The Baltimore Ravens can't afford to spend premium draft capital on prospects who are already coming into the league with health-related red flags and concerns.
Availability, being a player's best ability, isn't a cliché at the NFL level; it's a necessity. What good is a talented asset if it's not going to be on the field consistently, especially when it matters most in big games and for deep postseason runs?and his new-look staff, they are still in win-now mode and are expected to be Super Bowl contenders this year, which means they need to allocate their resources wisely in the team-building process.
There are no assets more precious when it comes to putting together a roster than early-round selections in the NFL Draft each year. Those picks are especially valuable when a team is coming off a down year, like the Ravens are after not making the playoffs in 2025. General managerholds the No. 14 overall pick in the first round and No. 45 overall in the second. He can ill afford to not hit on those picks with immediate reliable contributors, which means doing his best to avoid taking prospects who are already entering the league hurt or with a history of struggling to stay healthy. Here is a list of prospects at some of their top positions of need that they should be wary of spending premier picks on during the first two days of the draft:Based on talent and physical profile alone, the former Sun Devil is everything the Ravens want and need in a perimeter receiver. The 6-foot-2 and 203-pounder has incredible traits, a huge catch radius and racked up over 2,200 receiving yards, 23 touchdowns from scrimmage and averaged 14.4 yards per catch during his collegiate career. However, his checkered injury history is preventing him from being viewed as the consensus top wideout in this year's draft and should dissuade DeCosta from taking such a gamble with a top 15 pick. Tyson never played a full season during his four years in college and has had to miss time in each of the last three. He suffered a torn ACL in 2023, missed the college football playoffs during his breakout 2024 campaign due to a broken collarbone, and missed time with a hamstring injury in 2025 that is still preventing him from working out for teams during the pre-draft process. As tantalizing as his skillset and potential impact could be in the Ravens' new-look offense under first-year offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, they can't afford to take a pass catcher who struggles with lower extremity injuries this high in the draft when they have more pressing needs elsewhere and could land the top interior offensive lineman in Olaivavega Ioane with their top pick instead.Tennessee defensive back Jermod McCoy celebrates after making a play during a college football game between Tennessee and Georgia at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, November 16, 2024. | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images This could very well be the year the Ravens target a cornerback high in the draft to be the successor to four-time Pro Bowl and two-time First Team All Pro veteran, but they shouldn't do so with the former Tennessee Volunteer. McCoy hasn't taken a meaningful snap on a football field since December 21, 2024, when Tennessee fell 42-17 to the eventual national title-winning Ohio State Buckeyes in the first round of the college football playoffs due to a torn ACL he suffered in that game. The injury caused McCoy to miss his entire junior season while he recovered. Based on his breakout sophomore campaign that saw him record career-highs with four interceptions and nine pass breakups, he was and still is widely viewed as one of the top corner prospects in this year's crop in the eyes of most pundits and analysts who just go off of tape. Thankfully, ACL tears aren't the career enders or limiters that they once were, but when a prospect takes as long to recover as McCoy has, it raises some concerning red flags. His healing process has been especially lengthy, resulting in him opting not to take the practice or game field at the Panini Senior Bowl or workout at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. His agent and inner circle might've advised him to refrain from such activities to be extra cautious to prevent a potential setback that could hurt his draft stock. The fact that Tennessee's scripted Pro Day early this week will be the first time teams get to lay eyes on him in a football capacity in nearly a year and a half should scare the Ravens and their infamously stringent medical staff away from being willing to select him at No. 14 overall. If he happens to fall into the second round and is still on the board when they are on the clock at No. 45 overall, the showed with David Ojabo in 2022 that they aren't afraid to take an early Day 2 flier on a prospect with elite traits at a premium position.Jan 29, 2026; Mobile, AL, USA; American defensive tackle Caleb Banks of Florida works in a drill during American Senior Bowl practice at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images With still no official word or clarity on the future of two-time Pro Bowl veteran Nnamdi Mabubuike, the Ravens could be looking to address the interior of their defensive line early in this year's draft. Had the former Gator come out last year after his breakout 2024 season in which he recorded career-highs with 4.