The offensive line, the defensive backfield, and the edge position are commonly discussed as the most pressing needs for the Baltimore Ravens entering NFL Draft season. What are the experts saying?
On SI sifted through a half dozen of the recent NFL Mock Drafts to find out. Across those projections were three specific prospects slotted at Baltimore’s 27th overall selection.
Without a doubt, if Donovan Jackson is still available at No. 27, it would be an excellent pick for the Ravens based on his performance in 2024, and the needs at left tackle and left guard, specifically.
Jackson played excellent football at left guard for the Buckeyes before sliding to left tackle when injuries called for a shuffling of the deck up front in Chip Kelly’s offense.
While Jackson faced high-quality pass rushers when the Buckeyes faced Penn State and Michigan in the second half of the regular season before taking on Tennessee, Oregon, and Notre Dame in the subsequent bowl games, he surely gained excellent experience in house, practicing regularly versus two of the best in FBS football last year – Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau.
Should Jackson be the selection, there should be a very good chance the Ravens would have a starter-quality tackle as early as this year. If not, again, Jackson is highly capable at the guard position, a 320-pounder who leaves the college ranks as a First Team All-Big Ten selection (2022-24), a First Team All-American (2024), and a national champion.
**Click here for Jackson guard highlights**
On the defensive side of the ball, the Ravens’ most pressing need is arguably the edge of its defensive front. Although Baltimore could use help in the defensive backfield, most would agree that an edge rusher would be the best choice in the first round unless a safety too enticing were to fall to the Ravens.
In two of the six mock drafts cited in this breakdown, James Pearce Jr. out of Tennessee was the projection.
Over his last two seasons, Pearce Jr. put together an impressive 28 tackles for loss and 17.5 sacks.
His bend isn’t the highest caliber compared to the average first-round edge, but Pearce Jr. makes up for it with a super-quick get-off, very good speed-to-power, and ideal length and overall size at 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds.
Pearce Jr. is excellent with his hands in combating clubs, swiping and clawing his way through pass protection with a violent nature. If he continues to improve and is years away from his peak, this could be a steal at No. 27.
**Click here for Pearce Jr’s 2024 highlights**
Baltimore has been served well with its Georgia native in the back end with Kyle Hamilton a young star. Pairing Hamilton with another former five-star recruit out of Georgia in Malaki Starks could give Baltimore one of the very best young safety tandems in the NFL.
A three-year starter in as many years at the college level for his home state Bulldogs, Starks recorded 127 solo tackles, 197 total tackles, six tackles for loss, six interceptions, and 17 pass breakups.
Many of those interceptions came versus quality offenses like Bo Nix/Oregon in 2022, Spencer Rattler/South Carolina in 2023, Jordan Travis/Florida State in 2023, and Cade Klubnik/Clemson in 2024.
Starks is fantastic in the air, a badger in contested situations. That toughness shows in the way he attacks the run as well, a hard-nosed hitter whose hesitation function broke years ago.
Starks is capable of playing right away. So, again, hypothetically, if the Ravens added the blue-chip draft prospect through a 27th overall selection, it would be a steal that would result in one heck of a safety outlook heading into the 2025 season.
