With the NFL draft just a week away, the Ravens will welcome a new batch of young talent that will impact their fortunes for 2020 and beyond.
However, many of those additions will have an adverse effect on players already on the roster, ranging from stiffer competition and fewer opportunities to a diminished role or eventual unemployment. It’s a reason why observers often say the NFL could stand for “Not For Long” with the high turnover rate of rosters every year.
The following young players wouldn’t seem to find themselves in any short-term roster jeopardy, but the outcome of this year’s draft could substantially impact their standing for the coming season and beyond:
WR Miles Boykin
Many anticipate general manager Eric DeCosta adding at least one wide receiver in the draft, but how early that selection comes could be the difference in projecting Boykin to be a starter or more of a No. 3 or No. 4 option. The 2019 third-round pick from Notre Dame flashed some big-play ability with four receptions of 18 or more yards as a rookie, but he registered just 13 catches while playing 425 offensive snaps in the regular season. At worst, the 6-foot-4, 220-pound wideout with good straight-line speed remains an attractive deep-ball option, but Baltimore using a first- or second-round pick in such a deep receiver class would likely indicate less confidence in Boykin taking a big step forward this season.
S DeShon Elliott
The 2018 sixth-round pick from Texas flashed range and physicality over his first two offseasons, but injuries have limited him to just six career games as he suffered a season-ending knee injury last October and sat out his rookie year with a broken forearm. Starting safeties Earl Thomas and Chuck Clark are under contract for the next few years, but Baltimore employed extensive three-safety packages in the second half of 2019 with ex-Raven Brandon Carr entering on the back end and Clark moving to the box. That doesn’t mean defensive coordinator Wink Martindale will do the same in 2020, but the Ravens spending a draft pick at safety over the first half of the draft wouldn’t be the best sign for Elliott.
OLB Jaylon Ferguson
A 2019 third-round pick from Louisiana Tech thrown into a starting role after the season-ending injury to Pernell McPhee, Ferguson showed growth setting the edge down the stretch and should maintain a significant role. However, the Ravens covet another edge defender to bring more juice to the pass rush opposite Matthew Judon, and Ferguson needs to diversify his technique beyond the bull rush on which he relied heavily in college. There’s a drop-off after Ohio State’s Chase Young in this draft, but there are other pass-rushing options in the early rounds who could help. Ferguson is a player who could really benefit from a normal offseason in Owings Mills, but that’s not happening with the current pandemic.
RB Justice Hill
I wrote extensively about the running back position on Wednesday, but it would be naive to assume DeCosta would pass on adding more talent and depth to the group with the ground attack being the lifeblood of Greg Roman’s offense. Hill’s 66 touches as a rookie were more a product of there being only one football to go around, but he flashed over the final couple games after the calf injury to Pro Bowl veteran Mark Ingram and could be in line for an increased share of carries in 2020. His 200-pound build doesn’t suggest his surprising ability to break tackles, but the Ravens refraining from adding a late Day 2 or early Day 3 running back would bode well for Hill’s status for the next year or two.
G Ben Powers
Replacing potential Hall of Famer Marshal Yanda is a daunting task, but the Ravens have refrained from adding a veteran so far and released reserve James Hurst last month, putting more spotlight on Powers and the draft. The 2019 fourth-round pick from Oklahoma was inactive for the first 15 games before playing an effective 30 snaps in the Week 17 finale against Pittsburgh, which isn’t a sample on which to make a confident decision. The Ravens could target an offensive tackle to move inside or Michigan’s Cesar Ruiz in the first round or look to Day 2 for an option like Ohio State’s Jonah Jackson or Temple’s Matt Hennessy, but the longer they wait would be a greater endorsement for Powers’ starting chances
