OTL: NFL Draft Experts Weigh In On Ravens Draft

The Baltimore Ravens welcomed 11 new players to their roster over the weekend.

General manager Eric DeCosta stuck to the script in the early rounds of the draft, filling out much-needed trench holes in the first two rounds.

Baltimore selected Penn State offensive guard Olaivavega Ioane with the 14th overall pick, confirming the projection from the overwhelming majority of mock drafts. Ioane, a 22-year-old that did not allow a sack in either of his final two seasons as a Nittany Lion, will join veteran guard John Simpson in improving one of the team’s weakest positions a season ago.

The Ravens reinforced their commitment to the trenches, drafting on the defensive side in the second round with Missouri edge Zion Young. In drafting the fierce 6-foot-6 pass rusher, Baltimore bolsters another position that slugged behind in 2025.

After early additions to the offensive and defensive lines, DeCosta and company turned their focus to playmakers and weapons for two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Baltimore doubled up on wide receivers in the third and fourth rounds, selecting USC’s Ja’Kobi Lane with the 80th pick and Indiana’s Elijah Sarratt with the 115th pick.

After a season where the Ravens possessed just one pass catcher with 500 or more receiving yards, adding to Jackson’s receiving core became another priority.

Baltimore continued its offensive overload in drafting two tight ends in the fourth and fifth rounds, SMU’s Matt Hibner at 133 and Alabama’s Josh Cuevas at 173. The team would later draft Clemson running back Adam Randall with the 174th pick, a selection that was reportedly made by owner Steve Biscotti.

The Ravens rounded out their draft with Duke cornerback Chandler Rivers (No. 162), Michigan defensive lineman Rayshaun Benny (No. 250) and Northwestern guard Evan Beerntsen (No. 253).

Baltimore also selected Michigan State punter Ryan Eckley in the sixth round, adding its heir to All-Pro Jordan Stout, who left to join John Harbaugh with the New York Giants in free agency.

The biggest surprise from the team’s draft was their decision to not draft a center. The position became a need after Pro Bowler Tyler Linderbaum signed a three-year deal with the Las Vegas Raiders. Baltimore has veteran Danny Pinter, former undrafted free agent Corey Bullock and Penn State undrafted rookie Nick Dawkins as viable options to fill the role, though they could still add in free agency.

All in all, experts were particularly fond of Baltimore’s 2026 draft.

ESPN’s Jordan Reid said the Ravens were the team that checked off the most needs in the draft. The Athletic’s Mike Jones included Baltimore in his list of draft winners.

Here are other Ravens draft grades from some of the event’s most reputable experts and analysts.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr: B+

Ioane is a 320-pound immovable object at guard and gave up just two sacks over 2,231 career snaps. But he also moves really well for his size and has the run-blocking chops to pave some fresh lanes for Derrick Henry.

Other offensive highlights include Ja’Kobi Lane, who should quickly become a major player in the red zone. He’s 6-foot-4 with strong hands, and 11 of his 16 touchdown catches over the past two seasons have come in the red zone.

Zion Young. I like this pick for a lot of reasons. He was No. 22 on my board, and the Ravens got him at No. 45. He might have had just 6.5 sacks, but he did have 46 pressures, and with his motor, quickness and power combination, he should start converting some of those into quarterback takedowns.

NFL.com’s Chad Reuter: B+

Ioane’s size, strength and nimble feet made him a solid mid-first round pick—though I do wonder if the Ravens might have been better off taking edge Rueben Bain Jr. at 14 and meeting the need for a guard later on.”

Sarratt, a possession pass-catcher, was a good value. Grabbing the athletic Hibner in the fourth and the sturdy Cuevas in the fifth made sense.

Randall runs harder than you’d expect for a former receiver. I projected Eckley to the Ravens with the 211th selection in my seven-round mock draft after they lost Jordan Stout in free agency. I expect Benny to develop into a playmaker for Baltimore.

Sports Illustrated’s Gilberto Manzano: B-

After losing Tyler Linderbaum and Daniel Faalele in free agency, the Ravens bolstered their interior offensive line with Ioane, who should start at guard.”

In Young, Baltimore got a rotational piece in coach Jesse Minter’s 3-4 scheme, and then added a pair of mid-round receivers in Lane and Sarratt to bolster the position behind Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman.

USA Today’s Nate Davis: B+

There may not be a better marriage of a team and player this year than first-round guard Vega Ioane, who projects as a prototypical Raven and one who more than stabilizes the middle of a line that lost center Tyler Linderbaum during free agency.

Second-round outside linebacker Zion Young also seemed to emanate from central casting Baltimore-style to help fortify a front that didn’t get the job done last year for a variety of reasons.

Mid-rounders Ja’Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt could push the wide receivers behind Zay Flowers or might even be de facto stand-ins for departed tight end Isaiah Likely, though that’s a loose presumption given the schematic overhaul that’s about to happen here offensively.

This is another draft that will be better understood in a year when it becomes apparent whether the Ravens were better off with Ioane and next year’s first-rounder…or Crosby.

CBS Sports’ Carter Bahns: B+

The interior of the Ravens’ offensive line is in flux after Tyler Linderbaum departed in free agency. Bolstering the guard and center spots is paramount as Baltimore enters the Jesse Minter era, and it kicked off that new phase with a home-run pick that addresses the need. Olaivavega Ioane might be the best pure lineman in the class and will immediately help open lanes for Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry in what should remain one of the NFL’s premier rushing attacks.

Baltimore then continued to revamp its edge rusher group in Round 2. The nixed Maxx Crosby trade and successful Trey Hendrickson acquisition made the Ravens’ defensive end group one of the most talked-about units in the NFL this offseason, and Zion Young is the latest addition. He is more of a run-stopper than a pass rusher, so the Ravens could move him inside.

Ja’Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt went consecutively on Baltimore’s board to provide an influx of weapons for Lamar Jackson…At 6-foot-4, [Lane] could force his way into the rotation as a rookie since he’s such an imposing target. Sarratt is not a short receiver, either, at 6-foot-2. Another tall weapon arrived in Round 4 in the form of tight end Matthew Hibner, who will replace Isaiah Likely.

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