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Ravens Select Athletic Quarterback in Mock Draft

Ravens Select Quarterback in Mock Draft: Despite the news surrounding Lamar Jackson, Daniel Jeremiah has Anthony Richardson to the Ravens.
Ravens Mock Draft

With the 22nd pick in Daniel Jeremiah’s 2023 mock draft, the Baltimore Ravens select Anthony Richardson, quarterback, Florida.

The Baltimore Ravens are in the midst of working towards an extension for Lamar Jackson. Despite this, the Ravens select a quarterback in Daniel Jeremiah’s first mock draft. The name in question? Anthony Richardson.

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Anthony Richardson: Ravens Select Quarterback in Mock Draft

What About Lamar Jackson?

In Jeremiah’s proposed scenario, the Ravens give Jackson the franchise tag to keep him around for a year. This then allows them to groom Richardson into their starting quarterback.

Given the recent news around Jackson’s future with the Ravens, it seems unlikely that he will be gone any time soon. General Manager Eric DeCosta is said to be back in talks with Jackson over his extension, with the aim of officially securing Jackson’s future with Baltimore. It is clear that both Baltimore and Jackson want to stay together, which provides a strong foundation for the negotiations.

With this in mind, and the latest press conference where John Harbaugh and DeCosta sang Jackson’s praises, his departure seems unlikely. However, it is not out of the question. As Jeremiah points out, there is still the possibility that Jackson and Baltimore fail to agree to terms. It would mean that the Ravens would, at the very least, tag Jackson.

Even if this is the case though, one would think that the team would continue to have faith in securing a deal with Jackson over the year. By selecting Richardson, they would essentially be closing the door on the Jackson era. While this paid dividends when Baltimore drafted Jackson to replace Flacco, Jackson is far more talented than his predecessor was. There is also a case to be made of this strategy failing recently, just look at Trey Lance and Jordan Love. As such, even if the Ravens tag Jackson, it is unlikely they would draft a quarterback in the first round. A late-round quarterback, however, is not off the table given Tyler Huntley’s impending free agent status.

Richardson’s Fit in Baltimore

In Jeremiah’s rather bizarre situation, Richardson would take over as the team’s starting quarterback in 2024. In fairness, this selection would make a lot of sense if the Ravens were expecting to move on from Jackson.

Richardson is a highly developmental prospect who has shown excellent athleticism at Florida. Some might even argue that Richardson is a better prospect entering the draft than Jackson was. He has shown excellent arm talent, showcasing a strong arm this season, as well as a good variety of different passes.

The mobility of the Florida Gator is probably what makes this selection the most fitting. Like Jackson, Richardson is excellent on design runs. He is one of the most mobile quarterbacks in this year’s draft and would be able to execute a similar playbook to Jackson. Though Greg Roman is now gone, his replacement will still to implement a playbook that takes full advantage of Baltimore’s athleticism at quarterback.

Outside of the schematics, this scenario would also make sense from a developmental point of view. Richardson is one of the most raw quarterback prospects in this class. However, he also has one of the highest ceilings. Landing in Baltimore, where there would be no pressure to start and where he can learn from Jackson, could be ideal. It would give the Ravens a year to assess and develop him.

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