Ravens Projected to Take USC WR in Latest Mock Draft

The 2025 Baltimore Ravens produced few positives in their attempt to meet mounting championship expectations. They didn't even make the playoffs, stumbling everywhere between the lead they blew late in Week 1 to the shanked kick that sealed their early offseason in the regular season finale.

Ravens brass has managed to spin a few positives out of the disheartening campaign, having already turned the page on the John Harbaugh era in welcoming a new voice to lead the locker room. But if there's one inherent gift that'll stem from this experience of a season, it's the advantageous draft positioning that correlates to their losing record.

They're slated to occupy the 14th position in the 2026 NFL Draft, where they'll have their highest spot in the order in years. And for a team that's been open about how much the draft means to their team-building process, this is something worth looking forward to.

Draft savant Mel Kiper Jr. was ready to go right when the NFL's losing operations kickstarted their early offseasons, having seen all he can out of the since-concluded NCAA season. The Ravens have plenty of holes worth filling, but ESPN's expert went flashy in pairing them with USC wide receiver Makai Lemon in his latest mock draft.

Southern California Trojans Wide Receiver Makai Lemon — Nov 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) celebrates after catching a 32-yard touchdown pass against the UCLA Bruins in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"Lemon is one of my favorite prospects in this class," he gushed. "He attacks the ball in the air, and you can see his competitiveness in the way he plays the game. Like Zay Flowers, he's on the smaller side at 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds. But also like Flowers, he still has inside-outside flexibility. Lemon went for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns this past season, and that kind of production could help get Lamar Jackson back to MVP levels."

How Much do the Ravens Need a WR?

Jackson certainly wouldn't say no to another downfield playmaker, with this past fall exposing just how inconsistent his band of receivers really were.

Flowers may have notched 1,000 aerial yards, but his highlights only barely overshadowed his costly mistakes. Fumbles and drops doomed the offense in numerous tight spots, and his penchant for over-relying on that "inside-outside flexibility" that Kiper mentioned resulted in his consistently preferring to beat defender through a juke rather than trying to run past them upfield.

Aside from Flowers, Jackson had little else to lean on. Rashod Bateman was invisible all throughout what was supposed to be his breakout season, and while DeAndre Hopkins usually came through whenever called upon, the weathered veteran will be another year older. Mark Andrews, too, looked removed from his days as a star tight end, and perceived-heir Isaiah Likely failed to overcome numerous poorly-timed gaffes of his own during his contract year.

Baltimore Ravens Tight End Mark Andrews and Quarterback Lamar Jackson — Dec 1, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews (89) congratulated by quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) after his first quarter touchdown catch against the Philadelphia Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

With that being said, the Ravens' need for playmaking depth isn't nearly as pressing as their nagging trench depth concerns. They lacked the pass-rushers to frighten opposing quarterbacks, and couldn't even protect their own in continually allowing Jackson's pockets to fall under siege.

Interestingly, Kiper predicted that the Detroit Lions will snatch up a guard at the No. 17 pick in the draft, taking Penn State product Olaivavega Ioane just three selections after the Ravens are due up. That position along the offensive line is where Baltimore's at its softest, having to steadily start one of 2025's weakest guard tandems in Daniel Faalele and Andrew Vorhees all throughout the season.

They'll have about three more months to make up their mind on their next move for the first round, let alone the six rounds that'll follow those first 30 picks. But give just how much work they have ahead of them in assessing last season's damage, the squad's evaluators and decision-makers have their work cut out for them.

Make sure you bookmark Baltimore Ravens On SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!