Best- and Worst-Case Scenarios for Ravens’ Top Draft Picks

With training camp in the books, The Baltimore Banner’s Giana Han looked at the best- and worst-case scenarios for each of the Ravens’ draft picks in the regular season.

Here’s Han’s outlook for the Ravens’ first two picks:

Round 1 (No. 14): G Vega Ioane

Best case: “Teammates and coaches have raved over Ioane’s maturity, saying he already seems like a vet. He’s extremely strong, in addition to being an intelligent player, so there’s a chance he adjusts to NFL competition quickly. He was given a lot of reps in joint practices and a handful in the preseason games, and he looked impressive even if the PFF grades didn’t reflect that. And, if Ioane is surrounded by experience and talent on the offensive line, that will smooth over any rookie mistakes. He’s going to be a starter, but he could be an immediate impact player and get this offense moving.”

Worst case: “The biggest question mark on this roster is right next to Ioane. If the Ravens don’t find an answer at center, that could exacerbate any hiccups Ioane has, especially if he isn’t as ready as the Ravens make him out to be. The worst case would be Ioane having a longer adjustment period and a bad line, but he would likely still be on track to be an important part of the franchise’s future.”

Round 2 (No. 45): OLB Zion Young

Best case: “Young had a relatively quiet training camp but played well in the second preseason game. However, he returned to Baltimore with an injury and sat out. The best case would be for him to recover quickly but to have the older pass rushers taking most of the game reps. If things go right, Trey Hendrickson, Tavius Robinson and Mike Green would contribute enough that the Ravens don’t need to rely heavily on the rookie. This would allow Young to get stronger and faster without the pressure, and it would mean he was developing in a healthy environment.”

Worst case: “Other than the obvious possibility of injury limiting him, the worst case for Young would be to be called on too early. He has a lot of inner juice that drives him, but getting thrown out against NFL tackles before he’s expanded his pass rush options and perfected his technique could be defeating.”

On a related note, analysts’ best- and worst-case scenarios for third-round wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane were covered in Late for Work last week.