A Look at the Ravens Overall Grades for 2021 NFL Draft
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens added eight new players in this year's draft with some ready to make an immediate impact and others that will need more development.
Seven of the eight players came from Power 5 schools, including four from the Bigb Ten.
- Round 1: No. 27 – Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota
- Round 1: No 31 – Odafe Oweh, LB, Penn State
- Round 3: No. 94 – Ben Cleveland, G, Georgia
- Round 3: No. 104 – Brandon Stephens, CB, SMU
- Round 4: No. 131 – Tylan Wallace, WR, Oklahoma State
- Round 5: No. 160 (from ARI) – Shaun Wade, CB, Ohio State
- Round 5: No. 171 – Daelin Hayes, DE, Notre Dame
- Round 5: No. 184 – Ben Mason, FB, Michigan
"Most of our players that we really liked this year were Power 5 conference-type of guys, big school guys," Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said. "In general, we just tried to pick good players, guys that could do multiple things, guys that fit us personality-wise. We tried to pick smart, tough and competitive guys. Quite honestly, if we had a choice between two players and they were equal talents, we would always defer to the guy that really lives like a Raven, so to speak. That was something that we used to separate a lot of guys this year.”
Here's a look at their grades from various media outlets
Sports Illustrated
Analysis: Despite Baltimore’s recent track record of success, there have been moments where they may have outsmarted themselves and left certain position groups thin and prone to injury. As disappointing as the Orlando Brown Jr. situation was, Baltimore scored in the third round with mauler Ben Cleveland after knocking off other giant needs with their two first-round picks.
Grade: B+
NFL.com
Analysis: Once again, GM Eric DeCosta and the Ravens made the most of their draft capital. 2019 MVP Lamar Jackson had to be happy to see the team pick Bateman in the first round, and the defense also got a Round 1 boost from the addition of Oweh. The Ravens used the third round to find a pair of future starters in Cleveland and Stephens.
Wallace doesn’t have the elite speed, size or quickness teams want, but he does make tough catches and beat his man downfield. Wade played hurt throughout a disappointing 2020 season but landed with a great organization in the fifth round. Hayes was one of the steals of the draft because of his all-around edge talent, so the Ravens once again found excellent middle-round value at that position.
Grade: Day 1 grade: A — Day 2 grade: A — Day 3 grade: A
Pro Football Focus
Analysis: Rashod Bateman may not be an elite all-around athlete, but he has an incredibly high floor and should have been the fourth wide receiver off the board. His route-running chops and release package are NFL-ready. ... Cleveland is a monster of a human being who mauled everyone in his path in college. The problem is that he didn’t pair that size with production.
If Shaun Wade wouldn’t have returned in 2020 after initially opting out, he would’ve certainly come off the board on Day 2. He was an exceptional slot corner for the Buckeyes in 2019 but struggled mightily on the outside in 2020. The physicality wasn’t there, and his press technique was a mess. Wade proved that he is a safety/slot corner and not the outside corner many thought he would be. In 2019, he made more plays on the ball (eight) than first downs allowed (seven) in the slot en route to a 78.6 PFF grade. He can be a quality defensive back, just not an outside corner. This was good value for Baltimore.
Grade: B+
New York Post
Analysis: First-and fourth-round receivers addressed the major need. Bateman has potential for a Justin Jefferson-like rookie impact. Oweh had no sacks last season, but does anyone doubt he will be a force in Baltimore? Wade was an All-American
Grade: A+
The Ringer
Analysis: The Ravens had a characteristically solid draft on both sides of the ball. Defensively, they brought in one of the most intriguing prospects in this entire class: Oweh posted underwhelming production in college, but he brings elite athletic traits to develop in the pros. I trust the Ravens to coach him up and cultivate his potential.
Offensively, Baltimore did exactly what it needed to do, surrounding Lamar Jackson with some much-needed pass-catching talent. Bateman is a long, athletic, and skilled wideout who could emerge as a true no. 1-type receiver; if he does, that would allow Marquise Brown to shift to a more logical no. 2 role. Grabbing Wallace in the fourth round looks like a great value too, as he adds a big-play, contested-catch specialist to Jackson’s receiving corps. Factor in Cleveland, who looks like the Mountain from Game of Thrones, and I like what Baltimore has done.
Grade: B+
Yahoo Sports
Analysis: The Ravens are so good at this. Same old clockwork efficiency in bargain-shopping steals the NFL passed along to them. Bateman, Oweh and Cleveland were all great values. I talked about Oweh’s fit with Baltimore in particular over the last month -- perfect pairing for a prospect a few Danielle Hunter-like tweaks away from turning into the man himself. Tylan Wallace was highway robbery in R4. Even Shaun Wade, a prospect I lampooned all process, was juice worth the squeeze on a position-change dice roll on athletic traits alone.
Grade: A
