2020 NFL Draft - OL Prospects

[rhapsody]

I think he probably just got beaten out by Skura for that spot. Center is a position where knowledge, and experience matter a lot. Skura always had that advantage over him.

Plus, Skura had already established himself as an adequate starting NFL center. So, it's possible the coaches just thought he was "one of the best 5 guys" as they like to put it. If that's the case it meant that Bozeman, and Hurst were left to battle it out for that LG spot.

Moving forward, Bozeman probably still has a decent chance to stick at Center.

If Bozeman/Mekari/Draftee can be solid at center, and we can find solid production at LG, I think we will be in pretty good shape. I may be in the minority here on the board, but I really don't think a team needs a pro bowler at every position along the line. We already have 3 for next season. As long as the remaining 2 spots are filled by solid/average or better talent, I think the offense will be plenty good enough to challenge for a ring.

You are inaccurate. Who thinks we need a pro bowler at every position along the line? You can call Yanda a pro bowler, but for how long - max 1 year, if we are lucky. Do we want to wait until he is gone before addressing the void? Bozeman had 31 starts for Alabama at C and as signal caller and in no way was he not up to speed in competing for the C job the past two years. Sure, Skura was further into the nfl pipeline, but that doesn't explain why he was preferred at C over Bozeman. Skura also played well at LG before, too. But seeing all this, the coaches preferred Skura at C and we were just lucky that Bozeman developed well, surprisingly perhaps, at LG. So, Skura is out and we have a small encouraging sample of work from Mekari at C and a known quantity in Bozeman.

If you could draft Chase Young or Chaisson, you might feel very good about the Edge situation. But you can't.

If you could draft Tee Higgins, you might feel very good about the WR situation. You might be able to, but this year you could also draft a WR in round 3 and maybe even round 4 and come away pleased.

You can probably draft the best (according to some) iOLineman in this draft at #28 and have a butt-kicking Oline for several years. Why wouldn't you do that?

[JimZipCode]

You can probably draft the best (according to some) iOLineman in this draft at #28 and have a butt-kicking Oline for several years. Why wouldn't you do that?

Triage. Our need at pass-rush or ILB or WR might be greater (I think we only have 2 WR under contract for '21).

Or the fit on the draft board might be better at one of the other positions, when our pick comes up.

Otherwise: of course, everyone wants to have a butt-kicking O-line. It's just that we can't have everything, with a limited number of picks.

[tnsmith90]

You are inaccurate. Who thinks we need a pro bowler at every position along the line? You can call Yanda a pro bowler, but for how long - max 1 year, if we are lucky. Do we want to wait until he is gone before addressing the void? Bozeman had 31 starts for Alabama at C and as signal caller and in no way was he not up to speed in competing for the C job the past two years. Sure, Skura was further into the nfl pipeline, but that doesn't explain why he was preferred at C over Bozeman. Skura also played well at LG before, too. But seeing all this, the coaches preferred Skura at C and we were just lucky that Bozeman developed well, surprisingly perhaps, at LG. So, Skura is out and we have a small encouraging sample of work from Mekari at C and a known quantity in Bozeman.

If you could draft Chase Young or Chaisson, you might feel very good about the Edge situation. But you can't.

If you could draft Tee Higgins, you might feel very good about the WR situation. You might be able to, but this year you could also draft a WR in round 3 and maybe even round 4 and come away pleased.

You can probably draft the best (according to some) iOLineman in this draft at #28 and have a butt-kicking Oline for several years. Why wouldn't you do that?

First off, I already explained my thoughts on the Bozeman/Skura center situation. I still think he's probably capable of playing center in the NFL, and I don't think the fact he red-shirted his rookie year, or the fact he started at guard his sophomore year are any type of indictment against him in that regard. So, if you think I'm inaccurate on my assessment, then that's fine. We'll just have to agree to disagree for now, and see what happens. Even if he starts at guard again, I'm cool with it though because I thought he was solid last year, and Mekari looks fine at Center.

As far as IOL goes, if you are drafting a guy in the 1st round, then you are doing it with the intention that, that player becomes a pro bowler whom you will eventually sign to a second, large, market price deal. If an IOL really looks like an absolute stud that fits that bill, then sure. Take him. I'm not totally against it. However, if there's any doubt that guy is anything less than a future pro bowler, he ain't worth it.

I just think a team can play well with 2 or 3 pro bowlers on the OL, and then solid players filling out the rest of the line. Given that we have 2 young pro bowlers already, currently 3 total, along with several solid players for the remaining 2 spots, I just don't see it as a dire need like some here that seem to really want to invest a ton of resources into the line. Also, I think that every year you can draft an IOL in rounds 3 through 5, and come away pleased. Not just this year. That's where the sweet spot is for interior linemen. So, it's usually not worth drafting one in the 1st round given the supply of solid ones in the mid rounds every year. Plus, the fact that we have the most mobile QB in the league boosting both our run game, and our pass protection, means there's even less marginal return to investing significant resources in the IOL. Lastly, the fact we have the best run-blocking TE in the game impacts that as well making an IOL upgrade even more of a luxury. All in all, drafting an IOL that high would just be inefficient roster management unless he looks like a total stud. That said, if DeCosta decides to, then I'll trust his evaluation of the player, and assume he's going to be the type of beast a 1st round IOL should be.

