APC Community Mock Draft - The Ravens are set to pick at 27

Yesterday in the APC Community Mock Draft, the Cleveland Browns grabbed the first interior defensive lineman in Christian Barmore at 26. DT was a position of need for Cleveland after Larry Ogunjobi left in free agency and the team released Sheldon Richardson last week. Malik Jackson is currently their only proven veteran at the spot. After a year where the Browns were near the bottom of the league in run defense, it was necessary to bring in new blood. Barmore is a bit of a boom-bust guy, but he has a high ceiling if it all clicks.

The Browns’ rival, the Baltimore Ravens, are now on the clock with a few needs that stand out above the rest. Wide receiver is the most commonly mocked position for the Ravens here. Even after signing Sammy Watkins in free agency, they could use another weapon after missing out on Juju Smith-Schuster and T.Y. Hilton. With many of the draft’s second-tier of receivers still available here, the Ravens can get great value.

They also acquired Kevin Zeitler at Guard to replace Marshal Yanda after his retirement in 2020. However, the offensive line could still use an upgrade on the interior. Landon Dickerson is the top IOL available at this pick and could be the pick here. He could slot into the center position right away or be placed at guard with fellow Alabama lineman Bradley Bozeman moving over to center. On defense, the Ravens lost Yannick Ngakoue after trading for him midseason. In addition, Matthew Judon left to sign a big deal with the New England Patriots. They re-signed Tyus Bowser, but will need help across from him. While their scheme is blitz-heavy, a high-level pass rusher would do wonders for their defense. We’ll recap the previous picks before diving into the options at 27.

1. Jacksonville Jaguars - Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
2. New York Jets - Zach Wilson, QB, BYU
3. San Francisco 49ers - Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State
4. Atlanta Falcons - Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
5. Cincinnati Bengals - Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon
6. Miami Dolphins - Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU
7. Detroit Lions - DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama
8. Carolina Panthers - Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern
9. Denver Broncos - Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State
10. Dallas Cowboys - Patrick Surtain, CB, Alabama
11. New York Giants - Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State
12. Philadelphia Eagles - Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
13. Los Angeles Chargers - Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech
14. Minnesota Vikings - Alijah Vera-Tucker, OL, USC
15. New England Patriots - Mac Jones, QB, Alabama
16. Arizona Cardinals - Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina
17. Las Vegas Raiders - Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State
18. Miami Dolphins - Kwity Paye, EDGE, Michigan
19. Washington Football Team - Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame
20. Chicago Bears - Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech
21. Indianapolis Colts - Jaelan Phillips, EDGE, Miami
22. Tennessee Titans - Greg Newsome II, CB, Northwestern
23. New York Jets - Asante Samuel Jr., CB, Florida State
24. Pittsburgh Steelers - Najee Harris, RB, Alabama
25. Jacksonville Jaguars - Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU
26. Cleveland Browns - Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama

The Ravens could look to add explosiveness at WR or on the edge at 27.

Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota

Among the wide receivers in the second tier of this year’s draft class, Bateman is one who projects well as a do-it-all guy. In 2018, Bateman had an impressive true freshman season, forming an intriguing tandem with Tyler Johnson. 2019 saw him explode as a deep threat, averaging over 20 yards per reception on 60 catches, 11 of them going for touchdowns. He isn’t overly large, but he’s an excellent route-runner as well as a very good athlete, able to win with technique or speed.

Jayson Oweh, EDGE, Penn State

Of all the edge rushers in this draft, Oweh may be the most athletic. While he didn’t record a sack in 2020, Oweh finished with 6.5 tackles for loss and was voted first-team All-Big Ten. The tools are not all there yet, but Oweh only played 20 games in college and didn’t start playing football until his junior year of high school. At 6-foot-5, 257 pounds, he has the strength and speed to be a situational rusher from day 1. Oweh does not have many pass rush moves in his arsenal and will need to develop counters to what he’ll see in the league. He may be too raw to make a real, every-down impact in his first season, but teams will be salivating over the possibilities down the line.

Landon Dickerson, C, Alabama

As the heart and soul of the top offensive line in the country, Dickerson was awarded the Rimington Trophy and named first-team All-American as the nation’s top center. At 6-foot-6, 333 pounds, he’s a mountain of a man with the capability to open up holes in the second level. He does have an injury history, including a season ending ACL tear this past season, which kept him out of the College Football Playoff. He could struggle with more athletic rushers but his base is strong enough to ward off most bull rushers. His leadership versatility at both guard and center will be attractive to many teams.

With the 27th pick in the NFL Draft, the Baltimore Ravens select…

Will the Ravens finally add another premier weapon at WR? Or will they decide to focus on their pass rush after a couple of departures in free agency? Make sure to vote here and on Twitter @acmepackingco to find out. At 4 PM EST today, we’ll be looking at the Saints’ options at 28 as they look to keep the momentum going from the Drew Brees era. Plus, a surprise announcement regarding tomorrow’s picks!