Ravens Trade Back to Select Ohio State CB Shaun Wade with 160th Overall Pick in Draft
The Ravens continued to add depth to the secondary by selecting Ohio State cornerback Shaun Wade, the Big-10 Defensive Back of the Year, with the 160th overall pick.
Baltimore also picked SMU cornerback Brandon Stephens with the 104th selection.
The Ravens had made their first move of the draft by trading the 136th and 210th picks to the Cardinals to grab Wade and a 2022 4th-round pick. It was a surprise that Wade was available at that spot.
"We’ve been through it now 25 years, and good players fall," Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said. "If you just stay patient, you stay true, you don’t panic, you’ll get good players. It just happens. It’s just inherent in all of us. We like different things. We like different foods, different movies. We like different players. And so, you’re going to get some good players if you just stay patient, you do the work, you trust the system, you give everybody a voice – you’ll get good players.”
The Ravens stressed a team never has enough defensive backs and they'll have plenty of depth heading into training camp.
“It doesn’t matter what position I play," Wade said. "At the end of the day, if I have to play inside, I’ll play inside. If they may need me at corner, they need me at corner. If they need me at safety, they need me at safety. I still have versatility and I still can do everything. My No. 1 thing is [to] be healthy, and when I’m healthy, you get the best Shaun Wade.”
Here's a breakdown of Wade:
- Wade, who was voted a team captain last fall, had a lingering turf toe injury. He still managed to record 35 tackles, four pass breakups and two interceptions, including one that he returned for a touchdown in a seven-point win over Indiana, and was named a consensus All-American and the Buckeyes’ first-ever Big Ten defensive back of the year as a result.
- Wade was projected to be a first-round pick going into the season. He put up impressive numbers during his pro day in mid-April, when he reportedly ran a 4.43-second 40-yard dash and posted a 37.5-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot-3 broad jump, the latter of which raised nearly $1,700 for single-parent and underprivileged families through his PledgeIt drive for Warrick Dunn Charities.
- Wade becomes the 10th Ohio State cornerback to hear his name called in the last eight drafts, joining Bradley Roby in 2014; Doran Grant in 2015; Eli Apple in 2016; Marshon Lattimore and Gareon Conley in 2017; Denzel Ward in 2018; Kendall Sheffield in 2019; and Jeff Okudah and Damon Arnette in 2020.
- He’s also the ninth former Buckeye to be selected in this year’s draft, joining new Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields, New Orleans Saints linebacker Pete Werner, Green Bay Packers center Josh Myers, Minnesota Vikings offensive guard Wyatt Davis, San Francisco 49ers running back Trey Sermon, Denver Broncos linebacker Baron Browning, Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Tommy Togiai and Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Luke Farrell.
