Prior to the NFL draft, DeCosta traded tight end Hayden Hurst and a 4th round pick to the Atlanta Falcons in return for a 2nd round pick and a 5th round pick in the 2020 draft. The Ravens selected Ohio State RB JK Dobbins to add explosiveness and have a potential superstar running back long term. This left the Ravens with just two tight ends, Mark Andrews and Nick Boyle. The Ravens also looked to improve in the receiving core, with potential breakouts from Marquise Brown, Willie Snead and Miles Boykin; and through the addition of Devin Duvernay as a run after catch slot presence. It was evident that heading into the season, that the Ravens, who used more tight ends than anyone in the league, planned to shit to a more traditional set of personnel with more receivers in 2020.

3 Ravens tight ends saw over 40% of snaps in 2019, which was the same amount of receivers that did. Marquise Brown and Miles Boykin are seeing significantly more snaps per game, and the Ravens lost a big role in the TE group with the Hayden Hurst departure. Tight end usage in the offense decreased from 13.84% to 20.64%, while receiver usage jumped from 19.73% to 20.64%. Another thing to note is that defenses are giving much more attention towards Mark Andrews in order to decrease his effectiveness, and without Hayden Hurst, the Ravens lack some of the vertical explosiveness that they got from the tight end position in 2019. To adjust, the Ravens have begun to lean on the receivers more. Marquise Brown is emerging as one of the leagues best deep threats, and keeps defenses honest with his threat to score on every play. Willie Snead and Miles Boykin are starting to receive very little attention, and as a result have been able to be schemed open in Greg Romans new offense and have contributed to the evolution of the passing game, which requires Lamar Jackson to sit in the pocket and go through progressions more and get the ball out of his hands quickly on blitzes. The Ravens have also managed to get Devin Duvernay involved a little bit as a threat on screen passes and as another headache for defenses to worry about. Roman said that Duvernay has earned more reps in games and I expect his role to only grow in this offense.

There are still many elements from the pistol read option offense that was so dominant in 2019, and even if there is a counter for it that teams are implementing, Lamar Jackson’s elusiveness still makes it incredibly dangerous. But now with Lamar Jacksons growth as a pure quarterback from the pocket, and the Ravens increased usage in wide receivers and advanced passing concepts, the Ravens offense looks to be as scary as ever in 2020.

Marquise Brown, WR Marquise “Hollywood” Brown has already stepped up and begun to emerge as the Ravens WR1 for Lamar Jackson. Hollywood leads the Ravens in receiving yards through week 2 with 143. Coming off a somewhat successful rookie season, going for 584 yards and 7 touchdowns, Hollywood is looking to make a big leap and get into the conversation as one of the leagues best receivers. In 2019, he played all season with screws in his foot which affected his ability to play at top speed and run routes off of that foot. This year, Marquise looks to play at full speed, even after putting on 20 pounds to bulk up to around 180 pounds. Trough the first two weeks, Hollywood looks like he is poised for a big season, and I’ve been advocating for a breakout throughout the entire off season. I wouldn’t be surprised if Hollywood emerges as a top 20 receiver and one of the leagues best deep threat after the 2020 season is done.

Tyus Bowser, Edge Since the departure of Terell Suggs and Za’darius Smith, the Ravens have been in search of productive edge rushers. Matthew Judon has emerged as a fan favorite and the Ravens best edge rushers, however he has not been as productive as the numbers would suggest. Judon recorded 10 sacks and over 60 pressures, however 56% of his pressures were cleanups or unblocked, which means he generated about 30 pressures on his own, which is not the production you want out of your best edge rusher. Tyus Bowser, contrary to the many of the Ravens power rushers, offers speed off the edge and also the athleticism to be effective in coverage. With Bowser continuing to inprove his pass rush arsenal, he’s been the Ravens best edge rusher so far in 2020, with Judon struggling, and looks to make his case for a pay day as his contract is up after this season.

Jaylon Ferguson, Edge Another edge rusher looking to take a step up in 2020 is Jaylon Ferguson. Ferguson was selected late in the 3rd round by the Ravens in 2019 out of Louisiana Tech, where he broke the record for the most sacks in FBS history, previously owned by Terell Suggs. While you like the production he showed, scouts criticized his lack of burst, bend and athleticism off the edge, which caused him to slip towards the end of the 3rd round. In his rookie year, Ferguson saw little playing time at the beginning of the year, but saw his workload increase as the season went on as a rotational rusher. In year two, similar to Bowser, is looking to become a productive pass rusher for the Ravens.

