Jeff Zrebiec Says Ravens Addressing Biggest Need in First Round ‘Might Be Difficult’
Jeff Zrebiec Says Ravens Addressing Biggest Need in First Round ‘Might Be Difficult’
The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec examined the options for the Ravens in the first round of the draft and concluded that addressing what he deemed their biggest need will be a challenge.
“It’s hard to look anywhere else but cornerback when you’re pinpointing the team’s biggest need,” Zrebiec wrote. “It, however, might be the most difficult position to find a match at pick No. 27. … It’s not a particularly deep cornerback class, so the Ravens will either have to strike early to get a plug-and-play guy, or they’ll have to find overlooked talent in the middle rounds.”
Zrebiec identified four cornerback prospects who could be in play when the Ravens are on the clock: Michigan’s Will Johnson (No. 6 on The Athletic’s big board), Texas’ Jahdae Barron (No. 15), Kentucky’s Maxwell Hairston (No. 38), and Florida State’s Azareye’h Thomas (No. 39).
“Johnson and Barron are vying to be the second cornerback taken behind Colorado’s Travis Hunter,” Zrebiec wrote. “Johnson (6-foot-2, 194 pounds) is the type of long and instinctive cornerback the Ravens love, but he didn’t have a great final season at Michigan. His tackling can be spotty and he’s been battling injuries throughout the pre-draft process. Once viewed as a lock to go in the top 15, it’s not out of the question that he could fall closer to Baltimore’s range.
