Eric DeCosta And The Ravens CRUSHED Day 2 Of The Draft
*chef's kiss*
EDC you magnificent bastard!
What a night. We came into the night drooling over the proposition of EDC having 4 picks to play with on Day 2. We knew that this is a deep draft and that we were going to walk away with some dudes at the end of the night. If that meant maneuvering some trades to move up and only walking away with 3 guys, so be it. I was gonna be happy.
Never did I expect that we would fall back and take 5 guys. I should have known better. This is what EDC does. We got some talented football players that will make us a better football team from day 1 and for many years to come. The team stuck to the "best player available" mantra and were still able to check a ton of boxes in the process.
I'll be honest, I was a bit shocked by the JK Dobbins pick at 55. Running back didn't seem to be a priority coming into the draft. Mark Ingram may be on the back 9 of his career, but Gus Edwards has proven to be equally as capable and RB's are relatively easy to find. I figured that would be a position we'd address in a year or two when Ingram is at the end of this road. But I was equally as shocked that Dobbins was still on the board at that point. The guy performed in some big time football games in his time at Ohio State. Diced up Michigan for 200+ and 4 TD's so the Harbaugh family knows very well what the guy is capable of. He'll be in the mix immediately in an offense that loves to run the football, and he'll be the guy paired with Lamar for many years to come.
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The trade back with the Patriots was brilliant. Adding another pick on Day 2 was a stroke of genius. The Ravens always love adding beef to the DL in the draft, and that's where they invested the pick they fell back to. Madubuike is more of an interior pass-rushing type of DT who should complement Brandon Williams well and mix in on passing downs as a rookie. B-Will is getting up there in age and his cap number isn't all that friendly, so adding some talent to the DL pipeline was a must. Especially with Michael Pierce signing with Minnesota.
Duvernay is my favorite pick of the night. I saw this guy three times in person (twice against UMD, once against LSU) and the guy is constantly around the football. Guy just plays mean. Says he models his game after Steve Smith, which is music to my ears. They both ran 4.39 40's, they both are considered "undersized" (SSS is 5'9, DD is 5'11), and they are both a menace with the football in their hands. It shows on the tape. Just look at him abuse LSU safety turned Cleveland Brown Grant Delpit in this highlight reel. Get used to seeing it.
Malik Harrison is more investment in that inside linebacker position that proved to be an issue last year. This guy complements Patrick Queen perfectly. More size, loves to get downhill and physical, can rush the passer a bit… this guy will get his nose into the trenches while Queen flies around sideline to sideline.
And lastly, we got ourselves an O-lineman in Tyre Phillips to really tie the night together. It was really the only position area that had me anxious throughout the night, so taking care of that put a nice bow on it. Tyre Phillips is listed as a tackle with an emphasis on run-blocking. Better yet, he projects as a guy who can play inside, which is critical for the Ravens given that they cut swingman James Hurst earlier in the offseason. I imagine he'll compete for the right guard spot and serve as valuable depth for Ronnie Stanley and Orlando Brown. And with Ronnie Stanley's contract situation on the horizon and Laremy Tunsil cashing in for $22M per, it's good to set yourself up with a contingency plan. Plus they call him "Big Country". Intangibles through the roof.
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All in all, a brilliant night for the Ravens. It should be illegal for 14 win teams to have 6 picks in the first 3 rounds. This roster is so stacked and it's only getting younger. The Ravens pick in the 4th, 5th, and 7th round today (143rd, 170th, 225th overall). Having checked off nearly every position of need in this draft, they've got the freedom to really go in any direction here. Would be nice to add a developmental edge rusher, but no need to force it if it's not there. We've gotten guys like Za'Darius Smith, Matt Judon, and Pernell McPhee on Day 3 of the draft. Anything like that would be beautiful. But again, we're playing with house money here. This is already a masterpiece of a draft. Let's have some fun today.
In EDC We Trust.