Baltimore Ravens

Top 5 NFL Draft Prospects For The Baltimore Ravens

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 11:31 p.m. ET

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Feb 22, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Baltimore Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome speaks at the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Ravens have missed the playoffs three of the last four seasons. The pressure is on for the entire organization and that includes Ozzie Newsome.

The Baltimore Ravens have the 16th pick in the NFL Draft. They need to make the most of their failing in the 2016 season and make the 2017 NFL Draft a turning point for the franchise. The Ravens have a few needs, none of them are more pressing than the wide receiver position. The Ravens lost Steve Smith Sr. to retirement and there is a lot of unproven youth there. I will give you this spoiler alert, two of the top 5 targets for the Ravens are wide receivers.

The Ravens also need help in the secondary and the pass rushing departments. Dean Pees boasted a top 10 defense this season but that doesn’t mean upgrades are not needed. The Ravens have two veterans at the safety positions. Finding an alternative to Lardarius Webb at free safety would not be a bad idea.

The Ravens know that no player is off limits here. This is a franchise that needs talent. Newsome needs to find his next game changer. Whether it’s a receiver that is impossible to stop or a bone crushing pass rusher, the Ravens need it. So let’s take at the players I covet the most for the purple and black.

Jan 2, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; Western Michigan Broncos wide receiver Corey Davis (84) reacts after catching a touchdown pass during the second half of the 2017 Cotton Bowl against the Wisconsin Badgers at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

1. Corey Davis, Wide Receiver (Western Michigan)

This is one of the fastest players in the NFL Draft. With a big body and every physical tool you could ask a wide receiver to posses, Davis could be a difference maker. He reminds me of Antonio Brown but he has the frame of Julio Jones. Davis can go up and make the tough catch but he wins by creating great separation. The Ravens need a guy who always finds a way to be open and Davis is that guy.

Davis has the things that you cannot coach. He has heart, size and speed. He comes into the league with a pretty high floor, because his skill set makes success inevitable. High floor, astronomically high ceiling, that is what the Ravens would be getting with this wide receiver. The more I look at this Western Michigan star the more I hope he ends up in Baltimore.

Davis was incredibly productive in college. He had 97 catches in the 2016 season for 1,500 yards and 19 touchdowns. In four seasons he racked up 52 touchdowns and 5,278 yards. Davis can make catches all over the field. He is not just a deep threat, though he will be one of the best burners in the NFL.

Dec 31, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Clemson wide receiver Mike Williams (7) runs the ball after a catch against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the first quarter in the 2016 CFP semifinal at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

2. Mike Williams, Wide Receiver (Clemson)

The Ravens need to get a wide receiver, I will preach it all offseason long. The Ravens would be wise to look to Mike Williams for their biggest need. Williams is another receiver that is all about productivity. In 2016, Williams had 90 receptions for 1,267 yards and 10 touchdowns. You’ll get a good look at Williams on Monday night, when his Clemson Tigers takes on the Alabama Crimson Tide, for all the marbles in College Football.

The most exciting thing about Williams is his ability to make plays in the air. He is one of those players who is always open over his head. If the Ravens want a tough receiver that Flacco can trust, Williams makes an awful lot of sense. Williams has a 6’4″ frame and great long arms. Soft hands are included with this physical specimen.

The Ravens have to hope that one of the top two receivers in this draft class falls to them. Marty Mornhinweg likes to have Flacco throw the football. It would be nice to give the Ravens franchise quarterback a franchise changing wide receiver.

Dec 31, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes safety Malik Hooker (24) intercepts a pass intended for Clemson Tigers wide receiver Hunter Renfrow (13) during the second quarter during the 2016 CFP semifinal at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Kadlubowski/The Arizona Republic via USA TODAY Sports

3. Malik Hooker, Safety (Ohio State)

You’re going to hear a ton of comparisons between Malik Hooker and Ed Reed. Any time you have a prospect being compared to the greatest ball hawk that ever lived, you have to be intrigued. Hooker has great instincts and incredible range. He has the speed to find his way to a big play. Quarterbacks want to get a lot of air on the deep ball, but they have to be weary of Hooker’s ability to track down the football.

Hooker had seven interceptions this season with the Ohio State Buckeyes. He scored three touchdowns on interception returns. Hooker gained 181 yards on interception returns. He is a ball hawk that can turn defense into offense. This is the best safety prospect to come into the NFL Draft for a while.

Hooker has the ability to play strong safety and free safety. It figures that he would be a great pairing with Eric Weddle. The Ravens need game changers. Hooker could be just what the doctor ordered for the Ravens.

Dec 31, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive lineman Jonathan Allen (93) walks on the field during the first quarter in the 2016 CFP Semifinal against the Washington Huskies at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

4. Jonathan Allen, DE (Alabama)

This would be such a Ravens pick. Allen is a big defensive lineman from Alabama. Here is another player you will get a good look at in the National Championship Game. Allen fits the mold of a Ravens player to a tee. He is a massive, tough, grind it out kind of player. Coming from Alabama, you know Newsome is a fan.

In four seasons with the Crimson Tide, Allen has racked up 27 sacks, 43 tackles for a loss and forced three fumbles. He is a 6’3″ 291 pound defensive lineman whose draft stock could skyrocket with an impressive showing at the combine.

Imagining a defensive line with Allen, and Jernigan as the defensive ends is quite exciting. The Ravens need more pass rush, but there is no rule saying it has to come from the outside linebacker position.

Dec 30, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles running back Dalvin Cook warms up before a game against the Michigan Wolverines at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports

5. Dalvin Cook:

The Ravens don’t need a running back. Kenneth Dixon looks like a budding star and Terrance West still has a ton of potential. However Dalvin Cook is no ordinary running back. Cook has been a pleasure to watch at Florida State. The running back he reminds me of, is currently a finalist to be inducted in the Hall of Fame. Cook is the spitting image of a young Ladainian Tomlinson.

Cook put up 4,464 yards in his three seasons with the Seminoles. He averaged 6.5 yards per carry and scored 46 touchdowns in that span. In the 2016 season, Cook put up an incredible 1,765 yards and 19 rushing touchdowns. There is no player on the plant more explosive than Cook. Cook is going to be a star in the NFL. He does not fill a need for the Ravens, but like I said before, no player is off limits for the Ravens.

The Baltimore Ravens need to have a big draft. They need to get some talent that changes the trajectory of the franchise. There are many problems that have hindered the Ravens over the past few seasons. The number one problem, is a lack of difference making talent. Newsome must fix that in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

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