Ravens mock draft 2.0: Focusing on the O-line and defensive depth

Baltimore Ravens officials left Indianapolis and the NFL combine this past weekend with a better idea of the strengths and weaknesses of the 2025 draft class and who might be available at pick No.

27 and beyond.

In the coming weeks, theyll also better understand their needs after free agency comes and tapers off.

Advertisement For now, the Ravens may need to replace starting left tackle Ronnie Stanley and left guard Patrick Mekari, who should do well in free agency if they get to the open market.

Baltimore needs more depth at wide receiver, too.

Defensively, the Ravens need an infusion of young talent along the defensive line and in the secondary, both at cornerback and safety.

Inside linebacker could be an underrated need after a season in which first-year starter Trenton Simpson was benched.

For one of the only times in team history, theres a strong possibility that the Ravens will draft a kicker.

The NFL still hasnt divvied out compensatory selections, but Baltimore is expected to get the maximum number of four.

That would leave the team with 11 total draft picks.

Heres what the Ravens could do with them.

Note: The NFL Mock Draft Database was used to gauge where prospects are expected to come off the board.

Round 1, No.

27: Donovan Jackson, G/T, Ohio State With all due respect to Jackson, a plug-and-play guy at a position of significant need, the goal was to get an edge rusher here.

However, its getting harder and harder to find that fit beyond Boston Colleges Donovan Ezeiruaku.

Penn States Abdul Carter and Georgias Jalon Walker and Mykel Williams will likely be long gone before the Ravens are on the clock.

By their performances at last weeks combine, Texas A&Ms Shemar Stewart and Tennessees James Pearce Jr.

will probably be off the board, too.

Marshalls Mike Greens off-the-field history would be a tough sell for Baltimore.

That would leave Ezeiruaku and Texas A&Ms Nic Scourton as the top options, and many pundits have them as second-round picks.

GO DEEPER Why Ravens should use this year's draft to help solidify themselves up front Jackson, meanwhile, would be a safe and sound selection for a Baltimore team that may need to replace Stanley and Mekari, along with reserves Ben Cleveland and Josh Jones.

Jackson has played tackle at a high level, but he profiles as an NFL guard with Pro Bowl potential.

Hes 6-foot-4, 315 pounds and has the athleticism and skill set to succeed in any scheme.

The Ravens havent picked a guard in the first round since Ben Grubbs in 2007.

Given where they are as a team, it makes sense to grab an immediate starter and offensive line upgrade.

Advertisement Round 2, No.

59: Trey Amos, CB, Ole Miss This isnt a great or deep cornerback class.

If the Ravens, who will likely lose starter Brandon Stephens to free agency, want to add an immediate contributor in this draft, theyll have to strike early.

Amos is one of several corners Kentuckys Maxwell Hairston, East Carolinas Shavon Revel Jr.

and Florida States Azareyeh Thomas are among the others expected to be drafted in the second round.

At 6-foot-1, 195 pounds and with 4.43 speed, Amos is an outside cornerback who specializes in press coverage and has the length and speed to disrupt receivers and take away deep completions.

He and 2024 first-round pick Nate Wiggins on the outside with veteran Marlon Humphrey in the slot would make for a very talented and fast Ravens cornerback group.

Round 3, No.

91: Bradyn Swinson, Edge, LSU Day 2 edge rushers havent produced a whole lot for the Ravens in recent years, but Swinson has the measurables (6-foot-4, 255 pounds) and talent to change that.

He broke out in his fifth college season with 8 1/2 sacks, two forced fumbles and 58 tackles.

He followed that up with a strong showing at the combine last week.

The Ravens have a lot of work to do at outside linebacker with Kyle Van Noy, Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo all entering the final year of their contracts.

Swinson, who knows how to use his length and explosiveness, would fit in nicely with that group.

Round 4, No.

128: Billy Bowman Jr., S, Oklahoma A strong case could be made that the Ravens need to address the safety position even earlier in the draft.

If either Malaki Starks (Georgia) or Nick Emmanwori (South Carolina) are available at No.

27, theyd have to consider turning in the card.

The Ravens love three-safety looks, and adding another one they trust would allow them to use Kyle Hamilton closer to the line of scrimmage or in matchup roles.

Advertisement Bowman is undersized at 5-foot-10 and 192 pounds, and his tackling needs work.

But he always finds himself around the football.

He had 11 interceptions and three fumble recoveries over his final three college seasons, and he returned four of those turnovers for touchdowns.

Hes also a versatile player who is comfortable in the slot and solid in coverage.

Baltimore loves having chess pieces in its secondary.

Bowman qualifies as one of those guys.

Round 4, compensatory: Ty Robinson, DL, Nebraska Robinson was one of the standouts at the combine, running the fastest 40-yard dash among interior defensive linemen.