Chuck Clark, Safety Chuck Clark received a 3 year extension during the offseason to start at safety for the Ravens alongside Earl Thomas. Ironically enough, an altercation between Thomas and Clark prompted the Ravens to release Thomas, slating Chuck Clark to be the Ravens #1 safety. Clark is very well respected within the Ravens organization for being an extremely smart player in the secondary that communicates very well and puts himself in a good position to make plays for the Ravens defense. Clark receives the playcalls on defense and looks for the first time to have an established starting role going into the season. In a season where continuity matters, Chuck Clark’s football intelligence and ability to make sure the defense knows what they’re doing, Chuck Clark could emerge as a very quality safety in 2020.

Deshon Elliott, Safety With Earl Thomas gone, a hole opened up in the Ravens secondary at free safety. There was some uncertainty around who would start. Possible options included Iman Marshall, Tavon Young and Jimmy Smith, but with Marshall and Young missing the season, Deshon Elliott is the Ravens guy at safety. Though he lacks great athleticism and range, Elliott is a hard hitter who made a lot of plays at Texas in his college years. Even though he’s missed much of his first 2 seasons due to injury, Elliott has managed to stick around and impress coaches enough to stay on the team, and is trusted enough to be slated in as the teams starter at safety.

Thomas signed with the Ravens on a 4 year 55 million dollar contract last offseason and was one of the leagues highest priority free agents. Thomas said that he was ready to sign with the Kansas City Chiefs before receiving a last minute offer by the Baltimore Ravens, in which he accepted. The Ravens have been known as for a while, one of the best cultures and defensive development organizations in the league, and were more than happy to welcome in Earl Thomas, who has unarguably been the best safety in the NFL since Ed Reed. With an emerging star corner in Marlon Humphrey, a fellow first team all pro on the opposite side with Marcus Peters, and a young smart heady player in Chuck Clark, the Ravens looked to have potentially the best secondary in the NFL going into the 2020 NFL season.

Thomas played a big role in Seattle during the times of the legion of boom, the center field free safety looking to eliminate all big plays deep down the field. He was excellent, earning 3 all pro selections and PFFs highest coverage grade as a safety during his time in Seattle. The original contract looked like a bargain for what Earl would bring to the table for the Ravens, giving them more flexibility then they had previously with Eric Weddle, even coming off a major leg injury that caused him to miss most of the 2018 season. Many analysts praised Ravens GM Eric Decosta for the move, which was one of his first moves ever after taking over Ozzie Newsome.

The 2019 season certainly didn’t look like the contract hurt the Ravens. As we all know the Ravens went 14-2, and bolstered one of the leagues best defenses in the league, helped greatly by Earl, who earned his 7th pro bowl selection. Earl stepped into a completely different system from what he played in with the Seattle cover 3, moving to more of a box safety who helped in run support and manned up on tight ends and running backs. He in fact, notched his first sack in his entire career this season, getting to Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Also, though I don’t like looking at coverage box score stats, Earl put up incredible numbers, allowing a 4.4 passer rating, 6 receptions, 81 yards and 0 touchdowns when targeted as the nearest defender according to next gen stats. While those numbers look very impressive, Earls play wasn’t quite at the top tier level it once was back in Seattle. His PFF grade was 76.7 this past season, which isn’t bad, as it only slightly trails Minkah Fitzpatrick, who has emerged as one of the leagues best safeties according to many fans. However, it is a step down from his previous years which usually graded out in the 90’s, which is understandable coming off of a major leg injury and coming into a completely different system.

There seemed to be no issue with Thomas going into 2020, until a hiccup in early May. TMZ leaked a story of Earl Thomas allegedly cheating on his wife with another woman with his brother, where he was later confronted and held at gun point by his wife. Earl did not intend for this story to be leaked, but it did, and that’s when rumors of him being cut began. After the story was released, there were rumors swirling around that the Ravens were unhappy with Thomas’ inability to learn and thrive in the Raven’s system and that the coaching staff was unhappy with him. However, this all seemed to blow over within the next couple of months and all parties seemed to move on from the story and the rumors were never confirmed.

Training camp then begun in August, in a weird covid-affected season. Defensive coordinator spoke to reporters about Earl Thomas, saying that he will be playing in 2020 closer to full speed after more recovery time from his leg injury. However this camp was a nightmare for Thomas and pretty much anything that could go wrong, did go wrong. Thomas reportedly was late to meetings, and one time missed a meeting entirely without a valid excuse, which was the need to get his car washed. John Harbaugh and the Ravens coaching staff, who wants to establish a strong culture, was unhappy with Earl and frustrated with his behavior throughout camp. The tipping point was in a 11 on 11 practice, when Thomas blew a coverage, allowing a touchdown, which followed with Chuck Clark slamming his helmet on the ground and confronting Thomas, which then escalated into a fight with Thomas punching Clark. After this, the Ravens leadership council decided that they would rather not have Thomas on the team, which led to the Ravens sending home Thomas from camp the previous day. After a day had passed, the Ravens decided that they were going to move on from Thomas, and will now begin a battle for the money that is owed to Thomas and weather or not they are able to void the contract due to language involving personal conduct that has adversely affected the team.

