The 2023 NFL Draft begins on Thursday, April 27 as the first round picks are announced. The second and third rounds take place on Friday, and the whole thing wraps up with the fourth through seventh rounds on Saturday. TGH will be taking a quick look at the first few picks for some teams, and shedding some light on what direction they will go. Here is the Baltimore Ravens NFL Draft profile for 2023.
**Note: At time of writing, Lamar Jackson remains unsigned by the Ravens. Given the non-exclusive franchise tag placed on Jackson, another team could sign him, altering their draft. This article will be updated or re-written in that case.**
Baltimore has signed Odell Beckham, Jr., but that alone won’t fill the gap at wide receiver. Rumors are that they might go after Deandre Hopkins, but using a pick on a young, talented (and most importantly healthy) wideout could be game-changing for the team. Guard Ben Powers also left in free agency, maybe necessitating a replacement there. On defense, some pass rushing talent and depth in the backfield wouldn’t go amiss.
Pick #22: Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU
No real surprises here. Johnston is being mocked to go to the Ravens in a whole host of 2023 mock drafts. There are some other first round-worthy wideouts that could fall to them, or maybe fit their scheme better after some deep scouting. But Johnston is a safe bet for a quick mock.
Johnston is not only quick, reaching top speed very quickly, but his route running is also surprisingly polished. His size and length is only complimented by his athleticism. Add all of that together and the Ravens could have someone who could make a case for Offensive Rookie of the Year. His blocking is pretty bad, and there are games where he gets a case of the drops, but all in all, he would be a promising addition to this team.
Pick #86: Jaylon Jones, CB, Texas A&M
This one is a bit tougher. With no second round pick, options are limited here. So, do they pick through the “scraps” of the edge rushers, try and find a diamond in the rough at defensive back or select an undervalued interior offensive lineman? Any of those things are possible.
It’s easiest, then, to go with precedent, which is the Ravens stockpiling athletic corners. Marcus Peters is still a free agent at time of writing, and they may need someone to step up. Jones isn’t going to be as good as Peters right away but he certainly has the build and natural ability to get there.
He’s raw and needs some polish from NFL coaching, but where better to do that then Baltimore? Jones is long, quick enough and is already a surprisingly great tackler when he’s in position to make a play. He just fits Baltimore’s mold.
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