The Baltimore Ravens Ravens hold a total on nine picks in the seven rounds of upcoming NFL Draft, but general manager Eric DeCosta is concerned about the depth this class has to offer. The veteran executive has been with the organization since 1996 and has seen his share of draft classes, but seemed unimpressed with the caliber of players that the league will see in the finals rounds.
“Because of COVID partly and NIL, the whole draft landscape has changed. There’s less players in the draft this year. There’s less draftable players, less underclassmen,” said DeCosta per Pro Football Talk.
Name, image and likeness regulations allow a college players to earn money before reaching the NFL. That was not the case a few years ago. College prospects that were previously inclined to jump up to the professional level are now preferring to remain with their college programs.
The Ravens hold two picks in the seventh round (no. 228 and no. 250) and DeCosta also touched on a potential trade to move up in the draft.
“We’ve talked about the idea of getting to the later rounds of the draft, if there’s nobody there that you covet, potentially trading that pick for a better pick,” added Costa.
The Ravens finished the 2023 season with an NFL best 13-4 record and made it all the way to the AFC Championship before eventually losing out to the Kansas City Chiefs. They are only a few pieces away from a championship and DeCosta understands that this draft will be critical for the organization.
