Baltimore Ravens mock draft: Best and worst-case scenarios for John Harbaugh in 2024 NFL Draft

John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens are in a great place heading into the 2024 NFL Draft, having one of the best offenses in the 2023 season. Lamar Jackson won another league MVP award and has seen his range of weapons increase throughout free agency with Derrick Henry arriving from Tennessee.

However, there were reasons why the best team in the AFC was not able to reach the Super Bowl, and they have to be identified and corrected by the team’s front office in the draft.

Free agency has generally been positive for the Ravens. In signing Henry, they are getting an explosive running back who has rushed for at least 1,000 yards in five of his last six seasons. Despite losing Odell Beckham Jr., the Ravens got strong on defense by re-signing Justin Madubuike, their sacks leader in 2023.

Issues arise on the offensive line after a free agency period in which they lost three starters from the 2023 roster.

Both Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson leave the guard position unattended, whilst Morgan Moses also departed.

Josh Jones was signed to play at OT, but he may serve to be a depth option given his age and the talent in the 2024 draft class.

John Harbaugh will take a page out of his brother’s book and prioritize the offensive line in the draft. They need an elite starting OT to protect Jackson and create holes for Derrick Henry.

Baltimore’s offense in 2024 will rely on its O-Line and that is why it’s the team’s absolute priority heading into the draft.

Baltimore Ravens 2024 NFL mock draft scenarios

Ravens mock draft: Best-case scenario

Baltimore Ravens projected top draft picks via Sportskeeda's Mock Draft Simulator

In the best-case scenario provided by Sportskeeda’s 7-round Mock Draft simulator, the Baltimore Ravens are able to address multiple needs across the O-Line with their first two selections.

JC Latham falls all the way to pick No. 30 and that is a steal for the Baltimore Ravens. Latham was a five-star recruit coming out of high school and his collegiate career has only served to further that reputation.

In the 2022 season, he was moved to right tackle at Alabama and he was a revelation, allowing no sacks in 517 pass-blocking reps.

In 2023, he allowed two sacks and 14 total pressures, but his power blocking was still absolutely sensational.

Latham is a big-bodied lineman who can keep rushing defenders at bay with sheer strength. A lot of Latham’s blocks resemble the end of a sumo-wrestling contest. He ends up dominating and pushing defenders virtually off the screen.

Injuries can happen in the NFL and versatility is crucial to a team hoping to make it all the way to the Super Bowl.

Latham has some experience as a right guard and can be moved there if the situation requires, which would also bring Josh Jones into play as a good depth signing at right tackle.

Zak Zinter’s selection adds yet more quality on the offensive line at the guard position. Lamar Jackson will be able to enjoy significantly more protection in 2024, whilst Henry will find rushing behind that O-Line a real treat.

In the secondary, the team address a lack of depth at cornerback by selecting D.J. James out of Auburn. He is quick and athletic, which make him useful at any position, although minor concerns over his height can be ignored.

Replacing Odell Beckham Jr. is important, but isn’t necessarily a priority given the explosion Zay Flowers showed in his rookie season. As such, Ainias Smith out of Texas A&M is brought in as an effective speedster on offense.

Working primarily out of the slot, Smith is a reliable catcher and will add to the generally electric nature of Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson-led offense.

Here’s how the full best-case scenario draft played out for the Baltimore Ravens:

· JC Latham, OT, Alabama

· Zak Zinter, OG, Michigan

· D.J. James, CB, Auburn

· Ainias Smith, WR, Texas A&M

· Cedric Johnson, EDGE, Ole Miss

· Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, S, Texas Tech

· Jha’Quan Jackson, WR, Tulane

· Marcus Harris, DT, Auburn

· Andrew Raym, OC, Oklahoma

· Frank Gore Jr., RB, Southern Miss

· Jadon Janke, WR, South Dakota State

Ravens mock draft: Worst-case scenario

Baltimore Ravens projecte worst draft picks via Sportskeeda's Mock Draft Simulator

Whenever you have one of the last picks in the first-round of the NFL Draft, you’re tempted to trade out in search of value picks and depth players.

Bill Belichick was a master of that strategy for years but it comes with significant risks. In the worst-case scenario as generated by the Sportskeeda 7-round Mock Draft simulator, John Harbaugh falls victim to this temptation and trades out of the first round entirely.

This leaves the Ravens with more picks later on, but the quality on offer is much lower. In an attempt to fix issues on the offensive line, the Ravens go for quantity over quality here.

Christian Haynes and Cooper Beebe are both interesting guards in their own right, but in selecting the pair to play in all positions on the line is a worrying move from the Baltimore Ravens.

Selecting a natural offensive tackle is vitally important and the team have failed to do that here. Furthermore, the Baltimore Ravens don’t even address that area until Sataoa Laumea out of Utah with their fifth selection, and he might not have enough quality to make a starting line.

The problem with this worst-case scenario is not necessarily the positions selected, but the fact that more quality was passed up in the earlier rounds. JC Latham at OT was still on the board when the Ravens agreed to a trade with the Houston Texans.

Fans of the Baltimore Ravens will be hoping this scenario doesn’t play out in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Here’s the disaster class in full:

· Christian Haynes, OG, Uconn

· Cooper Beebe, OG, Kansas State

· Adisa Isaac, EDGE, Penn State

· Leonard Taylor, DT, Miami

· Sataoa Laumea, OT, Utah

· Tip Reiman, TE, Illinois

· Malik Washington, WR, Virginia

· Michael Barrett, LB, Michigan

· Sanoussi Kane, S, Purdue