Michael Woods/AP Photo Georgia defensive Azeez Ojulari (13) against Arkansas during an NCAA college football game in Fayetteville, Ark. Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)
The Ravens have a history of taking top draft picks from the SEC, and edge rusher Azeez Ojulari of Georgia could be next.
In six of the last nine years, Baltimore s top pick has come from the SEC – Patrick Queen (2020), Hayden Hurst (2018), Marlon Humphrey (2017), C.J. Mosley (2014), Matt Elam (2013) and Courtney Upshaw (2012).
This draft is loaded with uncertainties due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. But while there s no such thing as a sure thing, Ojulari has put up the production and jumped off the tape competing against many of college football s heavyweights, and his SEC pedigree is one of many reasons he s being linked to Baltimore.
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Defensive Coordinator Wink Martindale often says, It always has been, and it always will be, about the players.
TCU safety Trevon Moehrig looks like a Martindale kind of defensive player, a physical safety with a diverse skillset. Defensive coordinators covet players with chameleon qualities who help a defense attack in a variety of ways. Before last year s playoff game against the Buffalo Bills, Martindale discussed how NFL defenses are trending toward multi-dimensional players. The offense predicts the matchup just as well as we do, Martindale said. So, it gets back to that NBA-style of matching people up and how you re going to play.
DC Wink Martindale
As we sit here now, between the first wave of free agency and the draft, the Ravens pass rush probably would win a balloting among fans to identify their biggest concern about the 2021 team.
It s understandable. Three of the team s top edge defenders departed in free agency, creating a hole that needs filling. And the front office hasn t addressed the pass rush early in free agency, unlike with several of the team s other stated needs.
Beyond bringing back Tyus Bowser with the idea of expanding his role, the Ravens haven t revealed their plan for replacing the departed sacks and pressures.
Ravens News 4/5: Free Agency Review and more
The Pandemic Impacted Signings Less Than Expected
As expected the group of $15 million per year earners was not impacted. There were 11 signings in that group this year, one more than last year and three more than the prior two seasons.
What I did not expect was the big pullback on contracts in the $10 to $15 million range. This had been steady growth the last three years and last year in particular saw a ton of players hit $10 million right on the nose. This year it fell to 2019 levels and I thought this was a group of players who would be pandemic proof.
Ravens Could Find an Intriguing Safety in the Draft pakistantelegraph.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from pakistantelegraph.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.