The Baltimore Ravens and general manager Eric DeCosta have been mostly praised for putting together the team’s nine-man draft class. The grades are in. The squad commended DeCosta for attending to their demands and selecting multiple players who were thought to be good values.
Naturally, assessing the Ravens’ 2024 NFL Draft class fairly and honestly will take some time. DeCosta is aware of this fact.
“It’s thrilling that some of these guys will turn out to be better than we anticipate, even though I know some of these guys won’t be as good as we anticipate,” DeCosta remarked on Saturday night. “That’s just how the draft is.”
There was no excitement or surprise in the Ravens’ draft selection. After Baltimore signed an extension with quarterback Lamar Jackson on the first day of the draft and selected wide receiver Zach Flowers as an attractive target in the first round, last year was always going to be difficult to top. However, usefulness and good value characterized this year’s Ravens draft.
There were also some winners and losers from it.
Winners
Zach Orr, the defensive coordinator: Orr witnessed the Ravens defense being raided in free agency during his first few months on the job, as important players like Geno Stone, Ronald Darby, Patrick Queen, and Jaydeveon Clowney all signed elsewhere. However, Baltimore’s defense is starting to take shape. Orr adds three talented, youthful players to his roster with the selections of cornerback T.J. Tampa in the fourth round, edge rusher Adisa Isaac in the third round, and cornerback Nate Wiggins in the first round. Orr was so interested in Wiggins, in particular, that he informed the former Clemson star that if he was still available at No. 30, he would pressure the Ravens’ decision-makers to select him. The goal was achieved.
Haloti Ngata, a former Raven: As he was ready to reveal the Ravens’ third-round selection, the amiable Ngata offered one of the more entertaining moments of the draft. Ngata presented his three sons, stating that they were all “raised to say one thing” and that they were all born in Baltimore. The Ngata boys chanted, “Steelers suck,” in unison as their father encouraged them. Even though Ngata would not have needed to purchase a beer for himself in Baltimore, he took steps to ensure it.
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