[Culex]

Time to bump this thread now that Yanda is retiring

[NjRavensFan]

Time to bump this thread now that Yanda is retiring

Yupppppp.

One of my predictions in your other thread was Powers overtaking Bozeman. But now we need both of them and depth.

[Culex]

Yupppppp.

One of my predictions in your other thread was Powers overtaking Bozeman. But now we need both of them and depth.

This makes me want to trade up even more if it means getting Tristan Wirfs.

[QtR Nevermore]

This makes me want to trade up even more if it means getting Tristan Wirfs.

I'm happy with whatever the Ravens decide to do. I trust them when it comes to O line. In fact, I can't ever remember us having a bad O line, even when things looked grim they always fixed it by the middle ( and usually by the start) of the season.

[GreatWhiteNorthRaven]

Right now you're looking at Stanley-Bozeman-Mekari-Powers-Brown

That's not an awful place to start.

I really think your best bets by round:

R1 - Ruiz, Cushenberry
R2 - Bredeson, Hunt, Hennesy
R3 - Lemieux

There's a few C's that really intrigue me and I personally think Mekari would be a fantastic LG given his mobility and pass pro experience playing OT at Cal.

[Shrubbs]

Right now you're looking at Stanley-Bozeman-Mekari-Powers-Brown

That's not an awful place to start.

I really think your best bets by round:

R1 - Ruiz, Cushenberry
R2 - Bredeson, Hunt, Hennesy
R3 - Lemieux

There's a few C's that really intrigue me and I personally think Mekari would be a fantastic LG given his mobility and pass pro experience playing OT at Cal.

GWNR, I just don’t think we see a center taken R1. None of those guys have that elite mobility IMO that you see most 1st round C’s have.

[GreatWhiteNorthRaven]

GWNR, I just don’t think we see a center taken R1. None of those guys have that elite mobility IMO that you see most 1st round C’s have.

Cesar Ruiz absolutely has elite mobility. They pull him from C on outside runs and he gets to his man, it's insane.

Nick Harris is also extremly mobile and if we were a zone stretch scheme, I would be pimping him with a R1 grade.

Now that said, I'm not sure it's the best investment and the best case scenario would be a trade back. But I absolutely think Ruiz could go there. His combination of speed and strength are impressive. I gave him a mid-R2 grade because of his technique, but even the 2018 to 2019 tape showed massive improvements.

[Shrubbs]

Cesar Ruiz absolutely has elite mobility. They pull him from C on outside runs and he gets to his man, it's insane.

Nick Harris is also extremly mobile and if we were a zone stretch scheme, I would be pimping him with a R1 grade.

Now that said, I'm not sure it's the best investment and the best case scenario would be a trade back. But I absolutely think Ruiz could go there. His combination of speed and strength are impressive. I gave him a mid-R2 grade because of his technique, but even the 2018 to 2019 tape showed massive improvements.

Interesting. You watch more tape than me, but I think when compared to a guy like Bradberry who was drafted in the 1st not too long ago, the guy feels a lot slower on tape. Maybe that’s an unrealistic benchmark, and I’m wrong.

[GreatWhiteNorthRaven]

Interesting. You watch more tape than me, but I think when compared to a guy like Bradberry who was drafted in the 1st not too long ago, the guy feels a lot slower on tape. Maybe that’s an unrealistic benchmark, and I’m wrong.

Bradberry was like Harris. A great zone C (who is played in that zone scheme we saw from Kubiak when he was here) - it's a fantastic fit.

We don't need that type of athleticism. The issue with the Ravens OL in terms of scheme fit is we need diversity. We run a blended scheme with 3 major concepts: options (typically RB dive options, but some midline as well) that can be blocked with zone or power, power runs and zone (IZ, OZ and SZ).

So it's hard to analyze, but we need guys that can run power and on the next play run OZ.

Ruiz is a great fit for that type of need.

I'm not necessarily advocating for him. I think your best bet is Matt Hennesy or Ben Bredeson in R2.

Go defense R1 and dump your FA dollars into the DL.

SOmething like this:
- Tag Judon
- Sign CCampbell or GMcCoy
- Take a shot at Tahir Whitehead on the cheap
Draft:
- R1: Blacklock
- R2: Bredeson
- R3: Gathier-Davis (LB, App State)
- R4: Pittman
- R4: Gibson
- R4 (comp): Swing tackle
- R4 (comp): Quartermain