The Ravens now have a hole at the free safety position. 6th round 2018 draft pick Deshon Elliott is slated to start at free safety, and likely take rotations with Chuck Clark and 7th round rookie Geno Stone. Elliott missed 2018 and most of 2019 with significant injuries, but the coaches and many fans have hope that he will have a breakout season in 2020. There was unfortunate news that Iman Marshall will miss the 2020 season with season ending surgery, who could’ve moved to safety and is the most athletic option. All of the Ravens current options, all have athletic limitations and could be exposed in the back end due to a lack of range. The Ravens could also experiment with corners Tavon Young and Jimmy Smith in the back end who add more athleticism, but the Ravens system doesn’t entirely demand the position to have a ton of range. Whichever way the Ravens go, Wink Martindale, John Harbaugh and the rest of the staff will make sure to put them in the best position to succeed, and the Ravens still look to boast one of the leagues best defenses, despite the loss of Thomas.

Marquise “Hollywood” Brown: Hollywood is a popular breakout candidate among many and for good reason, but I’m more confident that he actually will. He’s created a lot of buzz with the offseason workouts he’s been posting on social media and has been putting in a crazy amount of work. He’s also bulked up to 180 pounds after previously coming into the league at 160. Another reason to believe he is going to breakout is the fact that he is going to be 100% healthy after playing with multiple screws in his foot which limited his speed and explosiveness. While already showing that he is a capable deep threat while playing on a serious injury, he should be even more dangerous this season as one of the most explosive players in the league with the Ravens passing game expanding.

Chuck Clark: After Tony Jefferson suffered a torn ACL against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Clark was thrown into the starting strong safety role next to Earl Thomas. Clark was steady, and was even more than just a band aid while also assuming the defensive play calling role. The former 6th round pick out of Virginia Tech will go into the season as the starting strong safety after receiving a 3 year extension this offseason, while still going under the radar of many NFL fans. I predict we see Clark show an improvement and look very comfortable in Wink Martindale’s defense as a versatile player that will play one high center field and as a sub package linebacker. Clark is one of the smartest players on the Ravens defense, and looks to have everyone where they’re supposed to be while making plays.

Tyus Bowser It’s almost becoming a meme at this point with Ravens edge rushers breaking out in their contract years. Pernell Mcphee, Za’darius Smith and Matthew Judon all had career seasons in years where their contracts expired, and went on to get paid good money the next year. This year is Tyus Bowser’s final year until his rookie contract expires, and has yet to break out after being a second round pick in 2017. He’s shown flashes here and there as an athletic versatile edge rusher but has to prove this year that he can be a legitimate starting caliber edge rusher. Theres a good opportunity to get playing time at the edge spot opposite of Matthew Judon, and if Bowser can develop his explosiveness off the edge, there’s no reason he can’t win it and break out as a very good edge rusher.

Jaylon Ferguson: If Bowser isn’t the one to break out, I think Ferguson is. Ferguson is also battling with Bowser and Pernell Mcphee for that #2 edge on the Ravens. Ferguson is a very different player from Bowser, in fact he has the complete opposite skill set. Ferguson lacks burst and bend off the edge, but is a powerful rusher with heavy hands that gets good pocket push. He showed consistent improvement all season throughout his rookie season and consistently saw more playing time with it. There’s a decent chance that he is called upon into a bigger role this year, and with Martindale scheming up pressure, I think there’s a chance we could see a Ferguson breakout in year 2.

Tavon Young: Tavon Young’s career has been hit hard by injuries up to this point. Young suffered a neck injury in the 2019 preseason that would sideline him for the entire season. However, he will be back in 2020, with Harbaugh saying “What I was told yesterday is that Tavon will be back for the first day of the offseason program and he’ll be rolling,” Young received a 3 year 25 million dollar extension last offseason, making him one of the highest paid slot corners in the league after a successful 2018 season. With great talent around him in the Ravens secondary with players like Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters and Earl Thomas, I expect Tavon to have a breakout year. Humphrey was asked to play a lot of slot corner last season to match up with certain receivers like Tyler Lockett who operates well from the slot, but Tavons quickness is more well suited for that role, while Humphrey will be able to use his length and physicality better on the outside. I believe Young will be a very good playmaker and have a great season as one of the top slot corners in the NFL in 2020.

Lamar Jackson struggled heavily against the Chargers, who he previously beat 2 weeks earlier. He missed throws, couldn’t get much going on the ground with the Chargers deploying 7 defensive backs, as the Ravens were completely shut down offensively. Fans started booing Jackson and asked for Flacco, who had shown tons of playoff success during his time in Baltimore, but the Ravens stuck with Lamar.

