Over the weekend, Baltimore Beatdown’s Nikhil Mehta and Zach Canter faced off in a mock draft duel. Using Pro Football Network’s simulator, they looked at the same set of prospects for each of the Ravens’ first eight picks in next week’s draft, but built very different draft classes.
Nikhil focuses players who can impact the passing game on either side of the ball with his premium picks before building some roster depth on Day 3. Here are his selections and reasoning for each one, and click here to
see Zach’s!
Round 1, No. 14 overall: Jermod McCoy (CB, Tennessee, No. 11 on Baltimore Beatdown’s Big Board)
We did this mock draft before Tony Pauline reported that teams have red-flagged McCoy for a potentially degenerative knee condition. That might be a non-starter for the Ravens, who backed out of the Maxx Crosby trade for the same reason, and could very well drop McCoy in our rankings. But if his knee checks out, he’s a surefire first-round talent who is neck-and-neck with LSU’s Mansoor Delane for the CB1 spot in this draft class.
McCoy was fantastic during his first two seasons at Tennessee, racking up 18 passes defended and six interceptions. He is sticky and physical in coverage but will need to work on his discipline in the NFL. He is an outside-only corner who will not impact the run game, though he is not a liability in that respect, either. Long-term concerns aside, McCoy’s 9.67 RAS at his Pro Day showed that he is fully recovered from the ACL tear that sidelined him in 2025. He will not turn 21 until training camp, another plus for a Ravens front office that prioritizes youth with their early draft picks.
Round 2, No. 45 overall: Malachi Lawrence (EDGE, UCF, No. 47 on BB’s Big Board)
In what will become a theme for this mock draft, Lawrence is also an elite athlete who posted a 9.95 RAS at the Combine. He has good length and a burgeoning bag of moves that he sets up with his explosive get-off. He is a willing run defender, but can be a bit light in the pants at the point of attack, especially against bigger linemen. The 22-year-old also has a budding understanding of how to use his speed and length to overcome his lack of power and size when setting the edge.
Lawrence has 27.5 tackles for loss and 19.5 sacks over the last three seasons and posted a 19.2% pass rush win rate and a 13.2% pressure rate in 2025 (via Pro Football Focus). A Day 2 edge rusher may be scary given the Ravens’ recent history, but he offers instant impact as a pass rusher with plenty of long-term upside due to his athleticism. After rising into late first-round consideration, Lawrence would be a great value at No. 45 and add to Baltimore’s stable of young, explosive edge rushers. But on that note, one self-criticism: it might be better to add a more power-oriented EDGE to better complement the current room.
Round 3, No. 80 overall: Gracen Halton (DT, Oklahoma, No. 28 on BB’s Big Board)
Halton was on his way to an elite RAS until his poor agility scores dropped it to 8.44. His speed and explosiveness show up against the run and the pass when shooting gaps, but he has plenty of upper body strength to stack and shed blockers, too. He is relentless when trying to get to quarterbacks/ballcarriers but needs to use his active, powerful hands more intentionally.
Halton has solid production for an interior defender (8.5 sacks, 13 TFLs in the last two years) and put up a 10.2% run stop rate and a 10.4% pass rush win rate in 2025, per PFF. He profiles as a disruptive 3-tech who can burrow into the pocket with power, burst, and effort, but he will need to develop and diversify his technique for consistent results in the pros.
Round 4, No. 115 overall: Logan Jones (C, Iowa, No. 83 on BB’s Big Board)
It’s risky to wait this long for a center, but his draft is sneaky-deep in experienced, pro-ready starters. Jones was the best (and perhaps last) one remaining, making him an easy, arguably must-have addition to my draft class. As for why, I’ll refer you to my comments on Jones from our last big board update:
Jones is basically Tyler Linderbaum-lite: an uber-athletic (9.63 RAS) – 4.59-shuttle is just over threshold for elite projections, and pro-ready Iowa center who is an excellent blocker in space who uses leverage to make up for his clear size limitations. His lack of versatility is less of a concern in Baltimore, and he has the experience to be an effective pre-snap partner for Lamar Jackson at the line of scrimmage. If the Ravens are looking for a 1-to-1 Linderbaum replacement, Jones is as close as they will get in this draft class.
Round 5, No. 154 overall: Nate Boerkircher (TE, Texas A&M, No. 87 on BB’s Big Board)
Four picks in, and I have not added a single offensive skill player. The board did not fall how I wanted for a receiver or tight end earlier on, and I’m not very high on this running back class. But there are plenty of tight ends worth drafting on Day 3, with Boerkircher among the best options. He had limited production in college, but has to be much more effective in the NFL.
Boerkircher profiles as a pro-ready inline blocker who combines effort and power to overcome his somewhat lean frame. He is a sneaky-good athlete (8.90 RAS) who needs to get more out of his movement skills as a route-runner and YAC threat. Standing 6-foot-5 with 32-inch arms, he has the potential to be a quarterback-friendly target with reliable hands and a good feel for when he is open. He will be 25 years old as a rookie, which is a major drawback, but he could be a four-year contributor as a run blocker and on special teams who could grow into a solid TE2 by the end of his rookie deal.
Round 5, No. 162 overall: Anthony Lucas (EDGE, USC, unranked)
Lucas is the kind of disruptive power rusher that would complete the Ravens’ EDGE room. He brings great size, but just average athleticism. He is still quick and agile enough to shoot gaps and uses his length and power to finish plays. He can also effectively drop his anchor and set a hard edge against the run.
However, Lucas’ game is somewhat raw, and his disruption in college was more a result of effort than anything else. He only started for one full season at USC and will not turn 22 years old until October. Those are not necessarily bad things for a Day 3 developmental pick, but it will limit his early contributions. If he can learn to use his powerful arms with more intention and develop a better feel for pass rushing, he can be a versatile lineman in Jesse Minter’s scheme. If not, he is a edge-setter in the run game at best.
Round 5, No. 173 overall: Jalen Huskey (S, Maryland, unranked)
Call me a homer for this one. Huskey, a Frederick native, is an average athlete (7.04 RAS) who, likely most good safeties, plays a lot faster on the field. His instincts showed up in his turnover production – 11 interceptions over the last three years – and his ability to quickly trigger downhill against the run or pass. He can sometimes get overaggressive, which leads to bad angles and missed tackles.
Huskey is a converted has the skillset but not the experience to flip into the slot. Baltimore’s array of secondary coaches should be able to fix that. He brings special teams experience and seems to be a good communicator on defense, two things the Ravens will appreciate. He certainly offers special teams upside and can grow into a No. 3 safety who can line up deep or in the slot.
Round 5, No. 173 overall: Justin Jefferson (LB, Alabama, unranked)
Jefferson is a player I’ve had on my radar in the ‘plays like a Raven’ category for a while. He is an explosive, violent tackler with elite athleticism (9.23 RAS) that gives him sideline-to-sideline range. He showed some improvements in coverage in 2025 and his movement skills offer ways to use him as a blitzer, but his game is still raw.
Jefferson has only one season as a full-time starter and will need a decent runway to get his processing and technique up to NFL standards. His physicality, speed, and tackling will add to the Ravens’ special teams right away, but he could max out as an athletic run defender and blitzer. Linebacker development is so unpredictable because of how much it relies on mental development, but this late on Day 3, I’m more than happy to bet on an elite athlete.
