What The NFL Draft Told Us About Jesse Minter’s Real Plan For The Ravens

The Ravens didn’t drastically change their spots with a rookie head coach in his first NFL draft, compared to what they were doing for nearly two decades with John Harbaugh at the helm of the coaching staff.

They remained a “best-player-available-at-position-of-need” in the top two rounds and while they did lean into size and brawn more, one could argue that was going to come no matter what, even if Harbaugh was fired, given the construct of their roster and recent troubling trends. And the draft itself, and the immediate aftermath (quickly signing versatile defensive lineman Calais Campbell) definitely spoke to some principles and beliefs that the head coach is bought in on as he embarks on his maiden campaign leading an NFL franchise.

Here’s some of what he told us, by not saying a word:

Less Trey Hendrickson Is More

If you were going to draw up a second-round prospect who could maybe put Hendrickson - oft-injured at 31 and coming off a lost season – a little more on a pitch count, this is it (and coupled with the Campbell signing, even moreso). In a pass rush class this spotty, no lower-production college prospect whose calling care was “hopefully pass rush” would displace Hendrickson.

However … a kid was the kind of power and trunk and anchor displayed by Zion Young at Missouri, yeah the Ravens will lean into that. Hendrickson ain’t Maxx Crosby on the run front. “He’s not what you want as an everyday run stopper,” NFL analyst Brian Baldinger told me on “The Daily Flock” this week. Now there are adequate options to deploy first down looks that don’t have Hendrickson on the field. That’s going to be vital for a team in Super Bowl or bust mode.

“It tells me less Hendrickson early, Mike Green is a designated pass rusher in sub packages, Young doesn’t have to play every down,” said one NFL personnel executive very familiar with the Ravens personnel. “That works.”

Oweh 2.0, The LA Version

The Young selection – which came at the expense of getting a potential immediate Isaiah Likely replacement as a top move tight end option (Eli Stowers) – is a throwback to a resume and body type the Ravens have struck out on so many times before going back to general manager Eric DeCosta’s first draft in 2019. Yet Young was the only premium pick they spent on that side of the ball.

Hmm.

Odafe Oweh was their first-round pick in 2021 who failed to register a sack that season and he measured just under 6-5, 257 pounds, 34 ½ arms and total athletic score of 80. Young finally registered sacks last season (6.5) but also doesn’t have natural bend and flexibility like Oweh, and he is 6-5, 262, 33-inch arms and a total athletic score of 72.

Oweh ran into some sacks here and there with the Ravens but didn’t get his fifth-year option picked up, spent a lot of time on the bench late in his stint here and then was traded to Minter’s Chargers defense midseason where he became an instant pass-rush force.

“He looked like a different player in Jesse’s system,” Baldy said.

It will probably take some time, but in grabbing a Week 1 run stuffer over an entire run of potential immediate starting TE and centers, the Ravens were sending a message.

Declan Doyle’s Side Of The Ball Needs More Help

Minter is a proven defensive savant who has had instant success in college and the NFL as a coordinator and he comes from a lineage – Mike Macdonald, now the latest former Ravens DC to become a head coach – that is tried and true.

Doyle, who just turned 30, is a rookie offensive coordinator who has never installed his own offense or even called a play and he comes from a Sean Payton coaching family tree that has produced almost no successive coordinators or play callers. Yeah, I have concerns.

So it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the 14th overall selection – draft terrain the Ravens rarely expect to be selecting in – went to an immediate starter of a bad offensive line and five of the first seven picks went to Doyle’s side of the ball. And they’d best be doing more work on the offensive line.

When you look at blue chip talent, or potential blue chip talent, under the age of 30 (assuming Nnamdi Madubuike truly is back) it’s decidedly on the defensive side of the ball. I’d anticipate them leaning into replenishing the offensive talent in future drafts as well, whether Doyle proves up to the job or somebody else gets the chance a year from now.

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