Latest On Ravens, Lamar Jackson
- Although the Ravens ultimately selected Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson with the final pick of the first round, there was a “movement” within the club’s draft room to take Jackson with their original No. 16 selection, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Instead, Baltimore ended up trading back twice — once to No. 22, and again to No. 25 — before drafting South Carolina tight end Hayden Hurst. To move back up, the Ravens sacrificed two second-round picks (one in 2019), but getting back into the first round will give the team a fifth-year option on Jackson. Baltimore has a plan as to how it will develop and utilize Jackson behind starter Joe Flacco, per Jim Trotter of NFL.com.
Ravens Send No. 152 Pick To Titans
The Titans chose to move up a bit in the fifth round, climbing from No. 162 to No. 152. They’ll send the Ravens that No. 162 choice as well as the No. 215 selection (Round 6), per Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Now under the direction of new coach Mike Vrabel, the Titans have made three moves up in this draft — most notably to land high-end defenders Rashaan Evans and Harold Landry with their first- and second-round picks.
This time, Tennessee selected Arizona cornerback Dane Cruikshank. The 6-foot-1 corner intercepted five passes over the past two seasons for the Wildcats. He’s only the third draft choice the Titans have made this year. Because of this deal, Tennessee only owns one more draft choice (No. 199).
Chiefs Move Into Ravens’ No. 75 Position
Shortly after trading out of the No. 65 draft slot, the Ravens are moving down again. The Chiefs will now pick at No. 75, and they’ll supply the Ravens with an additional fourth-round selection to do so.
Kansas City will send the No. 86 and No. 122 picks to Baltimore, per Jeff Zreibec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), and will use the pick on Derrick Nnadi — a defensive lineman from Florida State.
This marks the second time the Chiefs have traded up tonight and the second time they’ve used a pick on a college defensive lineman, although they’ve said Breeland Speaks will start out at outside linebacker in their 3-4 set.
Whereas Speaks will play on the outside in K.C., Nnadi figures to help inside. The Chiefs lost Bennie Logan in free agency and don’t have an obvious successor at nose. The 312-pound Nnadi registered 9.5 sacks and 20.5 tackles for loss while playing inside for the Seminoles the past two seasons.
Raiders Acquire Ravens’ No. 65 Pick
The Raiders are moving to the top of the third round and will use multiple picks to make that jump, Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweets.
Oakland acquired the No. 65 choice from the Ravens and will send Nos. 75, 152 and 212 to Baltimore. The Raiders used the pick to draft another offensive lineman, North Carolina A&T’s Brandon Parker.
The 6-foot-7 Parker will follow the 6-9 Kolton Miller to the Bay Area as offensive line reinforcements. The Silver and Black are in need of right tackle help and have Donald Penn entering his age-35 season on the left edge. Each of Oakland’s three 2018 picks so far have come on the lines, with second-round defensive lineman P.J. Hall joining the blockers as the newest Raiders.
Draft Notes: Penny, Chiefs, Jets, Jackson
Excepting the Eli Manning-for-Philip Rivers exchange, NFL draft trades rarely unfold like NBA draft-night swaps, with teams making picks and then sending players elsewhere. But the Seahawks indicated such an offer emerged on Thursday night. After they’d made their somewhat surprising Rashaad Penny selection at No. 27, John Schneider said (via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times) another team called them to try and acquire the running back. Schneider said that was the first time he’d seen such an offer as an NFL executive. Schneider said he would have authorized a Penny pick at No. 18, which would have been even more interesting since the San Diego State product was viewed as a fringe first-round prospect going into the night, and the Seahawks obviously held onto their new rookie after the surely strange phone call.
Here’s more from the draft world going into Night 2.
- Despite talk connecting the Jets to Baker Mayfield, Josh Allen, and (to a lesser extent) Josh Rosen before the draft, Sam Darnold was the top quarterback on their board, Manish Mehta of the Daily News tweets. The Jets did not expect Darnold to be on the board at No. 3, hence the franchise’s late maneuvering to secure more face time with its top QB prospect.
- The Chiefs made two blockbuster trades this offseason, and the team unloading Marcus Peters for second- and fourth-round draft choices deprives Kansas City of what was probably a top-three player on its roster. The now-Brett Veach-run franchise had discussions of moving up from No. 54 and all the way into the first round, and they’ve been reportedly considering a trade-up sequence in Round 2. Albert Breer of SI.com reports the Chiefs discussed moving into the Eagles‘ No. 32 spot last night before the Ravens did so and that a move north tonight will be with a cornerback acquisition in mind. The Chiefs traded for Kendall Fuller and signed David Amerson, but their defense — the No. 30 DVOA unit with Peters — still has a need at this spot.
- Some evaluators think that Lamar Jackson‘s best position in the NFL would be at wide receiver, but don’t tell that to Ravens offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg. When asked about his plans for the Louisville product, he said, “[Jackson] is a quarterback. Done.” (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). He also emphasized that Joe Flacco will remain the team’s starter.
Ravens Acquire No. 32 From Eagles
Baltimore’s wrapped up a busy evening with another trade. Sam Farmer of the LA Times reports (via Twitter) that the team has acquired the No. 32 pick from the Eagles. Baltimore has acquired the first-rounder and No. 132 (fourth round), and they’ll be sending No. 52 (second round), No. 125 (fourth round), and a 2019 second-rounder to Philly.
