B+
Baltimore Ravens
Larceny in slot 87 lands the Ravens a B+, Slaughter and all.
by terpfan721 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 4 steals
· 1 reaches
When a board-topper like Jake Slaughter slides to the Round 3 slot, you do not overthink it, and the Ravens did not. They moved the roster forward and banked a B+ for it.
The phones were where this weekend was really won. Leaving running back unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall. They went 5 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.
Nothing here to lose sleep over, and plenty to feel decent about.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 18th overall pick they get a downhill thumper at linebacker at a price that makes it sweeter. Need was not the driver here.
In pick No. 24 they get a blindside protector. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Steal is underselling it; Jake Slaughter at the 87th pick is a heist with the alarm still ringing. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
A wide receiver of that caliber at the Round 3 slot is the definition of value, full stop. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Ja'Kobi Lane slid further than he should have, and slot 115 is lovely value for the wide receiver. It fills a real need, too.
They did well to land Charles Demmings in Round 5, Pick 14, just ahead of his grade. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A tidy little value on Marlin Klein in pick 162, a step better than break-even. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Tanner Koziol at No. 163 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A need, and now a little less of one.
They paid up for Zane Durant at slot 173 when waiting would have done the job. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Nothing to complain about; Jeff Caldwell went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Alan Herron in the 250th pick is fair value, right on his grade. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.