Not All NFL Execs Enamored With Ravens Draft
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — At least two anonymous NFL executive was not overly impressed with the Ravens draft.
The executive told the Athletic's Mike Sando where they could see flaws in Baltimore's selections because they did not totally satisfy areas of need on the roster, particularly with safety Kyle Hamilton Hamilton and center Tyler Linderbaum.
"A lot depends on how you view Linderbaum because it is beauty in the eye of the beholder with him," one executive said. "There is not a great precedent of guys his size being great players in the league. He is very similar size-wise to Garrett Bradbury, who just got his fifth-year option declined. Kyle Hamilton checked every box except for the athletic component."
The Ravens weren't in the market for a safety with newly signed Marcus Williams and Chuck Clark patrolling the secondary. However, they had little choice but to take Kyle Hamilton with the 14th overall pick when he fell to them.
Some pundits claimed that Hamilton was the best overall player in this year's draft.
Linderbaum was valued as the highest-rated center in the draft.
"I'm more bullish on Baltimore, but I can see the skepticism," another team officials told Sando. "While I like a lot of the players they picked, the positions they focused on were kind of weird: strong safety, center, nose tackle, punter, two tight ends. Kyle Hamilton fell and probably for a reason. He is a weird shape, tall and slow. Linderbaum was highly rated, but he's a center. Ojabo, they got a quote-unquote value pick there, but he might not play. Travis Jones, he is a guy that the analytics loved. His measurables were very good. But his tape was not."