He clocked a 4.83, an eye-popping time for a 6-foot-5, 288-pounder.

He also performed well during the rest of the workout, raising his draft stock.

Robinson is coming off a season where he had seven sacks and 13 tackles for loss.

Ideally, the Ravens wont wait until Day 3 to add to their defensive line.

However, with just one pick in each of the first three rounds, they cant fill all of their biggest holes on Days 1 and 2.

Robinson, who plays with a temperament and relentlessness that the Ravens love, would be a nice get for a team that needs to add some young talent to its defensive front.

GO DEEPER Who will stay, who will go among Ravens' 18 unrestricted free agents? Round 5, compensatory: Jackson Slater, G, Sacramento State Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said last week that the team believes several interior offensive linemen will go in the middle rounds and have a chance to contribute immediately.

Slater, who performed well at the Senior Bowl and the scouting combine, could be one of the guys he has in mind.

Hes 6-foot-3, 311 pounds and plays up to his size, displaying a physicality and nastiness that teams look for.

He might not be ready to start as a rookie, but the Ravens have done a nice job developing young linemen.

Hed be a good player to get into their program.

Advertisement Round 6, No.

185 (from Carolina): Nick Nash, WR, San Jose State The Ravens could draft a wide receiver in any round and it wouldnt be a surprise.

DeCosta vowed to take more swings at the position, and Baltimore has drafted eight receivers over the past six drafts.

The current roster is thin at the position behind Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman.

Nelson Agholor, Tylan Wallace, Deonte Harty and Steven Sims are all free agents.

Nash had a prolific final season at San Jose State, with 104 catches for 1,382 yards and 16 touchdowns.

At 6-foot-2 and 203 pounds, Nashs size would add some diversity to the Baltimore receiving group.

The converted quarterback is adept at hauling in jump balls and making contested catches.

Hed be a nice developmental addition.

Round 6, No.

205: Jarquez Hunter, RB, Auburn This is a highly touted and deep running back class, so the Ravens should be able to find some value on Day 3.

They dont necessarily need a running back with Derrick Henry, Justice Hill, Keaton Mitchell and Rasheen Ali all under contract.

However, its a position they value more than most teams and theyve had issues keeping backs healthy over the years.

Hunter, who is 5-foot-9 and 204 pounds, rushed for 3,371 yards and scored 29 total touchdowns over four college seasons.

Hes a hard runner who gets a ton of yards after contact and earns high marks for his intangibles.

Hes also an experienced special teams player who returned some kicks in college.

Round 6, compensatory: Ryan Fitzgerald, K, Florida State Ravens coach John Harbaugh acknowledged last week that the team is doing its homework on the available kickers.

Baltimore has never drafted a kicker in franchise history, but this could be the year that changes.

Longtime kicker Justin Tucker is the subject of an NFL investigation after 16 massage therapists have come forward over the past six weeks and accused the seven-time Pro Bowler of sexual misconduct during bodywork sessions, according to an investigation by The Baltimore Banner .

Tuckers status with the team is murky, and the Ravens have no choice but to install contingency plans.

Fitzgerald is one of the better kicking prospects available.

He has a big leg and connected on 32 of 34 field goal attempts over the past two seasons.

GO DEEPER NFL mock draft: How far could Shedeur Sanders slide? Will Titans move No.

1 pick? Round 6, compensatory: Ahmed Hassanein, DL, Boise State Hassanein was the prospect who was having a spirited on-field back-and-forth with Ravens pass rush coach Chuck Smith at last weeks combine.

A native of Egypt, he had an extremely productive college career with 22 sacks and 33 tackles for loss over his final two seasons at Boise State.

Hes raw as a pass rusher and limited athletically, but he plays with effort and toughness.

Advertisement While Hassanein profiles more as a 4-3 defensive end, the Ravens love moving guys around and finding mismatches.

Hassanein has shown an ability to get to the quarterback, and Smith is one of the best at teaching pass-rush moves and approaches.

Round 7, No.

245: Nick Martin, ILB, Oklahoma State At this point of the draft, the Ravens are going to be hard-pressed to find a player who will make their roster.

Their best bet is to locate a potential special teams contributor at a position where they have depth questions.

Malik Harrison, Chris Board and Kristian Welch are all pending free agents, so there should be a roster spot or two available at inside linebacker.

Martin missed a chunk of the 2024 season with a knee injury and is undersized at 5-foot-11, 221 pounds.

However, hes only a year removed from a 2023 season in which he had 140 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, six sacks and two interceptions.

He also has the requisite speed and aggressiveness to become a special teams regular.

(Top photo of Donovan Jackson: Adam Cairns / Columbus Dispatch / USA Today via Imagn Images).

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