Ravens draft superlatives: Safest pick, biggest roster hole, best nickname and more

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The Ravens started the NFL draft Thursday night in perhaps the most predictable of ways. But, over the next two days and 10 picks, the front office both impressed and confused.

As the draft wrapped up Saturday, general manager Eric DeCosta looked back and said he wouldn’t have done anything differently. The Ravens had added two guards, two wide receivers, two tight ends, a running back, a defensive lineman, an edge rusher, a cornerback and a punter.

The work isn’t done for DeCosta, who has space to add 20 free agents, from veterans to undrafted rookies. But here are eight draft superlatives to wrap up the team’s 2026 class.

Safest pick: Penn State guard Vega Ioane

Is it possible for a pick to be even more predictable than Malaki Starks to the Ravens? Well, there’s a reason the majority of mock drafts had Ioane going to the Ravens. The need for a guard was glaringly obvious, and Ioane fit the mold.

But when the time came it wasn’t as clear-cut as one might think. Surprisingly, pass rusher Rueben Bain was available. And the Ravens solely needed a pass rusher. But the front office sorely needed a win, as well, with owner Steve Bisciotti upping the stakes after firing John Harbaugh. Bain has upside, but he also has a chance to struggle at the NFL level due to his measurables.

Both Ioane and Bain have chances to become difference-makers, but Ioane has less of a chance to be a bust.

“I wouldn’t say it was an easy decision,” DeCosta said. “There were certainly some really good players still available, and guys that we really liked quite a bit. But in the end, I think as we looked at it and just talked to our scouts and our coaches especially, we felt that Vega was the best pick for us.”

Favorite pick: Missouri edge rusher Zion Young

Young, a self-described “hell-raiser,” was considered a fringe first-round prospect but fell to the Ravens in the middle of the second. He could turn into Discount Rueben Bain. A rugged run defender, he had 16.5 tackles for loss last season and an average depth of tackle of just 0.7 yards past the line of scrimmage, according to Pro Football Focus.

Young also finished second in the Southeastern Conference in pressures (53) in the regular season, showing pocket-collapsing power and a good mix of moves. Ravens coach Jesse Minter said Young, a team captain at Missouri, “really fits what we want to be on defense.”

“Zion is a rugged, tough, physical player,” Minter added. “I think he’s just scratching the surface of what he can be as a player. I think there’s a ton of upside there. I love his play style. He plays extremely hard and plays extremely physical. He’s very powerful in the run game, meaning, when he strikes blocks, they go the other way. When people pull on him and he strikes him, it’s a train wreck.”

Biggest roster hole: Center

This was one of their top needs going into the draft, and it was one of the top needs coming out of the draft. Although the Ravens have several options on their roster, none is of the same caliber as departed Pro Bowler Tyler Linderbaum. But, as the draft wrapped up, the Ravens hadn’t technically added center options.

With their final pick, they added a guard, Evan Beerntsen, who evaluators said could move to center at the NFL level. They also signed an undrafted free agent, Penn State center Drew Hawkins.

But DeCosta said the centers they liked were mostly in the second round, and it would have taken too much capital to trade up to the second round to get one of them. While there were good players outside that round, there weren’t any they thought would come in and be an impact player immediately.

“Would I rather have Ja’Kobi, Sarratt and Hibner?” DeCosta said. “I probably would than one player at that point.”

He wasn’t concerned, though. He said they have options on their roster (last year’s backup Corey Bullock and free agent signings Danny Pinter and Jovaughn Gwyn), and they can also add more people before the season starts in September.

“I do think we’ll have a plan at the position,” DeCosta said. “I feel confident in saying that.”

Riskiest pick: USC wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane

The Ravens drafted the 6-4 Lane to give quarterback Lamar Jackson a different kind of target out wide. He’s far from a finished product — DeCosta called him “a ball of clay with a lot of upside” — but Jackson has typically not been a go-and-get-it passer. Whether because of scheme, personnel or comfort level, he’s rarely attempted jump balls and back-shoulder passes over his career.

To get the most out of Lane — and fourth-round pick Elijah Sarratt, to a lesser extent — Jackson might have to start leaning into them. Lane did not create easy separation as a route runner at USC; 23 of his 74 targets last year were contested, according to Pro Football Focus. (Compare that with Trojans teammate and first-round pick Makai Lemon, who had only a 13% contested-target rate.)

