• Draft Anthony Richardson at No. 4 overall? If the Colts sign Jackson to an unmatched offer, the Ravens could potentially spend the No. 4 overall pick on Florida’s Anthony Richardson, who produced 19 big-time throws and forced 39 missed tackles as a runner in 2022.
• Address the position with Pick 22 (or later): Hendon Hooker is currently the 91st-ranked player on the PFF big board, so it’s not a move that would be graded favorably in our mock draft simulator, but he is coming off a season where he recorded just five turnover-worthy plays while producing a 90.8 PFF grade.
• Trade for Trey Lance? Lance’s body of work in the NFL is just 124 dropbacks through two seasons, but with Brock Purdy seemingly entrenched as the 49ers' starter, this move could suit both teams.
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
On Monday morning, Lamar Jackson broke the news that he had requested a trade from the Baltimore Ravens on March 2.
It’s largely semantics, as any NFL team is free to make an offer for the 2019 NFL MVP, and the Ravens would receive two first-round draft picks if they choose not to match it. However, the announcement potentially makes teams more likely to make an offer, given how far apart the two parties seem.
So, if the Ravens are to lose Jackson, what would their own options be at quarterback?
Scenario 1: A team in the top eight of the 2023 NFL Draft signs Jackson to an offer sheet
If the Indianapolis Colts, Las Vegas Raiders or Atlanta Falcons signed Jackson to an offer sheet the Ravens didn't match, Baltimore would be in a position to land one of the top quarterbacks in the draft at that new pick, or at least be within striking distance for a trade up.
In that case, the Ravens could then potentially land Florida’s Anthony Richardson, who produced 19 big-time throws and forced 39 missed tackles as a runner in 2022.
Scenario 2: Draft a quarterback with the 22nd overall pick
It’s possible that no teams sign Jackson to an offer sheet until after the draft, when 2024 and 2025 first-round picks would become the compensation.
In that case, the Ravens wouldn’t get any extra draft capital to find his replacement, and because they currently don't have a second-round pick, someone like Hendon Hooker at No. 22 (or later via a trade back) might be an option they need to consider seriously.
Herndon is the 91st-ranked player on the PFF big board right now, so it’s not a move that would be graded favorably in our mock draft simulator, but he is coming off a season where he recorded just five turnover-worthy plays while producing a 90.8 PFF grade.
The other option here would be Will Levis‘ rumored draft-day slide, but we haven’t seen that happen in the mock draft simulator yet.
Scenario 3: Trade for a current NFL quarterback
Like Scenario 2, this would likely involve a team signing Jackson to an offer sheet after the draft. At that point, would the Ravens consider calling the San Francisco 49ers to check on the availability of Trey Lance? PFF’s mock draft simulator currently gets a deal done there for a 2024 and 2025 second-round pick.
Lance’s body of work in the NFL is just 124 dropbacks through two seasons, but with Brock Purdy seemingly entrenched as the starter, this could be a move that suits both teams. His best work in college came back in 2019 when he produced a 90.7 PFF passing grade and forced 40 missed tackles as a runner.
Scenario 4: Wait for next year
The Ravens simply might not get an opportunity to draft a replacement this year, at which point their eyes will turn to the 2024 NFL Draft. Should they receive two first-round picks for Jackson after the draft, they would now have the capital to be aggressive and trade up for a quarterback next year if needed.
Headlined by USC’s Caleb Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye, both of whom ranked inside the top five in terms of big-time throws in college football last season, the smarter long-term play by the Ravens might be to wait.
© 2024 PFF - all rights reserved.