OTL: A Final First-Round Wish List for the NFL Draft

It’s almost that time. In two days the 2026 Draft will kick off from the Steel City, and after Baltimore was at one point this offseason without their first round pick, they’ll be on the clock come pick No. 14.

There are plenty of different avenues Baltimore can travel down. Is a trade down, or maybe even a trade up in the cards? If they stay put at 14, do they build the trenches? Do they get Lamar Jackson a big time receiving threat? Do they simply take the guy that shouldn’t have fallen out of the top 10 but slid to 14 (probably)?

So many choices, but pending some crazy move, only one will be clad in the purple and black after Thursday night. If it were up to me, it would be one of these three guys at pick No. 14.

Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami

Bain may be the most fascinating prospect in the top half of this first round. A player once positioned around the top 5 in mock drafts could now be available outside of the top 10. The reason? Bain’s 30 ⅞ inch arm length puts him in the 3rd-percentile.

With that being said, Bain was one of college football’s most productive defensive players, recording 9.5 sacks and 67 pressures in his junior season, where the Miami Hurricanes were CFB’s runner-up. He rushes with tons of power and won with violence time after time in college.

He’s not only an elite pass rusher, but he defends the run very well as shown by his 87.5 run defense grade (PFF). He sets a great edge and is an all around dynamic defender on the edge of the line.

If Bain is there at 14, the Ravens should SPRINT the card up.

Olaivavega Ioane, OG, Penn State

Ioane may have the safest floor of anyone in the Draft. All season long for the Nittany Lions, Ioane anchored an offensive line that allowed just 19 sacks in 13 games. In 311 pass block snaps, he allowed zero sacks, zero QB hits, and just four pressures.

.@psufootball @olaivavega You want Ioane; You need Ioane…My favorite player in this draft makes your TEAM so much better. #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/2Sp3SvznHq

— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) March 18, 2026

Guard may still be the Ravens’ biggest position of need. The right guard position is still a huge question mark at this point, and after the trenches seemed to cost the Ravens time and time again in 2025, will they spend some early capital to shore the IOL up?

If not Ioane, Utah’s Spencer Fano is another name to watch out for. He played tackle in college, but has the athleticism and agility that should allow a team to slide him inside if needed.

Jordan Tyson, WR, Arizona State

There was a time where USC’s Makai Lemon was the near-consensus WR1, but as time has gone on, Tyson has continued to move further and further up draft boards.

Tyson is a bit of a bigger receiver at 6’2”, but he’s still very sleek and runs very clean routes. He has that contested catch ability we haven’t seen from a young receiver in Baltimore since Torrey Smith, and could provide plenty of juice as a 1B receiving option that the Ravens dearly missed after the regression of Rashod Bateman a season ago.

There is some injury history: Tyson tore his ACL, MCL and PCL in ‘22 with Colorado, broke his collarbone in ‘24 with the Sun Devils, and worked through a hamstring strain for a portion of last season, but what Tyson displayed on the field at Arizona State speaks volumes.

Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon

From what I’ve gathered, Sadiq is very polarizing among the Ravens Flock. Some believe that spending early capital on a tight end would be foolish, but some (like myself) see the athleticism of Sadiq and believe he could be a home run in this Ravens offense.

Sadiq in the First? Recent TE History Says Buyer Beware

Sadiq ran a 4.39 (!!) 40-yard dash at the combine, shattering the tight end record, and doing so at 6’3 241 lbs. He’s a matchup nightmare for linebackers, and his huge frame allows for those back shoulder and contested catch opportunities.

His rare combination of size and speed allows to be equally successful lining up in-line as well as in the slot.

While the Ravens don’t necessarily need a tight end, they also didn’t need a safety when they drafted Kyle Hamilton at 14 in 2022.

The period before the Draft is truly fascinating because everyone sees something different. Who does everyone else want to see in the sick new uniforms come September?

The post OTL: A Final First-Round Wish List for the NFL Draft appeared first on Russell Street Report.

Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2026/04/21/out-to-lunch/first-round-wish-list/