NFL Draft 2022: Biggest winners

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and general manager Eric DeCosta

3. Baltimore Ravens

If you look at the history of Baltimore’s success in the NFL Draft, it’s not based on luck, but rather their patience and understanding of the board.

The crazy part is that the first pick they made, Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton, was in line with where not many had him on their board, rather than most people having him in their top-five overall.

If Georgia D-tackle Jordan Davis had been available at pick 14, if the Eagles didn’t decide to jump them, they may have taken him. But when he wasn’t there anymore, they didn’t panic.

They fleeced the Cardinals, trading wide receiver Marquise Brown for the 23rd pick. This is a couple of spots higher than where they originally selected him and that’s after three years of his services, without having to pay him big money. Of course, they acquired another fourth-rounder from Buffalo in exchange for moving back two spots and still got the top center in Iowa’s Tyler Linderbaum, who will replace a Pro Bowl-level player in Bradley Bozeman.

On day two, they decided to take a game at 45th overall with the highly talented edge defender David Ojabo, who was often mocked to them at spot 14, but fell due to tearing his Achilles at the Michigan pro day. Then they found a replacement for nose-tackle Brandon Williams in the third round with UConn’s Travis Jones, who is easily one of the strongest and freakiest athletes of his size in this draft.

You can even forgive them for taking a punter in the fourth round, who was reportedly one of the top names at the position, because the rest of day three consisted of a potential Orlando Brown Jr. clone in Minnesota’s mountain of a man in Daniel Faalele, a couple of very talented corners, two talented tight-ends and ma running back in Missouri’s Tyler Badie, who gives that group a dynamic element.