It’s not hard to imagine Lane emerging as a red-zone weapon on a Ravens offense that needed more of them last year. But, if Lane struggles to get open as an outside receiver, Jackson will likely look elsewhere for help. Deandre Hopkins, another big-bodied possession receiver, was targeted only 39 times in 17 games last season.

“He’s 6-foot-4, over 205 pounds,” DeCosta said of Lane. “He jumps 40 inches. Not many guys can do that, unless they’re playing in the NBA. He has great ball skills and huge hands. I think any quarterback would like throwing a ball to a guy like him. I think Lamar’s going to be excited when he sees him. I think Ja’Kobi is going to earn the trust of Lamar, and he’s going to be a player that can be counted on to make big plays.”

Most surprising drop: Duke cornerback Chandler Rivers

Rivers entered the draft as a potential Day 2 target, ranked the No. 84 overall prospect on ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr.’s big board and No. 91 on The Athletic analyst Dane Brugler’s. Yet the 2024 All-American, who finished No. 86 overall on Wide Left’s consensus big board, fell to the middle of the fifth round Saturday.

The 5-9, 185-pound Rivers doesn’t have prototypical size, but he’s a physical run defender who can match receivers in press coverage and decipher passing concepts in off coverage. Rivers made 45 starts at Duke, recording seven interceptions (two of which he returned for scores) and 29 passes defended. With the Ravens’ shaky depth at cornerback, he could step into an important role as a rookie.

“He’s very sticky in coverage,” DeCosta said. “He’s a guy that tested extremely well. ... And we’ve had success over the years with these type of guys, even going back to some of my favorite Ravens. Lardarius Webb is a guy that comes to mind, Tavon Young — those kind of really good football players that might be a little undersized. So we’re excited about him."

Michigan defensive lineman Rayshaun Benny, meanwhile, was No. 137 on the Wide Left consensus board but fell to No. 250 overall.

Biggest shoes to fill: Michigan State punter Ryan Eckley

The Ravens seemed to reach when they used a fourth-round pick on a punter in 2022. But, by the final year of his rookie contract, Jordan Stout had developed into an All-Pro. He directly helped win games by flipping the field and pinning offenses deep in their own territory, and he averaged over 50 yards per punt. He’s someone Eckley admires, but he’s someone Eckley is going to have to live up to.

Eckley has a powerful leg, much like Stout, but he struggles with hang time. He averaged 47.6 yards per punt at Michigan State and 48.5 yards per punt his senior year. Eckley will also most likely take over Stout’s responsibilities as kicker Tyler Loop’s holder. He was a holder all four years at Michigan State, but he will have to adjust to how Loop does things.

“The nice thing about Ryan is not only is he an excellent punter but he’s probably the best holder in the draft, which is really important,” DeCosta said.

Eckley was found by the same coach who found Stout, senior special teams coach Randy Brown.

“This was his top guy,” DeCosta said. “For us, it was just a matter of when we had to take him.”

Most Steve Bisciotti-coded pick: Clemson running back Adam Randall

The Ravens’ majority owner loves the draft. He joins front-office officials for every war room. He weighs in on prospects.

And during the offseason, DeCosta recalled, Bisciotti was “begging” for the chance to make his first draft pick.

“He owns the team,” DeCosta said. “I said, ‘Yes, Steve, of course you can have a draft pick.’”

In the fifth round, Bisciotti got his chance. With the No. 174 overall pick, he took Clemson running back Adam Randall, a converted wide receiver who can contribute as a returner. The 6-3, 232-pound Randall rushed for 814 yards (4.9 per carry) and 10 touchdowns last year and had 36 catches for 254 yards and three scores.

“He did his research,” DeCosta said of Bisciotti, who’s close with Clemson coach Dabo Swinney. Randall “does a lot of different things well. We think the best is yet to come with him as a running back. He has really good hands. He can run routes. He’s a possible kick returner, a special teams guy. He has a great body and good measurables, and we’re excited to see what he can do. He’s kind of a ‘jackknife.’”

Best nickname: Indiana wide receiver Elijah Sarratt

Sarratt accidentally made “Waffle House” his own nickname. The idea originated from his dad, who took to social media and compared his son to the Waffle House because he’s always open. When Sarratt was asked his junior year if he had a nickname, he quipped “Waffle House,” not expecting it to stick, much less to blow up.

“And then here we are today, I have merch and everything for it,” Sarratt said.

But it’s more than a nickname now. “It’s a mindset.”

Maybe, if he catches on in Baltimore, Waffle House will open a closer location.