OTL: BEEEEEEEEEKS! (And a Final Mock Draft)

Well, folks, we’re just one day away from finding out who will be the first rookie to don Baltimore’s new uniforms. I couldn’t be more excited to see what happens in Thursday night’s NFL draft, frankly because I have no idea how this year’s 1^st Round will shake out.

With so few first-round talents available, my theory is that there will be more “shock” picks than ever before, and with that in mind, I’m dropping my final Mock Draft below.

For housekeeping, and to keep today’s OTL from being far too long, I’ll be providing the draft pick, a list of other players I considered, and an explanation of why I made the pick for the first four rounds. Beyond that, I’ll provide a summary of Rounds 5-7 at the end. Similarly, despite loving the idea of trading back, I won’t try to guess what that could look like today.

So, without further ado:

Round 1, Pick 14

Spencer Fano, IOL – Utah

Other Players Considered: Caleb Downs (S, Ohio State); Jordyn Tyson (WR, Arizona State); Olaivavega Ioane (IOL, Penn State); Kenyon Sadiq (TE, Oregon)

Of course, in a no-trade mock draft the Ravens face a position in which they almost certainly would trade down. While I seriously considered taking Tyson, Ioane or Sadiq, I felt the versatility of Fano put him over the top. Moving forward in the draft, Baltimore can elect to plug either Center or Guard, depending on how the board falls.

Round 2, Pick 45

Kayden McDonald, DL – Ohio State

Other Players Considered: Colton Hood (CB, Tennessee); C.J. Allen (LB, Georgia); Chase Bisontis (IOL, Texas A&M); Emmanuel Pregnon (IOL, Oregon); Eli Stowers (TE, Vanderbilt)

Again, I loved a number of options here. In this case, however, I felt lucky to have McDonald fall to Baltimore. Even with the exciting update around Nnamdi Madubuike’s health (see below), the need to improve in the trenches and McDonald’s talent made this a no-brainer. All of a sudden, iDL is a strength.

Round 3, Pick 80

Ted Hurst, WR – Georgia State

Other Players Considered: Keylan Rutledge (IOL, Georgia Tech); Logan Jones (C, Iowa); Conner Lew (C, Auburn); Jake Slaughter (C, Florida); Malachi Fields (WR, Notre Dame)

I’ll be honest, I was super close to picking Keylan Rutledge and calling it a day along the O-Line. That’s why you grab Fano in Round 1, though! To me, WR is a major need for Baltimore, and I felt worse about leaving it to Day 3 than I did about banking on one of the top four Centers falling. Hurst is the prototype Baltimore needs and has the potential to flourish in this new offense, so I wanted to make sure I got him in purple and black.

Round 4, Pick 115

Jake Slaughter, C – Florida

Other Players Considered: Tacario Davis (CB, Washington); Malik Muhammad (CB, Texas); Jalen Neal (CB, Arkansas); LT Overton (EDGE, Alabama); Michael Trigg (TE, Baylor)

The gamble pays off! There’s no doubt the Ravens would need another iOL in Round 4 under this scenario, and Slaughter fell right into our lap. With Fano and Slaughter heading to Charm City, it’s hard not to feel good about Lamar Jackson’s protection moving forward.

Round 5, Pick 154

Ephesians Prysock, CB – Washington

Other Players Considered: Anthony Lucas (EDGE, USC); Eli Raridon (TE, Notre Dame); Nick Singleton (RB, Penn State); Max Llewellyn (EDGE, Iowa)

Round 5, Pick 162

Eli Raridon, TE – Notre Dame

Other Players Considered: Anthony Lucas (EDGE, USC); Nick Singleton (RB, Penn State); Max Llewellyn (EDGE, Iowa)

Round 5, Pick 173

Anthony Lucas, EDGE – USC

Other Players Considered: Max Llewellyn (EDGE, Iowa); Hezekiah Masses (CB, California); Charles Demmings (CB, Stephen F. Austin)

