• Round 1, Pick 32: WR AD Mitchell, Texas — Mitchell’s finesse and movement skills bode well for red-zone efficiency, and he is a good sideline receiver.
• Round 2, Pick 64: CB Caelen Carson, Wake Forest — He’s a bit limited in long speed, but he can trigger downhill fast, especially when he anticipates. He is also one of the more fearless run-defending cornerbacks in the class.
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Though the Baltimore Ravens are marching on this postseason, it’s never a bad time to take a look into the near future to see how a team can get even better the following season.
The Ravens are next up in our team mock draft series.
Round 1, Pick 32: WR AD MITCHELL, TEXAS
The Ravens could lose Odell Beckham Jr. to free agency this spring. Even if they don’t, this pick would still make sense. Baltimore gets most of its size in the receiving game from the tight end room. The team has done well with Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely, but I love the idea of adding the 6-foot-4 Mitchell as the “X” receiver. Mitchell’s finesse and movement skills bode well for red-zone efficiency, and he is a good sideline receiver.
Round 2, Pick 64: CB CAELEN CARSON, WAKE FOREST
Baltimore's cornerback room needs some youth, and Carson is the player I gravitate toward for them in the second round. He’s a bit limited in long speed, but he can trigger downhill fast, especially when he anticipates. He is also one of the more fearless run-defending cornerbacks the class has to offer. That kind of attitude in the physical parts of the position will be coveted.
Round 3, Pick 95: EDGE MARSHAWN KNEELAND, WESTERN MICHIGAN
Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy have enjoyed great seasons for the Ravens. Clowney is a pending free agent who will command much more money on his next contract and Van Noy is now well into his 30s, so Baltimore would be wise to consider an edge defender within the first three rounds, even with their previous draft investments.
Western Michigan’s Marshawn Kneeland's game film looks like a car crash from an action movie — in a good way. He puts his big body on the line every snap and doesn't want to run around his blockers; he wants to run through them. He has uniquely long arms and can be a strongside defensive end in Baltimore.
Round 4, Pick 132: S MALIK MUSTAPHA, WAKE FOREST
I didn’t plan on grabbing both of my favorite players from Wake Forest’s defense in this draft, but it makes sense. Mustapha, like Caelen Carson, loves to hit. He is a throwback downhill safety who enforces the middle of the field.
There are times when Wake Forest allowed him, within their structure, to roam the middle of the field and follow the ball to make plays. That’s not to say he’ll take over for Kyle Hamilton in such a versatile role, but having another versatile defensive back to play in the box does give the Ravens flexibility in how they deploy Hamilton and others.
Round 4, Pick 134: T JAVON FOSTER, MISSOURI
Foster is an experienced offensive tackle prospect who has graded well in PFF's system over the past few seasons. Across three years as a starter, he didn't record an overall season grade below 81.0. At 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds, he’s not going to test like a high-percentile athlete for the position. But that experience and consistent success are worth drafting somewhere in this range.
Round 5, Pick 169: DI KEITH RANDOLPH JR., ILLINOIS
While fellow Illinois defensive lineman Jer’Zhan Newton gets a lot of the hype, Randolph should be an early Day 3 prospect. Randolph is more of a power player in the trenches. Though his run-defense grade went down from 84.6 in 2022 to 62.3 in 2023, he still possesses the ability to hold the line of scrimmage and take up blocks. He’s also built well at 6-foot-5 and 305 pounds and could be used as a defensive end in an odd front.
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