The picks are in for the 2019 draft, so what can we now expect from the Ravens’ eight selections?
Below is the early look at how each rookie fits now and in the future:
WR Marquise Brown
Drafted: First round (25th overall) from Oklahoma
2019 projected role: We may not see “Hollywood” on the practice field until training camp as he recovers from a foot injury, but the explosive and shifty receiver will immediately compete for a starting role.
Long-term view: His small 5-foot-9, 170-pound frame and the Lisfranc injury raise concerns — ask Jimmy Smith about the latter — but Brown looks the part of the home-run hitter this offense has lacked for years. If he becomes the next DeSean Jackson, the Baltimore pass game could be very fun to watch.
OLB Jaylon Ferguson
Drafted: Third round round (85th overall) from Louisiana Tech
2019 projected role: With the exits of Terrell Suggs and Za’Darius Smith, the 6-foot-5, 275-pound Ferguson will compete for the rush linebacker job and extensive snaps in the pass-rush rotation.
Long-term view: You love the college production as Ferguson broke Suggs’ Division I record for career sacks, but he’ll need to expand on his pass-rushing technique as his bull rush won’t overwhelm opposing linemen as frequently at the next level. Ferguson has the traits to be a productive starting edge defender.
WR Miles Boykin
Drafted: Third round (93rd overall) from Notre Dame
2019 projected role: Given the Ravens’ lack of outside receivers, the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Boykin will have the chance to compete for meaningful playing time right off the bat, especially if he blocks well.
Long-term view: The combination of size and athleticism makes you think Boykin is just scratching the surface of his potential after his breakout senior year at Notre Dame, but improving his route running and finding more consistency will be keys. Few Ravens wide receivers have ever had as much upside.
RB Justice Hill
Drafted: Fourth round (113th overall) from Oklahoma State
2019 projected role: Hill joins a backfield that includes Mark Ingram and two others — Gus Edwards and Kenneth Dixon — who averaged over 5.0 yards per carry last year, meaning touches could be scarce early.
Long-term view: A 5-foot-10, 200-pound frame doesn’t scream every-down back, but Hill had the fastest 40-yard dash of any back at the combine and showed big-play ability in college. His development as a receiver out of the backfield will likely be an X factor in determining his ultimate role at the NFL level.
G Ben Powers
Drafted: Fourth round (123rd overall) from Oklahoma
2019 projected role: A three-year starter for the Sooners, the 6-foot-4, 310-pound Powers will compete for the starting left guard spot with the likes of James Hurst, Alex Lewis, and Bradley Bozeman.
Long-term view: Powers earned attention for his WWE-like proclamation of “taking a grown man’s dreams and crushing it,” but his physicality and pedigree coming from a major program is what excites Baltimore. Like close friend Orlando Brown Jr., Powers has the chance to become a starter very quickly.
Seems like a good time to bring this gem back. Ben Powers is heading to the Ravens. He’ll bring this nasty mentality with him. #Sooners pic.twitter.com/9VfFjIEbOe
— TJ Eckert (@TJEckertKTUL) April 27, 2019
CB Iman Marshall
Drafted: Fourth round (127th overall) from USC
2019 projected role: Joining the deepest position group on the roster, the 6-foot-1, 210-pound Marshall’s only realistic hope of seeing the field this season — injuries aside — is as a special-teams contributor.
Long-term view: With Brandon Carr and Jimmy Smith both over 30, the Ravens taking a Day 3 corner made sense and Marshall’s size and physicality make him an interesting prospect at corner or safety. Penalties were an issue at USC and he isn’t the fastest, but Marshall could be a sleeper in this class.
DT Daylon Mack
Drafted: Fifth round (160th overall) from Texas A&M
2019 projected role: The 340-pound defensive lineman’s best chance of cracking a deep rotation early will be showing off the pass-rush ability that resulted in his 5 1/2 sacks during his senior season.
Long-term view: With Baltimore possibly needing to choose between keeping Brandon Williams and Michael Pierce next offseason, this pick makes sense, especially if Mack builds on a strong 2018 that followed an ordinary first three years with the Aggies. The Ravens know how to find defensive tackles.
QB Trace McSorley
Drafted: Sixth round (197th overall) from Penn State
2019 projected role: The undersized and developmental quarterback will very likely need to contribute in other ways — think of Taysom Hill with New Orleans — to stick on the 53-man roster.
Long-term view: McSorley has the athleticism to play in Baltimore’s run-based offense and showed passing ability two years ago to make you believe he could be an NFL backup before a rough senior year. This is an interesting low-risk flier on a “tough-ass competitor” as John Harbaugh labeled him.
