27. Baltimore Ravens: Kwity Paye, EDGE, Michigan
This offseason, the Baltimore Ravens lost Matt Judon, who signed with the New England Patriots. It wasn’t surprising at all to see Baltimore let Judon walk, as they have shown in recent years that they don’t mind letting someone else overpay the veterans while they replace them with younger talent.
That’s what happened when C.J. Mosley went to the New York Jets and then one year later, the Ravens added Patrick Queen in the draft. They also allowed Judon to take over as the primary pass rusher when Za’Darius Smith left for the Green Bay Packers a couple of seasons ago. Now, with Judon on his way out, they decide to use their first-round pick on Kwity Paye from Michigan.
Listed at 6-foot-4 and 272-pounds, Paye started to break out in 2019 with 50 tackles (12.5 for a loss) and 6.5 sacks. A shortened season in 2020 only allowed him to play four games and he had 16 tackles (four for a loss) and two sacks in that time. He’s solid off the edge but still needs to refine some of his game.
He also played with his hand in the dirt which would be a transition for Baltimore who would want him in a stand-up role as a pass-rushing outside linebacker. He should be able to succeed in this role, even if it takes time to get him used to the change.