Baltimore Ravens Should Address These Position Groups in Later Rounds of NFL Draft

Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta and the rest of the Ravens front office are sure to address certain specific groups within the first three rounds of the NFL Draft.

There's no replacing three-time Pro Bowl Tyler Linderbaum, but it wouldn't be a surprise to continue beefing up their offensive line depth. Even after the acquisition of former Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, the Ravens should want to return back to having a relentless unit of pass rushers that swarm quarterbacks on a down-by-down basis.

Increasing depth at outside linebacker wouldn't be a shock to many either.

The Ravens own 11 draft picks. DeCosta could package certain picks or he can receive more depending on where the momentum of the draft takes him. If the amount of picks Baltimore has stays at 11, he'll have ample opportunity to address depth at multiple position groups, even the ones some people may consider less important.

Getting Derrick Henry some help

Derrick Henry turned 32-years-old this past January. He also just finished rushing for 1,595 yards and 16 touchdowns. This is usually an amazing year for the average running back, but three fumbles in the first three games of the season added onto a rough start to the season for Baltimore.

Establishing a one-two punch in the backfield is becoming the norm for all NFL teams. The Seattle Seahawks ran through the league behind the efforts of Zach Charbonnet and new Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker. The Detroit Lions established an identity around Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. The New England Patriots gave defenses bigger problems when they began integrating rookie TreVeyon Henderson into the gameplan more.

As Henry continues to age and as father time eventually proves to us that Derrick Henry actually isn't a robotic football wrecking machine, the Ravens should want to solidify a second running back into the rotation.

The offense can use someone who can reliably and serviceably carry the ball seven to ten times while racking up three to five targets every game. Ravens veteran running back Justice Hill is also coming off of injury and turning 29-years-old this November.

Adding dynamic pass catchers

Tight ends tend to have more durability than the average running back or receiver, but Ravens tight end Mark Andrews has gone through his fair share of injuries throughout his career and he'll turn 31-years-old in September. The loss of tight end Isaiah Likely to the New York Giants is one that won't be seen as devastating, but Likely opened up more of Baltimore's offense in ways that only superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson can fully and properly understand.

Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews along with Rashod Bateman and Devontez Walker is not the ideal unit of pass catchers you want to take into a Super Bowl. The unit as it is does not seem finished and the NFL Draft will be their second opportunity to make a splash at this position group.

The Ravens front office opted not to make major additions at the receiver or tight end position.

Offensive line will be a priority for DeCosta's front office during the draft this April, but having reliable and smart pass catchers who can create separation from defenders with ease can give a quarterback so much more peace of mind. Looking out for pass catchers who aren't afraid to block aggressively on the perimeter should be a priority for Baltimore as well.

The Ravens cornerback situation is foggy

Nine-year veteran corner Marlon Humphrey has a $26 million cap hit for this season. If the Ravens decide to release after June 1, they can save $19 million of that cap hit. There's a sizable incentive for the Ravens to move on from Humphrey after June 1 and drafting multiple replacements for him throughout the draft.

Nate Wiggins hasn't blossomed into an elite top-tier corner just yet and Chidobe Awuzie will always be a tough veteran with experience, but isn't the ideal No. 1 corner. The Ravens could draft a defensive back again if they feel it's going to get them out of the No. 29 spot in passing yards allowed per game. Baltimore has allowed the second-most passing yards per game over the past two seasons, which is very uncharacteristic for the Ravens identity and tradition.

Expect Baltimore to explore their options at cornerback specifically as early as the first round. This is a position group DeCosta can certainly draft more than one of this April.