{"id":279090,"date":"2026-04-25T22:29:17","date_gmt":"2026-04-26T02:29:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=279090"},"modified":"2026-04-25T22:29:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-26T02:29:17","slug":"baltimore-ravens-nfl-draft-grades-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2026\/04\/25\/baltimore-ravens-nfl-draft-grades-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Baltimore Ravens 2026 NFL Draft Grades: Offensive Firepower for Lamar"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Baltimore Ravens saw their 2025 season end with a loss to division rival Pittsburgh that left them missing out on the playoffs. The John Harbaugh era then concluded after 18 seasons, and the Jesse Minter era began. General Manager Eric DeCosta\u2019s task heading into this draft was to fortify the offense surrounding two-time MVP Lamar Jackson and return the Ravens\u2019 defense to its once-dominant status.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Baltimore Ravens NFL Draft Grades: Offensive Firepower for Lamar<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><b>First Round (14th Overall): <\/b><b>Olaivavega Ioane, Guard<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">DeCosta chose to solidify the interior offensive line and keep Lamar Jackson cleaner in the pocket. Many scouts viewed Ioane as the best pass protector of any guard or center in the draft. Pair his ability with standing up to bull rushers with his elite run blocking skills, and Ioane is the perfect fit on the interior for Baltimore. A Tough and hard-nosed player, he fits right in as a Ravens\u2019 lineman, tough and a mauler.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Ravens Draft Grade: A<\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2025\/12\/15\/vega-ioane-early-2026-nfl-draft-scouting-report\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Olaivavega Ioane NFL Draft Profile<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><b>Second Round (45th Overall): Zion Young, EDGE<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Young is an incredible bull rusher and plays outstanding run defense. The guy has a solid football IQ. He isn\u2019t a speed rusher off the edge, but New Head Coach Jesse Minter preaches versatility and being flexible depending on the opponent\u2019s strengths and weaknesses. Young will be a solid player on first and second downs, and his length and intelligence will be an asset in Minter\u2019s defense.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Ravens Draft Grade: B<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Zion Young NFL <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2026\/01\/23\/zion-young-2026-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_self\">Draft Profile<\/a><\/p>\n<h3><b>Third Round (80th Overall): <\/b><b>Ja&#8217;Kobi Lane, Wide Receiver<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Ravens needed to add a weapon for Lamar Jackson, someone who could stretch defenses and\/or be a big go-to target. They chose Lane, who was projected to be selected on Day 3. Lane is a smooth receiver and at 6\u20194\u201d has the potential to be a difference maker if he can bulk up. He is an intriguing selection who will need some time to develop, but he has the athleticism to warrant rising to the third round.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Ravens Draft Grade: B<\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2026\/02\/13\/jakobi-lane-2026-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ja&#8217;Kobi Lane NFL Draft Profile<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><b>Fourth Round(115th): Eli Sarratt, Wide Receiver<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">DeCosta proved he was going to make sure Jackson\u2019s receiving corps received an upgrade, and he may have just found a player in Sarratt who is a perfect fit.\u00a0 Although he doesn\u2019t have high-end athletic ability, he produced at Indiana and has tremendous ball skills. The addition of Lane makes this pick a higher grade, as Sarrat will be counted on to be a possession receiver. Sarrat\u2019s hands are outstanding, and he plays well in zone coverage. The fact that Jackson stresses defense from the moment he walks onto the field makes Sarrat a huge asset for the Ravens.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Ravens Draft Grade: B<\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2026\/02\/23\/elijah-sarratt-2026-nfl-draft-profile-2\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eli Sarratt NFL Draft Profile<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><b>Fourth Round (133rd): Matthew Hibner, Tight End<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Ravens lost tight end Isaiah Likely in free agency, and in Hibner, they found another in a long line of athletic tight ends who can stretch defenses. Hibner\u2019s performance at the Combine impressed scouts, and his speed and separation abilities from linebackers will impress Lamar Jackson early on. Jackson and Hibner are going to pair up often, not just in planned routes but also when Jackson scrambles. Solid pick for the Ravens.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Ravens Draft Grade: A<\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2026\/04\/20\/matthew-hibner-2026-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_self\">Matthew Hibner NFL Draft Profile<\/a><\/p>\n<h3><b>Fifth Round (162nd Overall): Chandler Rivers, Cornerback<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rivers is on the smaller side but has produced throughout his college career. He can contribute as a slot or nickel corner, using his physicality against tight ends. He makes up for his slighter frame with elite speed and ball skills. Rivers is also going to impact special teams.