2017 Nfl Mock Draft 7 Rounds Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens were hoping to bounce back in 2016, following an injury-ravaged, forgettable 2015 campaign. It initially looked like that might happen, but he Ravens endured some highs and lows and ultimately choked away their shot at the playoffs by dropping the final two games of the season.
It was supposed to be iconic wide receiver Steve Smith Sr.’s last hurrah, but Baltimore fizzled down the stretch in what ultimately was a disappointing follow-up to a disastrous season. There was improvement across the board, but Joe Flacco was often left to carry the offense all by himself, as the Ravens struggled to consistently run the football and over time showed their age on the defensive side of the ball.
Baltimore still has some pieces that could help prop up a potential title contender. Joe Flacco can still have big games, John Harbaugh certainly knows what he’s doing and aged or not, the Ravens can still defend.
The bad news? Terrance West is currently the best running back the Ravens have to offer, Steve Smith retired and Baltimore is only getting older defensively. Going into the 2017 NFL Draft, Baltimore knows they still can be a Super Bowl threat. They just need to make the right moves to help make it a reality.
Mock 2021 Draft Nfl 7 Rounds
- Swinging big for the first trade in this 7-round 2021 NFL Mock Draft, the Eagles move up to get their guy at quarterback. I based this trade on the Jets’ maneuvering for pick No. 3 in the 2018 NFL Draft, where they inevitably picked Sam Darnold.
- Cleveland Browns: Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M. This pick is now down to two candidates: Myles.
- The 2017 NFL Draft begins on Thursday, April 27, at 8 p.m. ET with only the first round (32 total picks) on opening night. Rounds 2-3 will take place on Friday, April 28, beginning at 7 p.m.
Baltimore Ravens 7-Round 2021 NFL Mock Draft By: Brentley Weissman January 18th, 2021 2021-01-18T06:02:00-06:00 The Draft Network. Photo: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports. Another year, another disappointing playoff loss by the Baltimore Ravens. Back in 2019, the Ravens were upset by the Tennessee Titans in the Divisional Round, a game in which they.
We’ve got some good ideas as to how they can do that. Join us as we mock their six listed draft picks going into this year’s NFL Draft:
Round 1 (Pick 16) – Derek Barnett, OLB, Tennessee
This is where it has to start. No offensive position is pressing enough to get the Ravens to reach in the middle of round one, but with an aging Terrell Suggs and little else on the edge of their 3-4 base defense, Baltimore has to finally blink here.
The Ravens have been getting by for years with aging commodities on the outside, but they just cut loose Elvis Dumervil and Suggs is going to be 35 this years. Suggs remains the face of their pass rush, but how much longer can he hold up? Even if he stays on and remains effective, Baltimore has little behind him and needs to think about the long-term future of their pass rush.
This once proud unit ranked just 24th in the league in sacks last year and they need more chaos to keep this defense from falling off a cliff. Adding someone like Barnett makes complete sense, seeing as he put up big numbers in the sack department and projects well as a 3-4 outside linebacker.
That situation very well could be Baltimore, with the only hiccup being Barnett’s elite production and next level upside having him go sooner in round one.
Round 2 (Pick 47) – Malik McDowell, DE, Michigan State
I really think the Ravens need to attack quality defensive talent early in the draft, as some of these positions will fade faster than people think. There is also a ton of interesting middle to late round talent on the offensive side of the ball, so making some splashes on defense would be advised.
The Ravens could certainly do that with the talented and versatile McDowell, who was once a first round lock and is starting to look more like an early day two pick. It’s no given that the former Spartan will last all the way to the 47th selection in the draft, but he’s the kind of big defensive end the Ravens love.
Baltimore currently has Timmy Jernigan and little else to get excited about, so they certainly could use another able young prospect to come in and compete for a big role.
Raw and inconsistent, McDowell has good size, athleticism and untapped upside. If the Ravens can reach him and help him progress, he provides immediate depth and a stud starter down the road.
Round 3 (Pick 78) – JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, USC
At some point the Ravens will have to shift their focus back to offense, as they do have some question marks there. The biggest is probably at wide receiver, as Smith retired and Mike Wallace is 30 years old. Wallace is fine for another year, but the Ravens let Kamar Aiken leave in free agency and Breshad Perriman has yet to prove he’ll be the answer on one side.
Needless to say, the Ravens might be okay for 2016, but then what? Baltimore needs to think long-term with their passing game and bring in a talented receiver that knows how to get open and attack the ball. Built in the mold of former Raven Anquan Boldin, JuJu is very arguably the best option the Ravens can look at. Smith-Schuster gets knocked for less than elite home run speed, but he’s a fine athlete that put up strong production against tough competition on a regular basis.
Baltimore needs a young receiver like this to help move the chains and there’s a good chance they can get it in round three.
Round 3 (Pick 99) – Antonio Garcia, OT, Troy
This second third round choice is a nice spot for the Ravens to either get a running back, go back to defense or add some nice depth to an ailing offensive line. Baltimore does have nice pieces to their offensive line, but they’ve had issues at guard, tackle and even center.
