I’m not exactly Bob Seger but I’ve got a hunch the Ravens will end up taking defensive end DeForest Buckner at #6 overall this coming Thursday… and that’s if Ozzie Newsome can restrain himself from the tempting opportunity of trading back to get an extra pick or two.
With quarterbacks Jared Goff and Carson Wentz all but locked into the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, two of these top talents will still be remaining:
- DE Joey Bosa, Ohio State
- DE DeForest Buckner, Oregon
- RB Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State
- LB Myles Jack, UCLA
- DB Jalen Ramsey, Florida State
- OT Laremy Tunsil, Ole Miss
Methinks the San Diego Chargers take Tunsil at #3….the Dallas Cowboys take Elliott at #4… and the Jacksonville Jaguars take Jack at #5 pending a full medical report.
That would mean the Ravens have a shot at either Bosa, Ramsey or Buckner.
Owner Steve Bisciotti is on record as wanting the Ravens to draft a pass rusher in the first round. That thread leads us to a crossroads between Bosa and Buckner.
Both are good…both are special. Bosa would play at outside linebacker in the Ravens 3-4, Buckner would play on the line at defensive end. But Buckner is simply a better system fit for the Ravens.
Bolster the pass rush and establish the future of the outside linebacker position—these are the primary goals of the Ravens’ need to improve on defense. To me, it’s a matter of projecting whether Bosa can drop back into pass coverage more effectively than Buckner can be that disruptive force on the defensive line. My bet is placed on Buckner.
The guy is a physical freak (6-7, 287). He can also bring pressure from the middle, as evidenced by his 10.5 sacks with Oregon last year.
I just see him as a better fit for the Ravens than Bosa.
Then again, the Ravens may fall in love with DB Jalen Ramsey. But is Ramsey really a press-cover guy? I think he is more suited to a zone-cover system.
Sports Illustrated’s Doug Farrar has a thumbs-up for Buckner over Bosa:
“When I watch Buckner, I see far more pure physical dominance, the kind of athletic excellence that prorates very well to the NFL. Buckner has the size, hand and arm length, and technique to simply bend blockers back at times. He’ll swim and rip them out of the way. Sometimes, he’ll shock-and-awe by just splitting a gap far more quickly than you’d expect from a guy standing 6′ 7″ and weighing 291 pounds. You can line him up anywhere from head-over-nose to the tackle’s outside shoulder, and he’ll make plays.”
“Moreover, he draws all kinds of chips, double-teams, and holds, and I think that’s going to continue into his NFL career. When I look at Bosa, I see a low ceiling in a lot of ways. When I watch Buckner, I think the ceiling is a lot higher. And I want to make it very clear from the start: Buckner isn’t Dion Jordan or Arik Armstead. He’s not another Oregon end who needs a lot of finishing work. He’s not just an athletic marvel. He’s a savvy, productive, scheme-transcendent player, and he’s absolutely my best end in this draft class.”
This reinforces my belief that Buckner is a better fit for the Ravens than is Bosa. If it comes down to choosing, the only vote that counts is Ozzie’s.
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