The Baltimore Ravens selected 10 players in the 2020 NFL Draft. All 10 received game time with Baltimore. Patrick Queen, Devin Duvernay, and Malik Harrison appeared in all 16 games of the season, a huge accomplishment considering the wave of COVID-19 that ran through the team in November. In total, the Ravens got 129 games played from their rookie class, among the best in the NFL. Let’s recap the Ravens 2020 NFL Draft Class and determine the best and worst picks that they made.
Ravens 2020 NFL Draft Review
Best Value Pick: Justin Madubuike
Madubuike, the first third-round pick of the Ravens 2020 NFL draft class, may not have the highlight reel of Queen, but he was a rock-solid defensive lineman in his 10 games played. Across 156 pass-rushing snaps in the regular season and playoffs, Madubuike recorded 10 pressures. Calais Campbell, for reference, had 25 total pressures in 323 pass-rushing snaps, including an anomaly of eight against Philadelphia’s weak offensive line. In the only game that he had 20 pass-rushing snaps, Madubuike recorded four pressures on 23 snaps. He had a pass-rush grade of 85.0 that night against the Cleveland Browns, posting an overall Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade of 90.4.
For the season, Madubuike had a solid 70.3 grade, posting above-average grades as a run defender, tackler, and pass-rusher. With Campbell approaching his 35th birthday and Brandon Williams as a potential cut, Madubuike could be a mainstay on the defensive interior starting in 2021. Not bad for the 71st pick.
Best Overall Player: J.K. Dobbins
After just 25 carries in his first six games, Dobbins garnered a much larger workload down the stretch. He replied with one of the most efficient rushing seasons by a rookie in recent memory. Since the merger, only Robert Griffin (a quarterback) and Alvin Kamara have exceeded 6.0 yards per carry, among those with 100 carries. Dobbins was particularly dynamic against the AFC North. In the five games he played (he missed the second Pittsburgh game because of COVID-19), he scored six touchdowns and had a pair of 100-yard games. He bludgeoned Cincinnati, especially, going for 194 yards and a two touchdowns across just 14 attempts over two games.
For the season, Dobbins tallied over 1,000 scrimmage yards and 10 rushing touchdowns (including playoffs). He had a few critical drops in Baltimore’s losses, but he should be a star moving forward and is deserving of being on a couple more spots in this Ravens 2020 NFL draft class review. He could easily have been named the best value pick AND the best future sleeper. For the sake of a good article, however, we only have him in one spot. Moving into 2021, Dobbins should be the lead back for the foreseeable future. Gus Edwards is a free agent, but Baltimore should look to retain him to maintain the two-headed running back attack alongside Lamar Jackson.
Worst Pick: Broderick Washington
It’s hard to knock the Ravens for a fifth-round pick like Washington, but the first seven players actually played meaningful snaps. Washington could come into his own moving forward, but he seems like a rotational interior defensive lineman at best. Offensive linemen Tyre Phillips and Ben Bredeson were up for consideration here, but they were capable pass protectors, in general. Washington was generally a liability on defense. Washington is not a bad player, but through one season, he has to be Baltimore’s worst pick.
Future Sleeper: Devin Duvernay
Duvernay, the second third-round of the Ravens 2020 NFL draft class, only had 26 targets across his 16 games. He had 20 catches and four rush attempts tallying 271 yards. He added a kick return touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs in week three on Monday Night Football.
Duvernay received a double-whammy by being a rookie wide receiver on the most pass-averse team in the NFL. John Harbaugh also has a reputation for not playing rookies early (as seen in the Dobbins section).
The Texas product should receive more playing time in 2021 as the likes of Willie Snead and Dez Bryant are on their way out. Even if the Ravens sign a star-caliber wide receiver, Duvernay should slide into the No. three receiver and slot roles. Look for Duvernay to be a go-to target on third and fourth down.
Ravens 2020 NFL Draft Grade: B+
While Baltimore did not uncover a superstar (yet, a certain 2018 draft uncovered many stars in the second season after the draft), they did get a strong collection of talent. Queen, Dobbins, Madubuike, Harrison, and Duvernay are likely to be key pieces for the next few seasons. In their last five picks of the draft, Baltimore got immediate returns as all five played some snaps. Geno Stone is now in Houston, but Phillips, Bredeson, Washington, and James Proche should still be on the roster in 2021.
Phillips and Bredeson will be fighting for playing time in Baltimore’s offensive line with undrafted free agent Trystan Colon-Castillo. While Baltimore could look to draft offensive line help, especially if they trade Orlando Brown.
Washington is likely to be a depth piece for the time being, but a larger role could open up if Baltimore forgoes players such as Williams or Derek Wolfe. If he comes into camp this year with a chance at a bigger spot in the rotation, perhaps that motivates him to become the player the Ravens thought they were drafting last year.
Proche had a solid season of returning punts, but he only had 25 offensive snaps. It seems unlikely that Proche will feature in the Baltimore offense as he fills much of the same role as Duvernay without possessing track-level speed.
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