Considering they could really use two big tackle prospects, this is the direction we’d go here. Garcia has proven to be a very reliable offensive tackle, starting all four years at Troy and displaying sound athleticism, good size and the ability to mirror the best of pass rushers.
The latter could prove to be huge, but Garcia’s size and athleticism should allow for him to be effective on either side of the line. Carrying heavy weight has been an issue and is probably Garcia’s main deterrent, but once he gets in an NFL program it’s unlikely that continues. When the weight comes and stays, Garcia’s strength and consistency should round out. He doesn’t need to be the savior of the line in round three, anyways, and should have a little time to develop.
Round 4 (Pick 122) – Samaje Perine, RB, Oklahoma
Back to the offense we go, as the Ravens do not have a high level running back right now. They need to find a guy who can do all of the heavy lifting mostly on his own and shed one of their ball carriers. Right now they’re stuck in a weird spot where they just have a collection of passable runners but lack a true difference-maker.
Perine won’t be that when it comes to home run speed or explosiveness, but he otherwise fits the bill in every way when you’re looking for a guy to dominate your rushing workload. The Ravens have suggested they don’t necessarily want to get back to being a run-dominant team, but it fits them and it would work a lot better than trying to beat everyone with Flacco and the passing game every game.
Whether that’s the direction they go in or not, the physical Perine should work, as he’s a menace between the tackles, craves contact and can carry a full load. He’s a much more enticing early down option than the guys Baltimore currently has, while the door can still be left open a crack for the likes of Buck Allen and maybe even Danny Woodhead to pick up some scraps and be of good use on passing downs.
Round 5 (Pick 159) – Nate Hairston, CB, Temple
Baltimore could go back to the o-line here, they could try to acquire more picks or maybe even go find a backup for Flacco. They’re running out of high level real estate in round five, but Temple defensive back Nate Hairston could be worth a look.
The Ravens certainly could use some extra depth in the secondary, as they did go out and add Brandon Carr to work opposite of Jimmy Smith, but lack ideal depth at cornerback. Hairston could provide that as the third or fourth guy right away and eventually compete for a bigger role a couple years down the line.
A former wide receiver for three seasons with the Owls, Hairston knows the position well, which allowed him to make a huge leap last year as a corner. He understands angles, timing, anticipation and is already very physical – all traits that are impressive for someone lacking positional experience. Hairston also has a nice size/speed/athleticism blend to help his transition even more.
The beauty here is Hairston’s physicality and build fit the Ravens, but he will be afforded the necessary time to mature into the player he could become. Doing so as a depth piece initially should help mask glaring flaws until he’s ready to take his game to the next level. In round five, he’s a solid gamble worth taking.
Summary
Overall, the Ravens remain in a pretty good spot. Adding a runner and receiver on offense should help round out a steady attack, while the main focus should be high impact defensive talent that can hopefully help right away and stick around as difference-making additions for years to come.
Nabbing the likes of Barnett and McDowell early could do that for Baltimore, while the rest of the draft could be about depth and key pieces that could eventually carve out big roles. This is still a team that really isn’t that far away from their next Super Bowl run. They just need to rebuild their pass rush and hope their offense comes together again to make it happen.
Think these players could be good fits with the Ravens like we do? Think Baltimore should be looking to draft other prospects? Tell us your thoughts on what the Ravens should do in the 2017 NFL Draft in the comments below!
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.The NFL draft is still more than a month away and it is the middle of mock draft season, even though teams are still evaluating prospects. That doesn’t stop the speculation or projections, though.
What will the Arizona Cardinals do in the draft?
NFL.com’s Chad Reuter has a new four-round mock draft and projects the Cardinals start with defense in the first round and then with offensive players with their Day 2 picks.
Arizona, of course, does not have a fourth-round pick, so Reuter’s projections for that round don’t matter for the Cardinals.
Here are the picks for Arizona.
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Round 1: South Carolina CB Jaycee Horn
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Horn continues to be a very popular pick for Arizona at No. 16.
Horn is a physical cornerback who reminds me of Marlon Humphrey when he came out of Alabama in 2017. Humphrey was selected 16th overall by Baltimore in that draft, so it makes sense for the Cardinals to snap up a potential replacement for Patrick Peterson at this slot.
It makes sense. He matches the profile and skill set of a player the Cardinals want at the position. It is one of their greatest needs and his talent matches the draft slot.
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Round 2: Arizona State WR Frank Darby
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The Cardinals need help at receiver and the Sun Devils have had a receiver picked in the first round each of the last two years. Darby was supposed to be the next great one but his 2020 season was derailed by an injury in the season opener and the shortened COVID schedule.
He doesn’t have top-end speed but plays faster than he looks. He is very physical and has strong hands. However, he disappointed in the Senior Bowl with some drops. There is some potential but he isn’t a clear upgrade over who they currently have.
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Round 3: Missouri RB Larry Rountree III
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Rountree found the end zone a lot in college. He had 47 total touchdowns and 42 rushing scores in his last three seasons.
He rushed for over 1,200 yards in 2018 but followed that up with 829 yards and 972 the next two seasons. He is 5-foot-10 and 210 pounds. He isn’t a burner but is plenty fast for his position.
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2017 Nfl Mock Draft 7 Rounds Ravens
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