The 2021 NFL Draft begins on April 29, which means that The Game Haus will be writing draft profiles for every team. Each NFL team will be evaluated heading into this year’s draft, as our staff recaps their last season, highlights their needs and pinpoints their potential 2021 NFL Draft targets.
The Baltimore Ravens are the subject of today’s 2021 NFL Draft profile.
Summary
The Baltimore Raven finished the season at a solid 11-5 record as they finished at second place in the AFC North. In the post season, the Ravens defeated the Tennessee Titans in a close game with a final score being 20-13. This was Jackson’s first career post season win while being the starting quarterback in Baltimore. They would eventually lose to the Buffalo Bills with a final score of 17-3 in the AFC Divisional Championship game.
Ravens star quarterback, Lamar Jackson, had another stellar season as he passed for 2,757 along with 26 passing touchdowns. Jackson had only nine interceptions during the season. Baltimore also had one of the best rushing offenses in the league. Jackson leads the way in the rushing category as he had 1,005 rushing yards on the season. They also had great production from the running backs with Gus Edwards, who ran for 723 yards and rookie running back J.K. Dobbins, who ran for 805 yards.
Their defense had a solid year since they had the eighth best rushing defense, where they only allowed their opponents to rush 4.6 yards per run and 108 rushing allowed a game. The Ravens have a few holes to fill during the off season on offense and defense. This Draft Profile should answer questions about their team needs and who the Ravens should select in the first three rounds of the 2021 draft.
2021 NFL Draft Picks
The Ravens have three picks in the first three rounds of the 2021 NFL Draft.
First round (one pick)Â -No. 27
Second round (one pick)Â -No. 58
Third round (one pick)Â -No. 104
Team Needs
Wide Receiver– The Ravens acquired Sammy Watkins in the offseason. This was a much needed pick-up as the Ravens did not have that consistant x-factor wide receiver. The Ravens will need more help here as they will try to find another receiver to compliment Watkins. They got the most receiving production from  Marquise Brown who had 763 receiving yards on the season and eight touchdowns.
Edge Rusher-The Ravens lost two of their edge rushers from 2020, as Yannick Ngakoue and Matthew Judon have both signed with other teams. They will need find a another solid edge rusher to make up for the losing two solid players.
Safety- Baltimore also needs some depth at safety. Chuck Clark and Deshon Elliot were their primary safeties in 2020, but the rest of their depth after that is not the best. They will need to strengthen this position to take some of the load off Clark and Elliot.
Right Tackle-Â The Ravens made a huge trade with the Chiefs Friday afternoon that sent right tackle Orlando Brown Jr. to Kanas City. The Ravens got multiple picks out of this trade, including a first round draft pick and another third round draft pick. Baltimore now has a hole at right tackle that they can fill early on in the draft if they choose to.
2021 NFL Draft Targets
First Round:
Pick No. 27: Rashod Bateman, WR, Â Minnesota
The Ravens are in need of depth and production at the wide receiver position. Rashod Bateman would be the perfect player to give that production to the Raven offense. Bateman has great hands and concentation to make spectacular catches. Bateman also has speed and excellent route running. Drafting Bateman would provide Baltimore solid depth at wide receiver position with Watkins and Brown.
Bateman had a few great years at Minnesota. The most note worthy season was in 2019. The Gophers receiver compiled 1,219 receiving yards and 11 passing touchdowns. Bateman opted out during the season due to covid concerns. Bateman did play five games before opting out of the season. He racked up 472 yards and two touchdowns, which is impressive in five games. Drafting Bateman in this first round spot would be the wise move for Baltimore
Pick No. 31: Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama
Alex Leatherwood is a big offensive tackles at 6-foot-5 and weighs 311 pounds. Leatherwood uses his arm length and strength to protect the quarterback. The Alabama tackle is also fast for a big guy. He can move off the the line of scrimmage quickly and get into position to make key blocks.
He did play at Alabama as a left tackle, but Leatherwood has enough talent to switch sides and be successful. Leatherwood finished his last year at Alabama as an All American. Leatherwood is projected to go in the 1st or 2nd round of the draft depending on how NFL teams feel about him.
Third Round:
Pick No. 94: Andre Cisco, Safety, Syracuse
Andre Cisco can tackle and he is also great at coming up with interceptions. Cisco had two fantastic years with the Orange. In 2018, he totaled for 65 tackles and five interceptions. He did even better in 2019 as he compiled 60 total tackles and seven interceptions.
Cisco led the league in Interceptions that year. Adding Cisco in Round 3 would certainly strengthen the safety position for the Ravens. He will have the ability to create turnovers for the ravens and provide great pass coverage. Cisco projected to go into the 3rd round, which is a perfect sport for the Raven to take him.
Pick No. 104: Quincy Roche, Edge, Miami
Roche played his last year of college football at the University of Miami. He played at Temple during his first three years of his college career. Roche is an explosive rusher that uses strength and speed to get past the offensive line. In 2019, Roche recorded an impressive 13 sacks during his 2019 campaign with the Owls. Roche was also a beast during his only year at Miami in 2020. He had a total of 45 tackles and 4.5 sacks. Out of those 45 tackles, 14.5 of those were for losses. This would be great value pick if the Ravens did land him in the 3rd round. He would also give the Ravens immediate help at the edge position.
This was the Baltimore Ravens 2021 NFL draft profile.
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