With the Baltimore Ravens regaining their first round pick in the aftermath of the Maxx Crosby debacle, there have been a few players frequently linked to them for the 14th pick in April’s draft.
Guard Olaivavega Ioane from Penn State has been a popular name given the Ravens’ recent issues along the offensive line. Additionally, receivers like Makai Lemon, Jordan Tyson, and Carnell Tate have all been linked to Baltimore, and Eric DeCosta has not been shy about targeting the position in the first round.
While most of the mock drafts have the Ravens taking players that address immediate needs for the team, we all know this is not how the team has traditionally operated. They espouse a ‘best player available’ philosophy, though, taking players like Kyle Hamilton, Trenton Simpson, and Nate Wiggins, though they did not fill the team’s most pressing needs at the time. However, as their names started falling down the board, the Ravens couldn’t pass them up. In this year’s draft, the top end players aren’t quite as defined as in previous years. Most of the high level prospects still have flaws which could lead to some really good players who don’t play “premium positions” falling to the Ravens.
Let’s look at some of the names that could fall to Baltimore and test their BPA mindset.
Jeremiah Love
The Ravens already have an established superstar running back in Derrick Henry. However, Henry will be 33 in January, and although the ageless wonder has defied every law of running back nature, he will eventually start to decline. Jeremiah Love is one of the best running back prospects in recent memory with traits that resemble players like Saquon Barkley, Ashton Jeanty, and Bijan Robinson. Love has incredible vision, balance, and tackle breaking ability. To top it off, he also has rare breakaway speed, evidenced by his 4.36 40-yard dash.
Love is, by most accounts, a top-five player in this draft. The question is: will a team before Baltimore be torn by the positional value argument. We have seen teams with bad offensive lines draft star running backs early and pay the price (see: the Raiders taking Jeanty at No. 6 last year). Will others be scared off by this? It’s certainly possible. Most of the teams ahead of Baltimore have more pressing needs than running back which could also cause Love to drop. It certainly seems illogical for the Ravens to draft a running back with Derrick Henry in the backfield. However, the Ravens drafted Hamilton when they already had Marcus Williams and Chuck Clark at safety. If Love falls past the Rams, don’t be surprised if the Ravens can’t resist.
Kenyon Sadiq
The Ravens (and Lamar Jackson) love their tight ends. Since Jackson has been the quarterback in Baltimore, he’s targeted tight ends at one of the highest rates in the NFL. The Ravens, despite their flaws have had a knack for drafting and developing the position, hitting on players like Mark Andrews, Darren Waller (UDFA signing), Isaiah Likely, Charlie Kolar, Nick Boyle, and others. With Likely and Kolar leaving in free agency, only Mark Andrews remains as the established starter in the room. However, Andrews showed signs of decline in 2025 despite signing a contract extension during the season. Enter Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq, who absolutely dominated the Combine. So much so that scouts are wondering if he will even be a tight end in the NFL.
It’s rare to see a player of Sadiq’s speed, size, and production fall in the draft and while the Ravens have more pressing needs than tight end, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he’s the pick at 14. While it’s unknown what Declan Doyle’s offense in Baltimore will look like, Ben Johnson’s system emphasizes the use of multiple tight-ends and play-action which could make Sadiq a more valuable pick than a wide receiver. Tight end is a premium position in Baltimore and if Sadiq pans out, it could go a long way in re-establishing a dominant offense for the Ravens.
Sonny Styles
Sonny Styles falling to the Ravens is probably the biggest long-shot of the three. Like Sadiq, Styles set records at the combine and has firmly put himself in the top-five pick conversation. However, like Jeremiah Love, the jury is still out on the value of the middle linebacker spot in the NFL. But combining his physical gifts with his college production, Styles figures to be one of the safer picks in the draft.
Styles has incredible speed, range, and burst, which isn’t too surprising considering he used to be a safety. The combination of Styles and Kyle Hamilton would open up a plethora of options for Jesse Minter and Anthony Weaver as each have multi-position capability with the skillset to play almost anywhere on the field. If Styles were to fall to 14, the Ravens would have a great succession plan at linebacker if the team were to move on from Roquan Smith after this year.