When the off season hit, the Ravens unsurprisingly traded Flacco, committing to Lamar as the franchise quarterback. Analysts and fans around the world disagreed with the move and criticized Lamar and the Ravens front office all off season for the decision. Many brought up the fact that Lamar was a historically inaccurate passer his rookie season, which very rarely improves over time, while also acknowledging the fact that there was a counter for the offense and that the Chargers exploited it. Everyone had agreed that Lamar was the worst starting quarterback heading into the 2019 season or close to it, focusing on what he didn’t do well instead of what he could do in the future, and that’s where everyone went wrong.

Jackson went to work during the off season. He put on weight, improved his trowing mechanics and weaknesses in his base causing accuracy issues, and studying football to become more advanced mentally. He didn’t pay much attention to the doubters, but when he did he used it as fuel to prove them wrong. When the team got together during offseason camp, he stood out as coaches kept talking about. His mechanics improved and he looked like a much better quarterback heading into the next season. He played pretty well during the preseason but didn’t blow anyone out the water, as the Ravens ran a simplified offense to get his feet wet. It wasn’t until the first week that we were going to see the new Lamar Jackson.

September 8th 2019, the Ravens open up their season in Miami against the Dolphins. No one really knew what to expect from the new look Ravens offense under newly hired offensive coordinator Greg Roman. Lamar exploded, completing 17 out of 20 passes for 324 yards and 5 touchdowns, while blowing out the Dolphins 59-10. This got many people talking as it shocked NFL fans around the league. People began to question weather or not he had improved, but we needed to see it more against better opponents. Baltimore dropped 2 straight against Kansas City and Cleveland and sat at 2-2 going into week 5 against Pittsburgh, where the Ravens won in overtime, but with Lamar throwing 3 picks and having maybe his worst game of the season up to that point. It seemed like Lamar was better than everyone expected but not quite an elite quarterback.

The Ravens would face off against the Seahawks, against the MVP front runner at the time, Russell Wilson. Thats when Lamar really caught peoples attention, winning 30-16, and improving to 6-2 on the season. He would build off that with a 37-20 victory against the undefeated Patriots in prime time. He started to run away with the MVP against the Rams in week 12, in a 15/20 5 td game on Monday Night Football. Lamar would continue his dominance over the rest of the season, walking away winning the MVP award unanimously at 22 years old.

The Ravens sat at 14-2 heading into the divisional round of the playoffs against the 9-7 underdog Tennessee Titans. The Ravens went on to lose the game, and Lamar didn’t have his typical MVP performance as the Ravens fell in their first playoff game for the second consecutive season 28-12. Later, Lamar would admit that they underestimated the Titans. Lamar began to receive criticism again for not being able to deliver in the playoffs, as people continued to question his ability as a drop back passer despite leading the league in passing touchdowns from the pocket.

Lamar Jackson in year 2 took the league by storm, not only because of his incredible rushing ability but because of his understanding of the game and ability to process defenses. At 23 years old, Lamar is way ahead of the curve in football IQ, as many young qbs take many years to develop the understanding that Lamar currently has. He’s proven to have incredible work ethic, and has already been working out with teammates, doing extensive work wit Hollywood Brown, who figures to be Lamar’s main target at wide receiver. Lamar may never be the most accurate passer, but if he continues to get better with pre snap processing, continues to take care of the football, and uses his athleticism the way he does, there’s no reason not to expect him to be an elite quarterback, and a huge problem for the rest of the NFL.

Heading into the 2019 NFL draft, Brown wasn’t considered a first round lock and wasn’t considered to be the best receiver by many. The Ravens asked quarterback Lamar Jackson who he wanted as his #1 receiver, to which he replied either Marquise Brown or Jerry Jeudy. The Ravens on the clock at pick 25, with no receivers yet to be taken, took Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, adding to at the time a very thin group of receivers in Baltimore. Looking at receivers that weigh what Hollywood does that have been succesful in the NFL, the list is very short, if existent at all. “I give respect to all the guys who came before, but I don’t think there’s ever been anyone like me,” Brown said, via Tyler Dunne of Bleacher Report. “Nobody’s played like me at that size. Because I’m a receiver. They look at the small guys and think I’m just a gadget player. No, I’m a receiver. I can run every route. I know every defense. Guys get to the league, and they want to uphold this image that their way is the best way. I don’t think like that.” Brown after a somewhat succesful rookie season, looks to build upon it and become a unique type of receiver that is not only an elite deep threat but a guy that can threaten defenses after the catch on screens and being an intermediate target. “I’m going to make a statement this year,” he says. “A big statement.”