The Ravens have used the pick to select quarterback Lamar Jackson. The Louisville product and former Heisman winner is the fifth quarterback taken during the first round. He had another productive season in 2017, completing 59.1-percent of his passes for 3,660 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He also added another 1,601 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on 232 carries. Barring some unexpected transaction, Jackson will likely serve as a backup to Joe Flacco for at least the upcoming season.
This is the third trade of the night for Baltimore, who also completed deals with the Bills and Titans. Reports had indicated that the organization was eyeing offensive linemen like Mike McGlinchey and Kolton Miller, although there were whispers that the organization could pursue a future starting quarterback.
Titans Acquire No. 22 From Ravens
The Ravens are moving down… again. After trading down to the No. 22 pick earlier tonight, Baltimore is once again dealing their first-rounder. The Ravens are sending that No. 22 pick to the Titans, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Tennessee will also receive No. 215 (sixth round), while Baltimore will get No. 25 and No. 125 (fourth round), via ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter).
The Titans are using the pick on linebacker Rashaan Evans. The Alabama product is one of the top defensive prospects in the draft, as Daniel Jeremiah listed him 20th overall in his top-50 rankings. Evans had a breakout campaign as a senior, compiling 74 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and six sacks. Derrick Morgan, Wesley Woodyard, Jayon Brown, and Brian Orakpo are currently listed as the team’s starting linebackers, but Evans could work his way into the lineup.
After starting the night with the No. 16 pick, the Ravens sent the selection to Buffalo, acquiring picks No. 22 and No. 65. This recent trade will give the organization 10 picks for the entire weekend
Bills Acquire No. 16 From Ravens
The Bills are having a busy night. After acquiring the No. 7 pick earlier this evening (which they used on quarterback Josh Allen), the team has now acquired the No. 16 pick from the Ravens. The team tweeted that they’ll be sending Baltimore picks No. 22 and No. 65, and Buffalo will also be receiving No. 154. ESPN’s Mike Rodak was the first with the news (via Twitter).
The Bills are using the pick on linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. The Virginia Tech product is considered to be one of the top defenders in the entire draft, as Daniel Jeremiah listed him sixth in his top-5o rankings. Edmunds had a productive junior season, compiling 108 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks. The rookie will likely compete with Matt Milano and Tanner Vallejo for a starting gig.
The trade will give the Ravens a second third-rounder, and it will give the organization nine picks for the entire weekend. Reports had indicated that the organization was eyeing offensive linemen Mike McGlinchey and Kolton Miller. With the two off the board, the team switched their focus to a trade.
Draft Rumors: Ravens, Seahawks, 49ers, Pats
Let’s dive into some last-minute draft rumors as we anticipate the start of the first round…
- Should the Ravens go on the clock and Mike McGlinchey is off the board, it looks like they will strongly consider UCLA’s Kolton Miller. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets the Ravens are focused on Miller as a McGlinchey contingency plan at No. 16. These two are viewed by many as the top tackles in this year’s draft. Although Baltimore needs a right tackle after cutting Austin Howard, this serves as one of the possible Lamar Jackson destinations. Assuming the top four QB prospects are gone by this point in the draft, it could open up the trade market for the picks in the latter teens with the 2016 Heisman winner still available.
- Albert Breer of SI.com writes that there are several teams interested in moving down, including the 49ers (No. 9), Seahawks (No. 18), Lions (No. 20), Titans (No. 25), and Eagles (No. 32). Seattle would have particular interest in trading their pick if safety Derwin James or any of the top pass-rushers are off the board. Meanwhile, Breer notes that San Francisco could benefit if a quarterback-needy team wants to trade up.
- Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets that he keeps hearing Miami defensive lineman Chad Thomas being connected to the Patriots. Thomas didn’t earn a spot on NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah’s top-50 list, and he’s ultimately projected to be a third- or fourth-round pick. The senior was plenty productive in 2017, compiling 41 total tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks.
Draft Notes: Ravens, Seahawks, Saints, Browns
Let’s take a look at some assorted notes as we get ready for the start of the draft…
- There are a number of teams currently picking in the twenties that would be interested in moving up to the teens, reports Jason La Canfora (via Twitter). Interestingly, those teams may have some suitors, as the reporter notes that the Ravens and Seahawks are among the teams interested in trading back.
- Saints assistant general manager Jeff Ireland told Josh Katzenstein of The Times-Picayune that running back Saquon Barkley is the top player on their draft board (Twitter link). “He’s rare,” Ireland gushed. “He’s unique.” Of course, barring some crazy development, the Saints are unlikely to have an opportunity to select Barkley, as they’re only armed with one pick in the first two rounds. Plus, the team is already rostering several talented running backs, including Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram.
- There could end up being a flurry of trades if the Browns select Baker Mayfield with the first-overall pick, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter video). All of the potential scenarios have seemingly stalled trade talks, although Rapoport notes that the Browns (No. 4), Broncos (No. 5), and Colts (No. 6) are among the teams who’d consider moving down. The Bills could be among the teams looking to trade into the top-six range, and the Broncos could ultimately choose to keep their pick if someone like Josh Allen falls into their lap.
- Rapoport also notes (via Twitter) that several prospects are expected to be selected earlier than initially thought: Maryland wideout D.J. Moore, UTSA defensive end Marcus Davenport, and Louisville Jaire Alexander. Davenport and Alexander both landed in the top-20 of Daniel Jeremiah’s rankings, while Moore was listed 37th.