The Ravens went off the board in a big way for Wesley Williams, 63 picks early. Conviction is one thing; this is another. The bottom line is a respectable B+.
Whatever else happened, they won the night they took Key. Every deal seemed to tilt their way, which is not luck. The interior defensive lineman spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at.
They went 6 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.
Good work on the whole, with interior defensive lineman the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
R1.18
· Pick 18
· Arvell Reese
· LB
· rank 7
In the 18th pick they get a downhill thumper at linebacker at a price that makes it sweeter. More want than need.
R2.13
· Pick 45
· Chris Johnson
· CB
· rank 32
A quiet steal in Round 2, Pick 13: Chris Johnson for less than the market said. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
R2.17
· Pick 49
· Eli Stowers
· TE
· rank 53
Eli Stowers at pick No. 49 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
R3.16
· Pick 80
· Jake Slaughter
· C
· rank 55
A top-tier offensive lineman at a bargain, Jake Slaughter in slot 80, plain and simple. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
R4.15
· Pick 115
· Deion Burks
· WR
· rank 108
A reasonable price with a little left over, Deion Burks in pick 115. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
R5.14
· Pick 154
· Isaiah World
· OT
· rank 141
Isaiah World at the 154th overall pick is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
R5.22
· Pick 162
· Kage Casey
· OT
· rank 155
Kage Casey in the 162nd overall pick is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
R5.33
· Pick 173
· Ar'maj Reed-Adams
· OG
· rank 166
Good price on Ar'maj Reed-Adams in the 173rd pick, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
R5.34
· Pick 174
· Domani Jackson
· CB
· rank 172
Domani Jackson at the Round 5 slot is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
R6.30
· Pick 211
· Kaelon Black
· RB
· rank 210
They took Kaelon Black at par in slot 211, which is nothing to complain about. A need, and now a little less of one.
R7.18
· Pick 234
· De'Zhaun Stribling
· WR
· rank 249
They liked De'Zhaun Stribling enough to skip the value, taking him in No. 234. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
R7.19
· Pick 235
· Thaddeus Dixon
· CB
· rank 213
Thaddeus Dixon in Round 7, Pick 19 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
R7.34
· Pick 250
· Wesley Williams
· DE-EDGE
· rank 313
They talked themselves into Wesley Williams at pick 250, and the board did not agree. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
R7.37
· Pick 253
· Dane Key
· WR
· rank 224
Dane Key at pick No. 253 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.