A-
Baltimore Ravens
Best value of the weekend goes to the Ravens for Slaughter: A-.
by terpfan721 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 6 steals
· 1 reaches
The Ravens ran the phones like sharks, prying loose value on deal after deal until the ledger was lopsided. This is how you run a draft, and the A- reflects it.
On value alone, Slaughter makes the weekend a net positive. They punted on interior defensive lineman, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.
The veteran additions, Ben Bredeson chief among them, give the class a floor the rookies alone would not. Job largely done: cornerback settled and 5 of 8 of the wish list covered.
Trust the process, because this time the process plainly worked.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 23rd overall pick they get a long-term starter on the line. The biggest hole, addressed.
Joshua Josephs at pick 45 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A need, and now a little less of one.
Elijah Sarratt at Round 3, Pick 14 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Jake Slaughter in pick No. 80 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Skyler Bell in the 103rd pick is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Value with a capital V on Malik Muhammad in the Round 4 slot, a genuine coup. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A conviction pick on Jack Endries at No. 115 that the board grades a round light. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Charles Demmings at the 162nd pick is money in the bank, a cornerback taken below his worth. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
The board had Marlin Klein higher than pick No. 173, and the tight end fell to them anyway. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Fair-plus on Jeff Caldwell, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. It fills a real need, too.
A quiet steal in the Round 7 slot: Aiden Fisher for less than the market said. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.