Ravens Upgrade Offense With LSU's Brian Thomas Jr in Latest Mock Draft
After falling short of getting past the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game to make it to the Super Bowl, the Baltimore Ravens are looking to make the roster additions that can put them over the hump.
This could lead them to add another playmaker with their first-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. A year after selecting Boston College's Zay Flowers, ESPN's Jordan Reid projects the Ravens to take LSU receiver Brian Thomas Jr. at No. 30 overall in his latest two-round mock draft.
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"Thomas is at his best on vertical routes, as he ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash and saw 10 of his FBS-leading 17 touchdowns receptions come on go patterns last season," Reid writes. "So at 6-3 and 209 pounds, Thomas could give Lamar Jackson a downfield target to stretch the defense."
The former Tiger stood out at the NFL Scouting Combine, improving his draft stock with a 40-yard dash time that ranked second among receivers and fourth-best overall. While his college teammate Malik Nabers gets a lot of attention, as many project him to be a top-10 pick, Thomas would bring talent of his own to the Ravens offense.
The former Tiger would give the Ravens size and speed on the outside at receiver, which could make him a natural replacement for Odell Beckham Jr., whose future in Baltimore is in doubt as he is set to enter free agency.
After totaling just 720 yards in his first two seasons in Baton Rouge, it was this past year that Thomas Jr. broke out. The 6-foot-3 receiver recorded 1177 yards and 17 touchdowns on 68 receptions while playing alongside another projected first-round receiver in Nabers while having a dual-threat quarterback in Jayden Daniels.
Rounding out the two-round mock, Reid has the Ravens sticking with upgrades offensively; he projects them to select Kansas State offensive guard Cooper Beebe with the No. 62 pick.
"Both starting guards -- Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson -- are set to become free agents," Reid writes. "Beebe fits the profile of typical Ravens interior blockers as a wide-bodied blocker matched perfectly to a gap running scheme."
If neither Zeitler nor Simpson re-sign with the Ravens, then offensive guard would certainly vault to the top of Baltimore's list of needs. With former third-round pick Ben Cleveland still on the roster, the selection of Beebe could give the Ravens their two new starting guards if they fail to bring back Zeitler and Simpson.
