Baltimore Ravens last-minute bold predictions for 2024 NFL Draft

The Baltimore Ravens fell back to Earth in the 2023-2024 NFL Playoffs after a dominant regular season that had fans thinking Super Bowl. The eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs knocked off Baltimore 17-10 in a game that showed the Ravens are lacking a certain something to get them over the hump vs. championship level teams.

The task for Ravens GM Eric DeCosta and Head Coach Jim Harbaugh will be to identify and select the players to help Lamar Jackson and the rest of the Ravens to exorcise their playoff demons in 2024-2025, as challenging and daunting as that may seem at the moment. Recently, the Ravens’ full seven-round mock draft was released. It was released during a time in which Jackson’s status as a free agent certified superstar QB was doubted by Cam Newton.

The Ravens pick 30th this Thursday in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, with many theories and predictions being shared about what the Ravens’ dynamic duo will do at that position.

Here are three bold last-minute predictions on who the Ravens will go for in the 2024 NFL Draft and how each might affect Baltimore going forward:

1. The Ravens Will Draft Kool-Aid McKinstry-

The versatile Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back’s game tape will prove too good for Coach Harbaugh and company to pass up with pick number 30, even though the Ravens desperately need more playmakers for Jackson.

McKinstry’s situation is reminiscent of Brian Branch’s in last year’s draft. Every GM worth his salt knew Branch was better than a second round caliber player but he still fell that far, perhaps because of the resounding draft fatigue of GMs selecting Alabama players in the first round of the draft.

Branch would have had a first round grade in any other recent season but fell into the Lions’ laps for this or perhaps another reason. It also seemed as if Branch’s versatility and dominance in Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide secondary worked against him because it all seemed too good to be true.

McKinstry falls under that same umbrella. The Tide ran into a buzzsaw named the Michigan Wolverines in last year’s Rose Bowl and still almost beat a team with 17 likely NFL Draft picks, even led by young QB Jalen Milroe.

McKinstry’s defense was dominant, and he will be a versatile and dominant defense back at the next level. The Ravens would be foolish to pass him up if he falls to pick number 30, which looks like a serious possibility at this point in time.

2. The Ravens Will Select a Running Back-

Standout youngster Keaton Mitchell showed flashes of promise and skill last season, rushing for nearly 400 yards for the Ravens in 2023-2024. Expect GM Eric DeCosta and John Harbaugh to put their heads together and to come up with a plan for selecting another runner to rotate in behind Derrick Henry next season.

Mitchell has talent, but the Ravens need a backup with additional size and durability who can carry the ball 10-15 times and get the tough yards between the tackles.

One such prospect is Michigan standout Blake Corum. Corum isn’t a physical marvel like Henry but he is built low to the ground, has tree trunks for legs and is as solid and dependable as they get in the running game. John Harbaugh’s brother Jim has been knowto poach his players lately both in the college and NFL ranks.

John could take a page out of Jim’s book and select Corum, or he could opt for another lesser-known but still very talented alternative like Braelon Allen of the University of Wisconsin, a slippery and explosive big-play back who quietly carried on the Badgers’ tradition of star running backs in Madison last fall.

3. Lamar Jackson Will Get a New Weapon at Receiver or Tight End-