Ravens, Other Top Contenders Biggest Winners From 2024 Combine
The 2024 Rookie Draft Class has made headways as one of the most complete and talented in recent memory.
It's hard to argue that notion after the weekend each position group went through.
Whether it was resetting the thought of how fast a receiver should run, how athletic offensive linemen should move, or how athletic other roles are, the 204 Draft Class showed out in Indianapolis for the Scouting Combine.
That has left one common theme from the weekend that should make contenders like the Baltimore Ravens very happy.
With a Draft so deep with talent, analysts like Daniel Jeremiah and others have announced that several teams believe there will be a surplus of starting caliber players as late as the third round of April's Draft this year.
Need some dominant offensive linemen? This class has it.
Need a dynamic wide receiver? This class has it.
What about a tough, athletic defensive specimen? You better believe this class has it.
That's why contenders around the league should be very pleased with their current positions. For a team like the Ravens, they have seven picks this year, and only three in the top 100. Each of their first three rounds is their draft selection - which means Baltimore will be picking later in the rounds.
Any other year it would be difficult for Baltimore to find plug-and-play performers in the second or third round with where as late as they are in the Draft process. The Ravens have made it a thing to find those young prospects and allow them to grow into stud performers.
That won't be necessary, though in 2024.
Jeremiah and other analysts have said that as many as eight offensive tackles could go in the first round of the NFL Draft, and around the same number of wide receivers could do so as well. With those kinds of players taken (and at least four quarterbacks going in the top 10), Baltimore will be set up nicely to add a dynamic player to the roster whether it be on the offensive line or defensive line.
The Ravens shouldn't worry, either, when it comes to the later picks. The offensive line class is among the best in memory and could see plenty of interior players fall to the late second round like UCONN's Christian Haynes.
Or how about a defensive end and linebacker class that are all athletic, but could fall into the trap of not being as dynamic as some of the other top picks?
The NFL is a league based on allowing bad teams to improve themselves and good teams to struggle to stay good. This current Draft class will be the rare group that not only helps rebuilding teams but might set some teams further along in their contending path.
The Ravens are one of those contending teams that could help themselves in major ways this draft cycle.