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Ravens Draft Grade: B-<\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2026\/04\/16\/chandler-rivers-2026-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chandler Rivers NFL Draft Profile<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><b>Fifth Round (173rd Overall): Josh Cuevas, Tight End<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The selection of Cuevas is interesting. He has great hands and is a skilled blocker, and is going to be a solid fit as a third tight end type. With Mark Andrews and Hibner in the fold, he may be viewed as a potential H-back type who has positional versatility for Baltimore.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Ravens Draft Grade: C<\/b><\/p>\n<h3><b>Fifth Round (174th Overall): Adam Randall, Running Back<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Randall excelled in his one season as a starting running back for Clemson, having made the switch from wide receiver. He will be an asset for the Ravens in short-yardage and goal-line situations. Randall is a straight-line runner who gains significant yardage after contact. He is raw as a pass protector and will need to improve to be on the field more often. Randall will contribute as a kick returner and is an asset as a special teams contributor.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Ravens Draft Grade: B-<\/b><\/p>\n<h3><b>Sixth Round (211th Overall): Ryan Eckley, Punter<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eckley has a monster leg, leading college football with a 48.5 yards per punt average last season. He displays good touch, but has relied on low line drives, outkicking his coverage. Eckley will battle with Luke Elzinga for the position, and his ability to stick is dependent on developing NFL-caliber hang time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Ravens Draft Grade: C<\/b><\/p>\n<h3><b>Seventh Round (250th Overall): Rayshaun Benny, Defensive Tackle<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">DeCosta added to his defensive talent with the selection of this solid run stopper. He is not going to be a center point star of the line, but he will be in the mix as an early down rotational defensive tackle. Benny reads and reacts, and doesn\u2019t do anything flashy. He will be a solid piece on the line. Even though there were other talents available with a flashier resume, Baltimore found a guy to be in the defensive line rotation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Ravens Draft Grade: C+<\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2026\/04\/20\/rayshaun-benny-nfl-draft-breakdown-a-reliable-interior-defender-evaluation\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rayshaun Benny NFL Draft Profile<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><b>Seventh Round (253rd Overall): Evan Beernsten, Guard<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beernsten is not a flashy or spectacular prospect. He is a solid run blocker and is able to neutralize big linemen. He is one of the oldest rookies in the draft, and he might already be at his ceiling. The Ravens may just see if he can make the move to center as they look to fill the spot vacated by Tyler Linderbaum\u2019s departure. No guarantee of a roster spot, but Beernsten does fit the mold of a Baltimore Raven, a tough and hard-nosed football player.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Ravens Draft Grade: C<\/b><\/p>\n<h3><em><strong>Overall Team Grade: B+<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/category\/nfl-draft\/profiles\/\" target=\"_self\">COMPLETE LWOS NFL Draft Profiles<\/a><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Baltimore Ravens saw their 2025 season end with a loss to division rival Pittsburgh that left them missing out on the playoffs. The John Harbaugh era then concluded after 18 seasons, and the Jesse Minter era began. General Manager Eric DeCosta\u2019s task heading into this draft was to fortify the offense surrounding two-time MVP [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4925,"featured_media":263621,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1647,10],"tags":[33533,34445,34498,34740,34742,34057,34726,34552,33892,34229,34728,33828],"class_list":["post-279090","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl-draft","category-ravens","tag-2026-nfl-draft","tag-adam-randall","tag-chandler-rivers","tag-eli-sarratt","tag-evan-beernsten","tag-jakobi-lane","tag-josh-cuevas","tag-matthew-hibner","tag-olaivavega-ioane","tag-rayshaun-benny","tag-ryan-eckley","tag-zion-young"],"modified_by":"Sue Levine","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/279090","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4925"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=279090"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/279090\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":280302,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/279090\/revisions\/280302"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/263621"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=279090"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=279090"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=279090"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}