Ravens Double-Down On Big WR In 4th Round, Despite Major OL Issues

With 11 selections at their disposal in a high-variance draft that is weak on blue chippers, the Ravens could afford some luxuries and to double-down at certain spots.

Time will tell if wide receiver within the first four rounds, of this particular draft, was the position to invest in, especially over, say offensive line. But it also stands to reason that between USC’s Ja’Kobi Lane, in the third round, and Indiana’s Elijah Sarratt in the fourth round, at least one of them will be the big-bodied possession guy for Lamar Jackson to keep the chains moving.

Expecting either of them to win downfield, and beat NFL corners with acceleration or twitch or explosiveness, well … let’s just say Rashod Bateman, as much as I would want this team to build in a way in which he is redundant, ain’t losing sleep about being displaced as a vertical threat.

Could Lane (6-foot-4) and Sarratt (6-foot-2) compliment one another? Sure. Can the Ravens win in the passing game with what, at this moment in time looks like a potentially awful offensive line and with Mark Andrews as the alleged move tight end? Um, I wouldn’t bet on it.

But we don’t know what a Declan Doyle offensive is going to look like yet, because, Doyle, who just turned 30 and has never called a play in his life, doesn’t know how things are going to go each Sunday yet. Living in three-wide sets has been a problem for Ravens teams in the past, but perhaps that's what the future holds.

Size Matters, Again!

Obviously, size matters and this roster got too small too fast. But to say Sarratt and Lane are total duplicates would be unfair.

Lane is more acrobatic and better off his feet in 50/50 jump ball situations. He is not as stout or strong as Sarratt, scouts tell me, and also isn’t going to win in high-traffic areas like Sarratt.

“We like Sarratt a lot,” one longtime evaluator told me. “This kid will fight for the football. He wants it. You’re going to have a hard time pushing him around. Will try to block his ass off.”

Sarratt definitely has the “Play Like A Raven” mindset rookie head coach Jesse Minter is keeping alive. While he and Lane aren’t close to being burners, but both have a cerebral element to their game. Will one of them, at least, break through and become a thing - we should certainly hope so.

I’d contend it’s far more important the Ravens took as many swings within the first 120 picks on the OL as possible, given their lack of depth at tackle and Ronnie Stanley’s injury history and their lack of a starting-caliber center and some issues at guard beyond first-rounder Vega Ioane. Even if they used all four of their fifth-round picks on offensive linemen at this point – and maybe they should! – they still might be in trouble, because the position has been torn through starting with nine of them going between picks 9-28 (!!). Yet another run began before the Ravens took Sarratt, and did we mention this entire draft class looked suspect to many evaluators, including Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta himself?

Accomplished coordinator Todd Monken couldn't overcome a brutal OL a year ago (and it didn't prevent him become the Browns head coach). Thinking Doyle could do it is flat out silly.

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