Baltimore Ravens Rookies Forecast

By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell

Solid Starter

Hayden Hurst, TE, South Carolina – Round 1
The tight end position has been a problem for years in Baltimore ever since Todd Heap ended his good career. Dennis Pitta had a couple of good seasons, but injuries kept him from establishing consistency, and former second-round pick Maxx Williams has been a disappointment. Baltimore moved down twice in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft before taking the best tight end in the draft with Hurst. He should quickly become a good three-down starter for the Ravens.

As a receiver, Hurst has reliable hands and is tremendous after the catch. He runs through tackles and gets yards after contact downfield. Hurst is superb at working the middle seam and has the quickness to get to the second level. Through a combination of good route-running and his speed, Hurst can consistently get open. He tracks the ball well, adjusts to passes with fluid athleticism, and is a real red-zone threat. With his athletic upside, Hurst’s best football is in front of him as he should improve as he gains experience.

As a blocker, Hurst has size and strength with the ability to win his blocks. He gives an effort and was a quality contributor to the Gamecocks’ rushing offense. His blocking should improve with pro coaching, but he enters the NFL as a plus blocker and significantly better than most receiving-tight end prospects for the NFL.

The 6-foot-4, 250-pound Hurst has the potential to be a three-down starter at the next level. He is a phenomenal athlete who presents serious mismatch problems for a defense. Hurst has big size and leaping ability to make catches even when he is covered by a defensive back. He also possesses the speed to separate, and that can be seen with linebackers being incapable of running with him. Safeties also can struggle to run with Hurst and keep him from getting open. With his frame and speed, Hurst is dynamic receiving threat for a tight end. He should quickly become a quality starter for Baltimore.

2017: Chris Wormley, DE
2016: Ronnie Stanley, OT
2015: Maxx Williams, TE
2014: C.J. Mosley, LB
2013: Arthur Brown, LB

Most Likely To Bust

Anthony Averett, CB, Alabama – Round 4
I don’t like to pick players after the first two days of the draft for bust potential, but I think the Ravens had a really strong draft with good prospects being taken in the first and third round. The first selection who I see serious bust potential in is Averett in the fourth round. The Ravens are deep at cornerback, and I think he could have a hard time seeing the field. Additionally, he has issues in coverage with skill-set limitations that I think present issues for the NFL.

There are a number of things about Averett that cause me to think he could be a bust. Sources at other teams thought that he is not a play-maker on the ball and is not a finisher. That can be seen with his total of only one interception over the past two seasons and him allowing too many catches to be made over him. Averett usually was in good position, but didn’t play the ball that well or take it away. Another problem for Averett is his weight. He’s a thin-framed defender, and at the Senior Bowl, he checked in at 5-foot-11, 175 pounds. Averett has been in the 180s, but could struggle with big receivers out-fighting him for position along with having durability issues from constantly having to tackle bigger ball-carriers. Between his thin build, durability, and allowing catches over him, I think Averett may not pan out in the NFL.

2017: Tyus Bowser, LB
2016: Bronson Kaufusi, DE
2015: Carl Davis, DT
2014: Timmy Jernigan, DT
2013: Brandon Williams, NT

Potential Boom Pick

Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville – Round 1
This was an easy selection because I was very high on Jackson. I had him as my second-rated quarterback for the 2018 NFL Draft due to him being a play-maker who carries his team. Jackson was a one-man army at Louisville and is a tremendously talented player with special arm talent and mobility. Baltimore was an excellent landing spot for him, and Jackson has boom potential for the Ravens.

Of the top quarterbacks in the 2018 NFL Draft, Jackson has the most athletic ability and dual-threat danger to give defenses huge problems. He possesses good arm strength with an ability to make devastating throws. Jackson’s arm is so strong that he can make throws off platform that other quarterback can only make after having set their feet. With just a flick of the wrist, the ball explodes out of Jackson’s hands, and he can beat good coverage with perfect throws that very few quarterbacks can make. Jackson also hangs tough in the pocket while staring down the barrel to deliver passes while under the pass rush. He showed good field vision to work through progressions with pocket presence and patience to let routes develop. Jackson can buy time with his feet, and while many of his highlights were dominated by runs, he has a devastating arm to hurt defenses downfield. He also ran a complicated college offense under Bobby Petrino, displaying full command for the system.

On top of well above-average arm strength, Jackson is an amazing athlete with incredible mobility, speed, and the moves to rip up defenses with his feet. From a skill-set perspective, Jackson is very similar to Michael Vick. Jackson is extremely fast and explodes down the field when he takes off on the run. He can take off when plays break down and is a threat to score from anywhere on the field by just using his feet and his elusive running in the open field. Jackson is a shifty runner who weaves around defenders, using excellent moves to juke would be tacklers. He is a dynamic and electric runner for the NFL.

Jackson has to improve his accuracy and footwork in the NFL, but he landed in a perfect landing spot to develop his skills. Given Joe Flacco returning as Baltimore’s starter, Jackson has the opportunity to develop as a backup. With good coaching, I think Jackson will improve his feet, and that will lead to him being more accurate. If he fixes those issues, he could be an elite quarterback and a huge boom pick for Baltimore.

2017: Marlon Humphrey, CB
2016: Kamalei Correa, LB
2015: Breshad Perriman, WR
2014: Terrence Brooks, S
2013: Matt Elam, S

Future Depth Player

Deshon Elliott, S, Texas – Round 6
According to team data shared with me by sources, the sixth round has more picks not work out for the NFL than any other round in the NFL Draft. Thus, it is a gutsy selection to pick a sixth-rounder to pan out. However, I think Elliott could beat the odds as he is a good football player who only slipped because of speed concerns. For the NFL, Elliott has good size with excellent instincts but lacks speed. He fits as a free safety for the pro game, and some team sources have told me that they had given him a second-day grade.