Brown was diagnosed with a lisfranc injury late in his final college season, and remained a concern and limitation for him throughout his rookie season. The injury is known as potentially career ending, but Hollywood wouldn’t let that stop him. He wouldn’t even let it stop him from having a impressive rookie season, which he played with screws in his foot that hampered him all throughout the year, including in the divisional round playoff game against the Tennessee Titans where he posted 7 receptions for 126 yards anfd 6 first down, along with an incredible over the shoulder one handed catch in traffic. This offseason, Brown got the screws removed, saying “I feel like I have a new foot.” Getting closer to 100% in his sophomore season should propell him into being one of the leagues most explosive receivers with true 4.2 speed. Brown continues to work out in the offseason with Lamar Jackson and with @the_footdoctor on ig, to build more strength, and set a goal to get his weight up to 170 pounds. Last year Brown says, “I was trying to run on my toe, but since I didn’t have the power there, it just shifted.” This year he won’t have that limiting him and it should allow him to breakout.

In a league where receivers like Tyreek Hill, Desean Jackson, Amari Cooper and Will Fuller are starting to find more success and become more valuable, Brown looks to become another premiere deep threat in the NFL. When you turn on the tape, the explosiveness jumps out as well as his change of direction, ball tracking skills down the field and he scares you whenever he has the ball in his hands with the chance to score. With Lamar Jackson coming off an MVP season, Brown looks to be the best receiver at his disposal, and with his great talent and skillset, I see no reason why he won’t become one of the leagues top deep threat and develop into a great all around receiver. The future is bright in Baltimore with the most dynamic athlete at quarterback the league has possibly ever seen, and Brown who just might be one of the most dynamic receivers in the entire league.

As a reminder, all trades made on draft night within the top ten selections will still be included. The 2012 was loaded with quality quarterbacks, while also fielding some of today’s NFL defensive superstars.

This was extremely difficult, as the amount of defensive talent in this draft is incomparable to any other, so here are a few honorable mentions to this draft list just to show you how deep this draft went: Fletcher Cox, Josh Norman, Dont’a Hightower, Melvin Ingram, Whitney Mercilus, and Janoris Jenkins.

That is right, all those top-tier defensive players did not make the top ten. That just shows how stacked this class was.

The 2012 NFL Re-Draft is open, and the Colts are on the clock.

1: Indianapolis Colts: Russell Wilson, QB

Easily the top quarterback in this class. I like the original pick with Andrew Luck, but Luck’s retirement pushes Wilson to the top slot. Unlike in Seattle, Wilson will be able to have a strong run game, and have protection, thus making him more dominant than ever.

2: Washington Redskins: Luke Keuchly, LB

While they originally went with RGIII, I believe they should have gone elsewhere. While Luke Keuchly might have retired this offseason, he is still the best defensive player in this class. The Redskins defense has been lacking for many years now, but this all changes when they get Keuchly.

3: Cleveland Browns: Bobby Wagner, LB

Bobby Wagner might have the closest skillset to Keuchly not just in this class, but in the NFL as a whole. Wagner is a tackle machine, and this pick would be a complete reversal in impact on the team compared to Trent Richardson. Wagner would become a fan-favorite in Cleveland, and potentially even lead them to success.

4: Minnesota Vikings: David Decastro, OG

The Vikings went offensive line in the original draft, so I decided to stick with the same position despite there being better talent still left on the board. DeCastro is a great lineman who was rock-solid guarding Big Ben. Kirk Cousins will be lucky to have a strong line revolving around this guy.

5: Jacksonville Jaguars: T.Y. Hilton, WR

They went with J. Blackmon with the original pick. I like keeping the picks in the same position, so the Jaguars in this redraft will select the top wide receiver from this class T.Y. Hilton. If only he had a good quarterback to throw to him.

6: Dallas Cowboys: Stephon Gilmore, CB

Gilmore is easily the top cornerback in this class, and is potentially the best cornerback in the league. Gilmore solidifies the Cowboys’ secondary, which would be a better pick than Morris Claiborne.

7: Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Harrison Smith, SS

The hard hitting safety is just what the Buccaneers need. Smith has dominated the competition, and his power is no match to anyone else. Smith could have been the next Ronde Barber, but instead, he is dominating on the Vikings.

8: Miami Dolphins: Chandler Jones, DE

The Dolphins get a great pass rusher in Chandler Jones. In Arizona, he and Patrick Peterson were able to lead a very solid defensive unit. The Dolphins have many holes, but they cover a big one with Jones.

9: Carolina Panthers: Lavonte David, LB

With Keuchley off the board in this redraft, the Panthers need to take the next best available linebacker. David may not be Luke Keuchly, but David’s versatility and IQ make him worthy of being selected at the ninth slot.

