OTL: Our First Mock Draft Friday of 2025

It is a difficult time for Ravens fans everywhere. The online discourse hasn’t been as bad as I initially feared, but no one likes getting eliminated earlier than expected, and the Ravens are the kings of it.

I know for sure that I have already moved on, not because I want to but because the Ravens can’t hurt me any more than they already have. I think I have reached a point where I just don’t care what happens at this point because all the seasons are just blending together. Have a great regular season with award winners, only to lose in devastating fashion in January.

At some point, they have to break through, but when? When are they going to stop killing themselves with these horrific turnovers? Why can’t they force more turnovers on their end?

Ravens Playoff Defense Has Historically Low Takeaway Rate in Recent Years

We blamed coaches for these mistakes early on in Lamar Jackson’s tenure, but there is no one to blame at this point. Players are frustrated; Harbaugh and the coaches don’t understand it, and I am sure it also eats at EDC and Steve Bisciotti.

When times are like this, there is the only thing we as fans can do: look forward to the draft:

Tired: being so hurt by the Ravens way of losing that you struggle to be excited about football ever again

Wired: realizing you’re so numb to it you can actually skip the grieving process and start looking forward to the draft #RavensFlock

— ð…ð¢ðžð¥ðð¬ (@EDCburner) January 22, 2025

There is nothing else for Ravens fans to do. So we will be doing a Mock Draft Friday every week until the draft.

For this first one, I tried to stick with the best player available strategy.

Right off the bat, I think Tyler Booker is going to be one of my draft darlings. He is a perfect fit for Todd Monken’s scheme and would be a huge get for the team in terms of need and BPA. I am tired of the guard play being a concern, and it is time to fix that:

Tyler Booker is the perfect guard for today’s heavy power running NFL. One of my favorite OL prospects in this entire classpic.twitter.com/6RBy39oCRV https://t.co/roux9XllX1

— We are back Ben Johnson (@TommyK_NFLDraft) January 3, 2025

Tuimoloau was once hyped up to be a generational prospect, but his stock has dropped despite the fact he played well this year for the Buckeyes. He has power and bend and would add some fierceness to the Edge rusher group:

My lord JT Tuimoloau is good https://t.co/OdTUMnD0vT pic.twitter.com/jq4SSfI4DP

— Hail Mary Sports (@hailmarysportss) January 22, 2025

Porter is a big, fast, athletic freak of nature at Corner who didn’t play that much with Iowa State. Whether it was because of injuries or rotations, he didn’t see the field much, but when he did, he was awesome and could become a stud.

One note is that these mock drafts are going to be thick, with a lot of players on them. The Ravens have 11 picks, so unless I start packaging them to move up, we end up with a lot of selections to talk about.

Cornelius will be going to the Senior Bowl, so he will get to show off his skillset later there, but he is a freak of nature. The only issue is that may translate better to guard. But for the fourth round, we take the layups given. Hamilton is a beast of a defensive lineman who needs to grow, but the upside this late is tantalizing. Bassa is a solid value for a safety who is transitioning to linebacker. Ricky White has put up some huge numbers at a lower level of competition with good enough film to back it up. Powell-Ryland is lankier but has good burst and edge-bending ability. Scott is another player transitioning from corner to safety and could be a Brandon Stephens replacement. James is a powerful running back who doesn’t fumble, and Shepard is a solid receiver prospect.

At times like these, where the faith in an organization is starting to decline, a great draft can help heal some of that heartbreak. This is a huge Draft for EDC, and if the above are the results, he would be given an A+ from me.

The post OTL: Our First Mock Draft Friday of 2025 appeared first on Russell Street Report.

Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2025/01/24/out-to-lunch/mock-draft-friday/