which means he likely won’t see the field as a rookie, barring something unforeseen happening to Ronnie Stanley. However, if Stanley ends up regressing, the Ravens can slide Paul in and possibly find their next starting left tackle for a half-decade.
1. Jonah Elliss, EDGE, Utah
If the Ravens want a traditional defensive end, Washington’s Bralen Trice could make sense. Should they be eyeing a versatile edge rusher/defensive tackle hybrid, Oregon’s Brandon Dorlus might be worth targeting. However, if DeCosta wants pure speed on the edge, Elliss might be the best bet.
Elliss improved his production from three sacks in 2022 to a remarkable 12 sacks in 2023. Elliss’ big concerns are related to his body, as he is very lean, lacks amazing power, and has injury issues that put a hard cap on how effective he could have been at college. Even with those concerns, his explosiveness is mouth-watering.
Jonah Elliss could be a rotation pass rusher for the Baltimore Ravens
Elliss not only has a nonstop motor, but he can pair that with a wide toolbox of pass rush moves and one of the quickest first steps in this class. Even with his size limitation, Elliss was a quality run defender for one of the best defenses in the country in Salt Lake City.
The Ravens may have Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo in expanded roles next year, but Baltimore needs one more young edge rusher to mitigate one of those two falling on their face and to help replace Jadeveon Clowney. Elliss may not become a traditional end, but he seems like a lethal sack artist in training.