10: Buffalo Bills: Casey Heyward, CB

The Bills originally went with Gilmore here, so they now need to find a different cornerback to select. While Josh Norman and Janoris Jenkins are great players, I believe that Casey Heyward would fit in well in Buffalo.

Round 1 pick 28, Patrick Queen: A+

Going into the offseason, the Ravens clearly needed to upgrade at linebacker. After incredibly poor play from Patrick Onwuasor and Chris Board, the Ravens brought in band aids in midseason free agency with Josh Bynes and LJ Fort. The Ravens didn’t do much to address the position in free agency, but in the 1st round, they stay put and snag my 3rd ranked linebacker and 24th player on my big board. Queen offers coverage flexibility on the second level that the Ravens haven’t had since Ray Lewis. Queen brings extremely fluid athleticism and play processing, as well as being able to matchup with “mismatch” players such as Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle, making him a perfect fit in the Modern NFL. Queens biggest weakness is his experience, as he’s not seen a ton of playing time behind some great linebackers at LSU, however there might not be a better place to develop and learn than in Baltimore.

Round 2 pick 55, JK Dobbins: A

The state of runningbacks in the NFL is very interesting in the modern NFL. Teams have been leaning away from investing high capital in running backs, as analytics have shown that they aren’t valuable, and I tend to agree with that. However, the Ravens scheme might just be an exception to that. The Ravens run the ball more than anyone in football, and often times, running backs have gained 5 yards before they are contacted downfield, making the yardage they pick up after that, what they are able to do in space, and weather or not they are able to break away and take it for a big gain matters more in the read option Lamar Jackson led offense. Adding JK Dobbins to this team is essentially adding Ezekiel Elliott, which if you as ESPN is absolutely absurd, but in reality Zeke is a top 15ish running back that does one thing. You see the hole, you hit it hard, fight for yardage, try to fall forward, and if you get into the open field, go and house it, and that is exactly what Dobbins is going to bring to the table. Dobbins was my RB2 and the 57th player overall on my big board. Ingram was very good last season but is now in his 30s with injury concerns. Dobbins can offer what Ingram did, plus the explosiveness and ability to take any run to the house. Good luck stopping this offense.

Round 3 pick 71, Justin Madubuike: A+

The Ravens didn’t even necessarily need this player, but the value was just too good to pass up at this pick. Justin is more than a luxury than a necessity but is absolutely a 2nd round talent and the 48th player on my big board. The Ravens have beefed up the interior of the defensive line, adding Calais Campbell and Derek Wolfe. Brandon Williams will return but Michael Pierce and Wormley departed in free agency and through trade respectively. The Ravens interior D line totaled under 50 pressures last season between Williams Wormley and Pierce, but now have more pass rush versatility through the new additions, including Madubuike. Madubuike offers very good explosiveness and a low center of gravity as an undersized D lineman, which is becoming more valuable as these players are able to gain leverage easier. Madubuike should be a really nice rotational pass rusher right away and could develop into a solid all pro defensive lineman down the road. I really love the value of this pick and what Madubuike offers with his skillset.

Round 3 pick 92, Devin Duvernay: A+

I could not think of a more perfect fit for this Ravens offense than Devin Duvernay. Duvernay was one of “my guys”, the 42nd ranked player on my big board overall, and 9th ranked reveiver. With the way the Ravens offense opperates, there is much more value in slot receivers, which is exactly what Duvernay is. The Ravens passing game opperates mainley over the middle of the field, and Seth Roberts was not the scary slot prescence last year to opposing teams, Duvernay will be. Duvernay offers elite speed, running a 4.39 at the combine and displaying it on the field. He is a beast after the catch and you will be wasting your time trying to find dropped passes from him on film because he just does not drop the football. He is exceptional at adjusting to innacurate passes, which will help Lamars developement a lot and is an absolute beast after the catch. Imagining pounding the rock down teams throats, and then getting Duvernay the ball on the boundary creating more explosive plays is unbelievably exciting and adds another dimension to an already scary offense. The knock on Duvernay is his overall route running, but the Ravens don’t value the ability to scream open on double moves as much and will have him running a smaller route tree. This pick not only makes a ton of sense scheme wise, but is also terrific value and a position of need. I can’t believe the NFL let this happen and in my opinion this was one of the best picks in the entire draft.

Round 3 pick 98, Malik Harrison: A-

I am not as high on Malik Harrison as some people were, but I still like this pick a lot. I had Harrison as the 104th player on my board and my LB11. There was some 1st-2nd round hype behind this player but I think this is ultimately where he should’ve gone. In terms of fit this is another home run from Eric Decosta and the Ravens. If Queens weakness is his play strength and run defense, that is exactly what Harrison brings to the table and he’s a perfect compliment to Queen. Harrison moves pretty well for his size and is a great run defender. He’s your traditional thumper that plays with good physicality in the box and is a sure tackler. Even though I had other linebackers ahead of him at this pick such as Davion Taylor and Akeem Davis-Gaither, I personally would’ve gone with Harrison here due to the skillset he brings. He struggles in coverage and doesn’t have the cleanest processing skills, but that is where Queen excells. I like the floor Harrison brings and think him paired with Queen could quickly become one of the leagues best linebacking duos.

