BIG-E Predicts:
Only ONE WR will be taken in the first round…and it will be an AFC North team that does it…
After we remind ourselves that this Draft is heavy in Defensive Tackles, EDGE players, Secondary, two TE’s that could go early and has several fairly premium Linebackers…there is hardly any room for WR to be taken at all in the 1st Round. Who in the world would waste a Round 1 pick on a weak WR class that is surrounded by so much Defensive talent? The answer would be either a perennial Playoff team who is maybe one player away on Offense, a team who has a new QB that needs weapons badly or a team who HIGHLY values the WR position and lost their primary X-receiver to free agency or trade…any of these scenarios sound familiar at all?
Yes ladies, the Ravens will draft themselves a WR in the 1st Round this year!
It will not be the Steelers, who despite losing Antonio Brown and have a gaping hole will wait until Round 2 for a receiver. They need CB help way more and can get a premium player if they avoid the WR trap. By waiting, and possibly moving up, in the 2nd they can grab someone like Hakeem Butler who I think fits their WR model perfectly, or possibly N’Keal Harry. AJ Brown might be the best overall WR in this draft class, but Pittspuke already has one of him and his name is JuJu Smith-Schuster. And Donte Moncrief might finally amount to something on the outside now that he’s got a change of scenery in Stoolers town. The Steelers are as good as they are because they would never put WR higher than CB/S/LB/DL/EDGE in any draft for any reason…
It will not be the Bengals either because they don’t see WR as a need, maybe TE but that position is a serious scheme focus of theirs and they want elite TE’s on roster all the time. AJ Green is becoming an under-productive old man quickly but they are at least one more season from drafting a kid with 1st Round capital. However, I could see them using their 2nd Round pick on a WR if they really are in love with someone in that second group. My guess is they still need LB and OT more and would likely jump on another Defensive player first before dribbling shit down their chin over a WR this early.
So…we already traded for OBJ so that eliminates us, right??? Yep, it does.
The Ravens have absolute dog crap at WR on the roster right now. Can you say YIKES?? It looks like our WR roster for the past 12 years! There is a reason they invest in TE’s and part of it is because they scheme around TE in order to keep the pressure reasonable on their WR room. Not a bad strategy and when you have several elite TE’s your offense will gain, not lose in terms of results. Just ask New England.
This looks like a practice squad roster…and so there is just no way in hell that Baltimore does not address the situation early and OFTEN. Question is, how early? I believe they will use 2-3 of their picks on WR help, starting with #22 in the 1st Round. I believe DK Metcalf, Arcega-Whiteside and AJ Brown are all in play for them at that spot.
They don’t have a second round pick and I believe with their 3rd rounder they will go Offensive Line or EDGE/LB if a nice player is there. With two 4ths I see one of them going to another WR. Someone like Terry Godwin or Anthony Johnson would work. It will take them several seasons to put this WR position back in reasonable shape, they can’t solve it all this year. But regardless, they have backed themselves into a corner here and MUST spend high draft capital on the position…You read it here first.
