Bijan Robinson

Ravens fans are all too familiar with the old Ozzie Newsome effect on the first round of the draft. While the fanbase often clamored for offensive weapons for Joe Flacco, Newsome continuously left them wanting.

From 2010-2014, Newsome used Baltimore’s top picks on linebacker Sergio Kindle, cornerback Jimmy Smith, linebacker Courtney Upshaw, safety Matt Elam, and linebacker C.J. Mosley. He followed it up with two swings in 2015, using the team’s first- and second-round picks on wide receiver Breshad Perriman and tight end Maxx Williams, respectively, but neither pick lived up to their draft stock.

Newsome shocked the world in his last draft as general manager of the Ravens back in 2018, using the team’s first four picks on offensive players Lamar Jackson, Hayden Hurst, Orlando Brown, and Mark Andrews. Since his departure, his successor, Eric DeCosta, has gone for a bit more balance, drafting each an offensive and a defensive player with the team’s top two picks each year, usually trying to add offensive weapons for Jackson like wide receiver Marquise Brown, running back J.K. Dobbins, and wide receiver Rashod Bateman.

The same is expected for Thursday, as the Ravens are reportedly “focused on adding playmakers” for Jackson, in an attempt to prove their intentions of keeping him around, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN. Many expect this to mean a wide receiver. Baltimore, as usual, has an impressive collection of tight ends in Andrews and second-year players Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar.

They also are expected to return a healthy 1-2 punch of J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards, both of whom have helped lead one of the league’s best rushing attacks alongside Jackson. It should be noted, though, that Graziano’s comment about adding playmakers was in reference to Texas running back Bijan Robinson. He believes that, if Robinson begins to slide further and further back in the first round towards the Ravens’ No. 22 pick, DeCosta may make a move to trade up and nab another playmaker to support Jackson.

On the other side of the spectrum, Jason La Canfora of The Washington Post confirms that the Ravens are looking to trade in the draft, he just believes it will happen in the opposite direction. La Canfora bluntly states, “The Ravens are shopping this pick.” Granted his mock draft has them trading back one spot to No. 23, he could still be right about the team’s intentions.

Trading back out of the first round was a staple of the Newsome era, usually as a way to acquire more draft capital, something the Ravens lack after the Roquan Smith trade and a move up in last year’s draft to select tackle Daniel Faalele. While DeCosta hasn’t recently shown the same affinity for middle-round draft pick acquisitions, this may be the perfect time for DeCosta to steal a move from his old mentor.

As for what the Ravens would look for when shopping the pick, there’s two likely possibilities. The first of which is congruent with their current needs. If they still desire a young cornerback, there are strong second- or third-round options at the position like South Carolina’s duo of Darius Rush and Cam Smith or Miami’s Tyrique Stevenson.

The second option is a result of this year’s talent-pool. It’s been no secret that the 2023 draft class is not considered especially deep. The Ravens may have the intention of selling their top pick this year in order to acquire much more capital for a draft next year that is projected to have a bit more talent.

With the draft officially less that 24 hours away, we won’t have long to wait and see what happens. Whether Baltimore follows old Newsome tactics of taking the best player available regardless of position, taking a defensive player like a cornerback to replace free agent Marcus Peters, trading back, or even if they take Jackson’s contract negotiations into consideration and go after weapons for the young quarterback, there are options aplenty.