Round 3 pick 106, Tyre Phillips: C-

This pick was sort of a dart throw at the offensive line from Decosta. Phillips to me didn’t stand out a whole lot and was just a guy, as he was the 248th ranked player on my big board. Phillips however does bring raw power at the point of attack, which does fit well with what the Ravens look for in offensive lineman. He can play both tackle and guard, and if anything can be a swingman that can play in place of an injury on the offensive line. His technique and mobility is below average, and I didn’t love the value, but Decosta probably saw something I didn’t with him, and the Ravens needed to address the interior of the line with the departure of Yanda and I like the idea of throwing darts at the position.

I loved almost every pick that the Ravens made, addressing needs, finding value and finding scheme fits, which is exatcly what you want to be doing in the draft. This class is one of the best I’ve seen not only from the Ravens but the entire league, as Decosta did a great job in aquiring a lot of mid round picks and making great selections with them. After these aquisitions, I’m not sure how you couldn’t pick the Ravens to win the superbowl, after loading up in the front 7, which was a bit of a weakness last year, and making the offense even more dangerous after being one of the best units in the league last year, without losing many key pieces. The Ravens are in position to win now with the talent and scheme and I couldn’t be more excited to watch it this season.

Round 1 Pick 2, Redskins: DE, Chase Young, Ohio State

Round 1 Pick 3, Lions: CB, Jeff Okudah, Ohio State

Round 1 Pick 4, Giants: LB, Isaiah Simmons, Clemson

Round 1 Pick 5, Dolphins: QB, Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama

Round 1 Pick 6, Chargers: QB, Justin Herbert, Oregon

Round 1 Pick 7, Panthers: DT, Derick Brown, Auburn

Round 1 Pick 8, Cardinals: OL, Tristan Wirfs, Iowa

Round 1 Pick 9, Jaguars: CB, C.J Henderson, Florida

Round 1 Pick 10, Browns: OL, Andrew Thomas, Georgia

Round 1 Pick 11, Jets: WR, CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma

Round 1 Pick 12, Raiders: WR, Jerry Jeudy, Alabama

Round 1 Pick 13, 49ers: WR, Henry Ruggs III, Alabama

Round 1 Pick 14, Buccaneers: OL, Jedrick Willis, Alabama

Round 1 Pick 15 Broncos: DT, Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina

Round 1 Pick 16, Falcons: OL, Mekhi Becton, Louisville

Round 1 Pick 17, Cowboys: LB, K’lavon Chaisson, Louisiana

Round 1 Pick 18, Dolphins: Safety, Xavier McKinney, Alabama

Round 1 Pick 19, Raiders: LB, Kenneth Murray, Oklahoma

Round 1 Pick 20, Jaguars: Safety, Grant Delpit, Louisiana

Round 1 Pick 21, Eagles: WR, Justin Jefferson, Louisiana

Round 1 Pick 22, Vikings: WR, Denzel Mims, Baylor

Round 1 Pick 23, Patriots: DE, AJ Epenesa, Iowa

Round 1 Pick 24, Saints: QB, Jordan Love, Utah

Round 1 Pick 25, Vikings: CB, Kristian Fulton, Louisiana

Round 1 Pick 26, Dolphins: OL, Austin Jackson, Southern California

Round 1 Pick 27, Seahawks: LB, Zach Baun, Wisconsin

Round 1 Pick 28, Ravens: LB, Patrick Queen, Louisiana

Round 1 Pick 29, Titans: CB, Jeff Gladney, TCU

Round 1 Pick 30, Packers: WR, Tee Higgins, Clemson

Round 1 Pick 31, 49ers: OL, Cesar Ruiz, Michigan

Round 1 Pick 32, Chiefs: CB, Trevon Diggs, Alabama

The 2017 NFL Draft was loaded with superstars ranging in all positions. This draft class included offensive superstars such as Christian Mcafferey, George Kittle, and Chris Godwin; but, also includes defensive pro-bowlers in Jamal Adams, Myles Garrett, and Tre’Davious White.

This re-draft will include all draft day trades. Plus, not all selections were based on skill: it depends on replicability at the position. For example, if this re-draft was purely based on skill, then close to half of the top ten picks would have been a runningback.

