The Baltimore Ravens laid a dud in the playoffs and use this 7-round mock draft to get more picks and beef up the roster around Lamar Jackson.
Almost no one could stop the Baltimore Ravens in the 2019 regular season. After a 2-2 start that got people buzzing behind Lamar Jackson‘s year-two performance, John Harbaugh’s club reeled off 12-straight victories to finish off the year. Their 14-2 record was good enough for the best record in the NFL and, thus, the No. 1 seed in the AFC. And they seemed a likely Super Bowl contender.
Instead, Jackson’s Ravens failed to even make it to the AFC Championship Game. With the starters resting in Week 17 and then getting the Wild Card Round bye, they returned to the field against the Tennessee Titans for a Divisional Round matchup after almost three weeks off. Between Jackson, his pass-catchers and a defense that couldn’t stop Derrick Henry, Baltimore laid an egg in a 28-12 loss.
Now the Ravens are in the 2020 offseason, likely looking at the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers preparing for Super Bowl LIV and thinking that should’ve been them. But the simple truth is that it can be them if they approach the offseason the right way.
It’ll be interesting to see how general manager Eric DeCosta and Baltimore approach free agency and the 2020 NFL Draft as a result. Rush linebacker Matthew Judon, coming off of a career year in 2019, and stalwart cornerback Jimmy Smith are both slated to hit the open market. Given the money they’ll command — Judon, in particular — they could be looking for replacements come the draft.
The Ravens go into the 2020 NFL Draft with enough capital to make their mark, owning their picks in Rounds 1-5 while also having an extra fourth-rounder. Having said that, not having any late-round selections could make trading down from No. 28 into the early second round to get more capital a wise move.
So what can Baltimore do to acquire more draft picks and address the needs for their roster? Let’s try and figure it out in a new 7-round mock draft for the Ravens. (Note: This mock was compiled using The Draft Network Premium and the mock draft machine.)