OTL: Looking WAY Ahead, Just for Fun

Ah, the BYE week, a time for rest and recovery. While the fanbase used this reprieve to try to bring down their collective blood pressure, the Ravens used the week to get back to near 100%, and hopefully the late-season BYE will allow them at least to get close to full-strength down the stretch.

Only two players not on practice field for Ravens today were S Sanoussi Kane (hamstring) and WR Diontae Johnson (suspended).

NT Michael Pierce and CB T.J. Tampa were practicing. They’re in middle of their practice windows.

— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) December 9, 2024

Given that there was no Ravens game to watch, our guy Chris used yesterday’s column to look forward and talk about what the weekend’s NFL news meant for Baltimore’s road ahead. I’m going to do the same, but we’ll be looking much farther down the road. This past weekend, I spent time watching the conference championship games in college football, and I kept an eye on the guys that NFL teams will likely covet ahead of the 2025 Draft. Yes, I know, the Draft is way down the road, but big games like conference championships and the College Football Playoff are a major opportunity for these prospects to boost their profiles and prove themselves in the eyes of NFL teams.

So, what did we learn?

Linebackers Chris Cole and Smael Mondon with two giant blocks on this fake punt. Well executed. pic.twitter.com/HnhWwSZRVG

— Matt DeBary (@MattDeBary) December 8, 2024

Like many of you, the game that most interested me was the SEC Championship, as Texas and Georgia both boast a number of high-profile prospects, and the matchup gave tough tests to the guys trying to prove their worth. Unfortunately for many of the players in this game, the pacing of the game meant that it looked clunky and unorganized, so unless your name is Trevor Etienne, you probably came out of this one with equal plays good and bad.

Texas’ vaunted O-line was without Kelvin Banks, Jr., one of the top tackles in the draft class, and they felt the heat as they surrendered 6 sacks and 15 tackles for loss. Cameron Williams, their high-profile right tackle, has had penalty trouble all year, and contributed to the Longhorns racking up 11 penalties on the day. While the Ravens will likely look for offensive tackle help in this class, Williams may very well have played himself off of their board. Meanwhile, some of the Bulldogs that could have been in consideration made mental mistakes as well. While Smael Mondon did have some big-time defensive plays and special teams contributions like the one above, he also committed a bone-headed penalty on an out-of-bounds hit that cost the Dawgs fifteen critical yards. Georgia corner Daylon Everette had a costly DPI toward the end of regulation which set up a Texas score, but to his credit, he secured multiple interceptions and was named the MVP of the game.

That’s MVP @DaylenEverette #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/fS2BlEWgsR

— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) December 8, 2024

One other shining star to watch coming out of this one is Georgia guard Tate Ratledge. He’s among the top-tier interior O-linemen in this class, and he was one of the reasons Etienne was able to find rushing lanes inside. Ratledge’s performance may have priced him out of the range where the Ravens could reasonably draft him, but maybe it’s for the best given how the Ravens currently use the Georgia guard on their roster (he wrote with a very aggressive side-eye).

Meanwhile, in the Big Ten championship, the offenses looked a lot cleaner, and a few guys emerged on either side of the ball as the more intriguing prospects.

TEZ.
IS.
GONE.

Touchdown Oregon! pic.twitter.com/P33R5OLo4b

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) December 8, 2024

Ignoring that several O-linemen are downfield for Oregon on this play (looks just like the Ravens, doesn’t it?), Tez Johnson shows off both the speed and the decision-making to make for an intriguing prospect in the coming year. The Ravens receiver room will likely have some turnover in the offseason with Nelson Agholor, Diontae Johnson, Tylan Wallace, and Deonte Harty all pending as free agents, so they’ll be looking for reinforcements from the Draft. Granted, they already have another receiver named Tez that they’re not really using (again, side-eye), but I’d expect that they still kick the tires on a mid-round guy, so keep your eye on Tez Johnson in the coming games. Saturday’s performance of 11 catches for 181 yards and a touchdown definitely beefs up his resume.

Meanwhile, the player that was arguably the most intriguing player from Saturday’s games is one that would be a wing and a prayer for the Ravens, but boy, would he be fun to watch in black and purple.

Whew Abdul pic.twitter.com/vwbVupFjvt

— Billy M (@BillyM_91) December 8, 2024

This pass rush by Abdul. He got there in an instant pic.twitter.com/HeMByPMNqW

— Billy M (@BillyM_91) December 8, 2024

An ultra-athletic EDGE from Penn State? Where have I heard that before?

The Ravens defense already features one guy from that system in Odafe Oweh, who is polarizing among the fanbase, but is a guy who consistently generates pressures. Abdul Carter looks closer to Micah Parsons in his versatility and athleticism, and if you watch his reps from this game, you can see how ubiquitous the holds are holds are from the Oregon O-line as they hang on for dear life against his rushes. There are several EDGE prospects from this class that will demand high price tags in terms of Draft capital, and Carter is firmly among them, but a man can dream.

Once the CFP begins, our staff will have eyes and ears on the games to see who else can make Baltimore’s short list.

The post OTL: Looking WAY Ahead, Just for Fun appeared first on Russell Street Report.

Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2024/12/10/out-to-lunch/otl-looking-way-ahead-just-for-fun/