In pass coverage, Elliott is a special player. He has excellent instincts to jump routes and get in position to make plays on the ball. Elliott keeps plays in front of him, and that led to him making some interceptions on overthrows of receivers in the middle of the field. Elliott has soft hands and is a natural at creating interceptions. He plays the ball well and is helpful at covering big receivers along the sideline. Elliott’s lacking speed, a little tightness, and athleticism could cause him to be limited to being a backup. However, I think he could be a good third safety to rotate into the game and provide some good depth behind Eric Weddle and Tony Jefferson.

2017: Jermaine Eluemanor, G
2016: Tavon Young, CB
2015: Buck Allen, RB
2014: Brent Urban, DE
2013: John Simon, LB

Walt’s 2018 NFL Draft Grades:

25. Hayden Hurst, TE, South Carolina B+ Grade
Good for the Ravens for trading down twice. They wanted a tight end, but it would’ve been insane to take either Hayden Hurst or Dallas Goedert at No. 16. At No. 25, it’s much more reasonable.

The Ravens are filling a big need here with Hurst, and they got good value via the trades. The one concern with Hurst is his age (25), which could mean that he’s already maxed out, but Baltimore should be getting a player who can help Joe Flacco quite a bit.

32. Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville A+ Grade
It’s so weird that the Ravens passed on Lamar Jackson several picks ago, allowing him to slip to the Steelers, who were rumored to like him. That doesn’t exactly show that they have a lot of confidence in him.

And yet, the Ravens traded up for him. It’s strange, but I think it’s an excellent decision. Jackson has a lot to work on – he’s very raw; his mechanics need to be repaired; his accuracy is inconsistent; and his Wonderlic score was super low (13) – but his potential is through the roof. I believe he’ll be a very good starter in the NFL if he gets great coaching, and he should have that in Baltimore.

I love this fit. The Ravens can sit Jackson behind Joe Flacco for a couple of years before he’s ready. There’s also a chance Jackson could play sooner than that, given Flacco’s injury history. Jackson could have easily been chosen at No. 16, so he provides great value at the end of the first round, trade or not. This is an A+ pick.

83. Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma C+ Grade
I feel like everyone on the NFL Network telecast loves this because of ‘Member Berries. Orlando Brown’s late, great father was an amazing blocker for the Ravens. This version of Orlando Brown isn’t nearly as good, or as motivated. Brown had one of the worst workouts of all time at the combine, as it didn’t look like he cared. Brown has physical talent, so I don’t hate this pick, but Baltimore better make sure it motivates this guy, or he won’t be in the NFL very long.

86. Mark Andrews, TE, Oklahoma A- Grade
It’s not a surprise at all that the Ravens doubled up on tight ends. They really wanted to improve the intermediate part of the passing attack, so bringing in Andrews to pair with Hayden Hurst makes a lot of sense. Andrews could’ve gone earlier than this, so I love this value.

118. Anthony Averett, CB, Alabama A- Grade
Man, I’m going to miss Ozzie Newsome, as his picks were very predictable. Anthony Averett could’ve been chosen in the third round – I had him to Baltimore there – so this is a nice value pick, as the Ravens get some much-needed secondary depth.

122. Kenny Young, LB, UCLA B Grade
Kenny Young makes sense in the middle of the fourth round. He had a productive career at UCLA, but didn’t test very well athletically. He might miss some tackles, but he should be able to cover well for the Ravens.

132. Jaleel Scott, WR, New Mexico State B- Grade
The Ravens are swinging for the fences here, as Jaleel Scott has plenty of athletic talent, but has questionable hands and happens to be very raw. I would’ve taken Jaleel Scott a bit later, but the pick makes sense.

162. Jordan Lasley, WR, California C Grade
Jordan Lasley is coming off a great year, but he has some major holes in his game. His route-running isn’t very good, and he drops too many passes. He also has character issues. This doesn’t seem like a very good pick.

Follow @walterfootball for updates.

190. DeShon Elliott, S, Texas B Grade
DeShon Elliott was expected to be drafted earlier than this because he’s a big name. However, this drop isn’t too much of a surprise. Elliott’s coverage skills for the NFL seem pretty dubious. He’ll play well versus the run, but he could be a liability versus the pass. Still, the value here is decent enough to warrant a “B” grade.

212. Greg Senat, OT, Wagner B+ Grade
Greg Senat could have been chosen earlier than the sixth round for sure. He has quality strength and can move around pretty well. The Ravens needed to shore up their offensive line, and Senat should be able to provide quality depth.

215. Bradley Bozeman, C, Alabama A- Grade
One more Crimson Tide player for the road? Why not? Bradley Bozeman is a sound technician who probably should have been taken a round earlier. I like this pick for the Ravens, as they needed to add offensive line depth.

238. Zach Sieler, DE/DT, Ferris State B Grade
Zach Sieler was a late riser after thriving at his pro day. He’s very smart, and he’s a hard worker; he was a 215-pound walk-on several years ago, and he has since bulked up to 6-6, 290, giving him an ideal frame for a five-technique in the NFL.

2018 NFL Draft Team Grade: A- . Follow Walter @walterfootball for updates.

Baltimore Ravens Season Preview