Round 5, Pick 174

Charles Demmings, CB – Stephen F. Austin

Other Players Considered: Max Llewellyn (EDGE, Iowa); Hezekiah Masses (CB, California); Jeff Caldwell (WR, Cincinnati); Demond Claiborne (RB, Wake Forest)

Round 6, Pick 211

Jack Kelly, LB – BYU

Other Players Considered: Landon Robinson (DL, Navy); J. Jefferson (LB, Alabama); Patrick Payton, EDGE – LSU

Round 7, Pick 250

Tanner Koziol, TE – Houston

Other Players Considered: Tyreak Sapp (EDGE, Florida); Alex Harkey (OT, Oregon); J. Michael Sturdivant (WR, Florida); Jamarion Miller (RB, Alabama); Tyren Montgomery (WR, John Carroll); Eric McAlister (WR, TCU); Punter

Round 7, Pick 253

Brett Thorson, P – Georgia

Other Players Considered: Tyreak Sapp (EDGE, Florida); Alex Harkey (OT, Oregon); J. Michael Sturdivant (WR, Florida); Jamarion Miller (RB, Alabama); Tyren Montgomery (WR, John Carroll); Eric McAlister (WR, TCU); Punter

All in all, I’d be happy with this result. While I’d expect the Ravens to maneuver their way around the board more – especially early on – they’ve made significant upgrades.

For starters, both the O-Line and D-Line improve significantly. Second, Baltimore gives Jackson an exciting weapon at WR, while adding depth in two intriguing TEs. Similarly, bringing in two developmental CBs allows Jesse Minter to deploy Kyle Hamilton and Marlon Humphrey in the slot, while banking on one of TJ Tampa and the rookies to develop into a regular contributor on the outside. Lastly, EDGE and LB depth are addressed late, while Punter is crossed off the list.

How would you feel about things if this is where we stood by the end of the weekend? Let us know in the chat!

Meanwhile, I wanted to address the Nnamdi Madubuike update, which is music to the ears of Ravens fans:

A boost for Baltimore during draft week: Ravens DT Nnamdi Madubuike, who suffered a season-ending and career-threatening neck injury in Week 2 last season, underwent neck surgery last week that left his doctors believing he willl be able to resume playing this season, per… pic.twitter.com/cm0RTff2Hf

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 21, 2026

“Sexy dexy” ain’t touching Madubuike btw. We are getting one of the best IDL back in the game.

This completely changes the look of this team. https://t.co/Qi27yVIcKv

— Matt King (@yapmatt) April 21, 2026

Madubuike only played two games last season but still led the Ravens in total pressures until Week 8.

Think that says a lot about both Madubuike and the Ravens 2025 defense overall. https://t.co/NOOjR7STyJ

— Gordon McGuinness (@GordonNFL) April 21, 2026

So, how does this impact the NFL Draft approach for GM Eric DeCosta and company? While it certainly lessens the importance of a high investment along the iDL, it doesn’t take it off the to-do list:

i don’t think you can go into the draft without IDL on your mind.

But I think even with Madubuike on your depth chart they need an interior pass rusher anyway, espeically at the 3T

— Cole Jackson (@ColeJacksonFB) April 21, 2026

Two years ago, we saw Philadelphia’s O-Line dominate its way to a Super Bowl victory. If the best player available is an interior disruptor, don’t be surprised if Baltimore pulls the trigger. Dev Panchwagh illustrates how dangerous the pass rush setup could be – why not make it even stronger?

Madubuike + Trey + Travis + an emerging Mike Green + Minter’s sim pressure. This is going to be an epic pass rush transformation. #RavensFlock

— Dev Panchwagh (@devpanchwagh) April 21, 2026

Enjoy the draft!

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Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2026/04/22/out-to-lunch/otl-beeeeeeeeeks-and-a-final-mock-draft/