Now that the perameters have been set, let us re-draft:

1: Cleveland Browns: Patrick Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech

After being benched behind Alex Smith in his rookie season, Patrick Mahomes has played two star seasons for the Kansas City Chiefs. In this timespan, Mahomes has won the NFL’s MVP award, and most recently a Super Bowl victory, to name a few of Mahomes’ many achievements. The Chiefs made what will eventually be considered as the best move in their franchise’s history by trading to the 10th pick for Mahomes, nabbing the best player in the NFL. However, in this re-draft, the Browns decide to pick Mahomes instead of star defensive end Myles Garrett.

2: Chicago Bears: Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M

While Garrett’s season was cut short due to his incident involving Mason Rudolph in a regular season game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, let that not undercut Garrett’s talent. Garrett was more than well-deserving of the first-overall pick, but having the generational talent in Mahomes forces Garrett to move down a spot. The only reason I do not have Deshaun Watson landing here is because I think the Bears stick with Mike Glennon after signing him to a ridiculously large deal that offseason.

3: San Fransisco 49ers: George Kittle, TE, Iowa

While we all like to think of the Niners defense as formidable, it was not thanks to the likes of Soloman Thomas. But, that does not mean the Niners did this draft wrong, as they selected George Kittle in the fifth round. In this redraft, the Niners decide to select Kittle with their first round pick, and wait until the later rounds before even considering Thomas. Kittle has been an unstoppable force ever since being drafted into the league. At this point in time, the Niners have many holes, including quarterback, but they wait to get a quarterback until trading for Jimmy Garropolo. Kittle provides their team a dynamic blocker as well as a receiving threat that will scare defenses for weeks to come.

4: Jacksonville Jaguars: Christian Mccaffrey, HB, Stanford

The Jaguars initially selected Leanard Fournette at this spot. While I think this was a great fit, I believe that the Jaguars could have gone with a better running back. With uncertainty with Blake Bortles at quarterback, Mccaffrey will be playing in a nearly identical situation to the one he is currently in with the Panthers. Overall, CMC is a much better fit with this squad then Fournette is.

5: Tennessee Titans: T.J. Watt, EDGE, Wisconsin

Watt has improved in every season he has played, and has become a Defensive Player of the Year candidate with the Steelers. The Titans went with Corey Davis with this pick, which proved to be bust-worthy, especially now that they have a run-dominated offense with Derrick Henry. The Titans in this redraft go with defense, deciding between Jamal Adams and Watt. They eventually go with Watt, showing that they are confident in their safety group that is lead by Kevin Byard.

6: New York Jets: Jamal Adams, S, LSU

It is not often that in a redraft, a team goes with the same guy they went with in the actual draft. Even though there is uncertainty in his future with the Jets this offseason, the smart move is to keep their pick with Adams going at 6.

7: Los Angeles Chargers: Chris Godwin, WR, Penn State

While this may seem as a surprise to many, I think that the Chargers picking Godwin would be perfect. They initially went with Mike Williams, who they had hoped would provide Philip Rivers with a solid WR2 option. This would have spread the field more, allowing their star WR Keenan Allen and TE Hunter Henry to have more open space, creating more big plays. Williams has been a good pick, posting solid numbers when healthy. But, in comparison to Godwin’s breakout season, Williams stands no match. Chargers stick with a wideout here.

8: Carolina Panthers: Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama

Ever since the departure of Josh Norman and the rest of the core 15-1 Panther squad, the defense has been lacking in overall talent in exception to newly retired LB Luke Kuechly. This class features many great cornerbacks, including Tre’Davious White, and Marshon Lattimore. But, I am going with Humphrey. Since 2017, Humphrey has been hawking every pass thrown to him down, breaking up 47 passes, ranking fourth since he was drafted into the league.

9: Cincinnati Bengals: Tre’Davious White, CB, LSU

Like I mentioned in the previous selection, this class is loaded with studs at cornerback. The Bengals in the actual draft went with John Ross, going for a speedy wideout to be opposite to AJ Green. Ross has been plagued with injuries, making him not worthy of this selection. The Bengals secondary has been abysmal at best, so they take Pro-Bowl cornerback White at this pick. However, this Bengals team is still far from where they have to be, and even with the selection of White, I would still see the Bengals winding up with the first pick in tomorrow’s draft.

10: Kansas City Chiefs: Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson

Those that are reading this, I know you are confused. The Chiefs trading to this pick for the fundamental purpose of drafting Patrick Mahomes. That is true. But, they still believe that they have their guy in Watson. While Watson might not be at the same level as Mahomes, Watson would play perfect to this speedy team. Andy Reid would style a playbook that would revolve lots of play-action, screens to both running backs and wide receivers, and QB runs, similar to the current Chiefs playbook. In my mind, this would be a no-brainer trade the Chiefs make to pick Watson.