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss and two forced fumbles, he likely would've been a top 20 pick in 2025. Banks returned to try to boost his stock further, but he suffered a foot injury, which caused him to miss all but three games at the end of the season. He could've just shut down any hopes of returning to the field and focused on preparing for the 2026 pre-draft process, but was determined to suit up with his teammates one last time, but didn't quite look like his old self when he did. At 6'6" and 327 pounds with 35" arms and 10 7/8" hands, Banks has the physical traits and athleticism that defensive line coaches fawn over, and he flashed them both at the Senior Bowl, where he dominated at times in practice. After clocking a 5.04 in the 40-yard dash at the Combine, he didn't take part in on-field drills with what was later revealed to be a broken fourth metatarsal in his left foot that he had surgery to address on March 9 and is expected to be sidelined until June. Prior to his latest setback, Banks was picking up steam as a potential mid-to-late first-rounder, but at this point, even taking him in the second round might be too much of a gamble. If he's still available when the Ravens are on the clock at No. 80 overall in the third round, he'd be a tremendous value pick there, as that is the range where the Ravens landed Madubuike in 2020 and reigning sack leader, defensive tackle Travis Jones, in 2022.Sep 27, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Auburn Tigers offensive lineman Connor Lew sets the ball against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Imagesin free agency, the Ravens are in need of a new anchor in the middle of their offensive line to be a plug-and-play starter from Day 1 like he was, but that can't be the former Tiger. Lew suffered a torn ACL on October 18, 2025, in a 23-17 double overtime loss to Missouri, and while he is reportedly ahead of schedule in his recovery and is viewed as one of the top center prospects, that's not a dice role the Ravens can afford to make. They've already added some versatile interior offensive linemen to bolster depth and possibly compete with former undrafted gem Corey Bullock to replace Linderbaum, but there are other center prospects who are healthy and better schematic fits who they could target in the second, third and even fourth rounds. A few alternatives they take in the draft include Iowa's Logan Jones, Kansas State's Sam Hecht and Alabama's Parker Brailsford.Oct 17, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Louisville Cardinals wide receiver Chris Bell carries the football for a touchdown against Miami Hurricanes defensive back Jr. Romanas Frederique during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Although the former Cardinal doesn't have a history of recurring injuries like Tyson, he unfortunately suffered a torn ACL on November 22, 2025, in a 38-6 loss to SMU, which tanked his stock as a projected first-round pick that might've been gone as high as the top 20. Similarly to Lew, he is reportedly ahead of schedule in his road to recovery and is already running and jumping, which is still not enough to warrant taking him with a top 50 pick. When healthy, Bell is exactly what the doctor ordered for the Ravens at perimeter receiver. At 6-foot-2 and 222 pounds, he's a big-bodied wideout who can dominate at the catch point on contested catches and is an explosive run-after-catch threat. He was on pace for his first career 1,000 receiving yard season before he went down with career-highs across the board with 72 catches for 917 receiving yards and six touchdowns. While it's not worth the risk in the top two rounds, stopping his fall in the third round might be too great a value to pass up if he's still on the board. Make sure you bookmark Baltimore Ravens On SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!Josh is a writer for Baltimore Ravens On SI focusing primarily on original content and reporting. He provides analysis, breakdowns, profiles, and reports on important news and transactions from and about the Ravens. His professional resume as a sports reporter includes covering local events, teams, and athletes in his hometown of Anchorage, Alaska for Anchorage Daily News. His coverage on the Ravens and other NFL teams has been featured on Heavy.com/sports, Maryland Sports Blog and most recently Baltimore Beatdown from 2021 until 2025.Ravens Fans Need to Calm First Year Expectations for Jesse MinterThe NFL Should Let Delusional Teams Trade As Many Draft Picks As They Want
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Bronx firehouse catches fire, at least 14 firefighters injuredA fire at a Bronx firehouse left at least 14 firefighters with minor injuries Friday. All were taken to the hospital for treatment.
Read more »
Top 50 MLB Prospects for 2026: Konnor Griffin, Kevin McGonigle Lead the WayOur resident prospect expert ranks his top 50 MLB prospects heading into the 2026 season.
Read more »
John Harbaugh Had Surprising Comments on Final Season With RavensJohn Harbaugh explained why he “took a lot of pride” in final season coaching Ravens.
Read more »
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Cadet Job Prospects RevealedJohn Orquiola is a New & Classic TV Editor, Senior Writer, and Interviewer with a special focus on Star Trek. John has over 5,000 published articles at SR, and he has interviewed the biggest names in Star Trek on the red carpet and VIP events, among other beloved shows, movies, and franchises.
Read more »
Five Injured Vets Ruled Out of UW Spring BallEach one tentatively should be ready to go for fall camp in August.
Read more »
As In-State Momentum Builds, Wisconsin Commits Help Push for Top ProspectsRecent Badger commits are pushing hard for fellow in-state prospects to commit to Wisconsin.
Read more »