The 2026 Baltimore Ravens thread
- Thread starter STAN JONES
- Start date
STAN JONES
Veteran
we got Jakobi Lane
dont like this pick
dont like this pick
Mantis Toboggan M.D.
I’m here for the scraps
So the team picked what I was hoping they would with a defensive lineman, a guard, and a receiver so far. I don’t follow college sports, so can anyone who does tell me what these guys should be able to bring to the team in 2026?
STAN JONES
Veteran
Ioane - elite pass blocker,good run blocker. Should be allpro by year 2 or year 3 at the latest but he’ll be good from day 1
Zion Young - power rusher,good against the run,edge setter,crashout. The type of player that Harbaugh usually avoided
Ja’Kobi Lane - contested catch demon. Great hands.Has decent speed for his size. Can develop into a Courtland Sutton type of player if he improves his route running and gets stronger
I love the Ioane and Young picks. I don’t like the Lane pick but I dont hate it. Im just not of a fan of the contested catch receivers who don’t separate. Those type of receivers have a high bust rate.
The thing that’s confusing about Lane is he ran a 4.47 at the combine but he looks slower than that on tape. You’d expect a guy with 4.4 speed to get open more than he did in college
If they wanted a big receiver I would’ve rather took Chris Brazzell or Ted Hurst who both went a couple picks after we took Lane
me personally I would’ve took Brazzell or Skyler Bell
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STAN JONES
Veteran
Steve Smith had Lane ranked as his 18th best receiver in the draft
Their were 7 WRs that he had ranked higher still on the board when we took Lane
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Maliciouslarynx
All Star
I like the Lane pick. Interesting to see him develop.
I'm loving all of the picks so far. Ioane and Young are both going to bring bully ball back to Baltimore. Ravens need to keep players like this on the roster. Ravens got some alpha males in the locker room.
Lane looks like he will bully smaller DBs. I saw him win a lot of 50/50 balls. I'd like to see him and Tez being used in the redzone primarily. Lane will develop into a really solid receiver for the Ravens. His route running improves, and he will go much farther than people expect.
Lane looks like he will bully smaller DBs. I saw him win a lot of 50/50 balls. I'd like to see him and Tez being used in the redzone primarily. Lane will develop into a really solid receiver for the Ravens. His route running improves, and he will go much farther than people expect.
Zion Young scouting report
Before Zion Young ever wore the black and gold in Columbia, he was grinding through Big Ten trenches at Michigan State as a consensus three-star recruit out of Westlake High School in Georgia. ESPN tagged him with a 73 rating, 247Sports slotted him at 0.85, and Rivals gave him a 5.5 grade, but none of those numbers predicted the kind of player he'd eventually become. Young earned two letters with the Spartans, starting 11 games across the 2022 and 2023 seasons while picking up Academic All-Big Ten honors. He put together 47 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks during his time in East Lansing, highlighted by a seven-tackle outing against Michigan in 2022 that showed flashes of the disruptive force he'd become.
The transfer to Missouri ahead of the 2024 season changed everything. Young stepped right into a starting role, playing all 13 games and compiling 42 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks while chipping in three pass breakups and a fumble recovery he took 17 yards to the house against Oklahoma. He earned a spot on the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll and his teammates saw enough leadership to vote him captain heading into the following year. That 2024 season, solid as it was, turned out to be the warm-up act.
The 2025 campaign is where Young turned into a different animal entirely. Starting all 13 games at Missouri's JACK position, he racked up 9.0 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss to go with an interception off a tipped pass against Vanderbilt. His sack rate of .69 per game ranked fourth in the SEC and 19th nationally. Pro Football Focus credited him with 37 quarterback hurries and nine QB hits, and his pass rush productivity mark of 10.5 ranked 13th nationally among edge players. He was named Second Team All-SEC by league coaches, and his Senior Bowl performance in Mobile only amplified what evaluators had been seeing on Saturday afternoons throughout the fall.
The ideal landing spot is a 4-3 defense where he can operate as a strong-side end, pinning his ears back on obvious passing situations while being trusted to hold the point of attack on running downs. His length and hand technique allow him to win at the line of scrimmage without needing to be the fastest player off the ball, and his versatility to bump inside on sub packages or stand up in odd-front looks adds real value to a defense looking to create multiplicity up front. He's not a one-trick speed rusher, and that's actually what makes him interesting.
The ceiling question comes down to explosiveness. If an NFL strength program can unlock a quicker first step, you're looking at a legitimate every-down starter who can pile up pressure numbers and anchor one side of the defensive line for years. Even if the athleticism stays right where it is, the floor is a valuable rotational piece who makes his money defending the run, generating consistent pressure through effort and technique, and being the kind of player coaches can count on every single snap. The off-field history will cost him in some board rooms, and rightfully so, but the football player on tape is someone who belongs in the conversation as a legitimate Day 2 selection.
Before Zion Young ever wore the black and gold in Columbia, he was grinding through Big Ten trenches at Michigan State as a consensus three-star recruit out of Westlake High School in Georgia. ESPN tagged him with a 73 rating, 247Sports slotted him at 0.85, and Rivals gave him a 5.5 grade, but none of those numbers predicted the kind of player he'd eventually become. Young earned two letters with the Spartans, starting 11 games across the 2022 and 2023 seasons while picking up Academic All-Big Ten honors. He put together 47 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks during his time in East Lansing, highlighted by a seven-tackle outing against Michigan in 2022 that showed flashes of the disruptive force he'd become.
The transfer to Missouri ahead of the 2024 season changed everything. Young stepped right into a starting role, playing all 13 games and compiling 42 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks while chipping in three pass breakups and a fumble recovery he took 17 yards to the house against Oklahoma. He earned a spot on the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll and his teammates saw enough leadership to vote him captain heading into the following year. That 2024 season, solid as it was, turned out to be the warm-up act.
The 2025 campaign is where Young turned into a different animal entirely. Starting all 13 games at Missouri's JACK position, he racked up 9.0 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss to go with an interception off a tipped pass against Vanderbilt. His sack rate of .69 per game ranked fourth in the SEC and 19th nationally. Pro Football Focus credited him with 37 quarterback hurries and nine QB hits, and his pass rush productivity mark of 10.5 ranked 13th nationally among edge players. He was named Second Team All-SEC by league coaches, and his Senior Bowl performance in Mobile only amplified what evaluators had been seeing on Saturday afternoons throughout the fall.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Built like a prototype modern edge rusher with rare length at 6'5" and arms that create problems before blockers can even get their hands inside on him.
- Run defense is the calling card here. He stacks blockers, sheds with violence, and holds his ground against double teams with an anchor that belies his 262-pound frame.
- Plays with a nasty streak that offensive linemen absolutely hate. He finishes through contact and brings a physical temperament that infects the rest of the defensive front.
- Active, technical hands in pass rush situations. His swim move is polished, his rip is effective, and he's started adding a spin move that flashes real potential when he sells speed first.
- Versatility to line up with his hand in the dirt or stand up on the edge, giving coordinators flexibility to move him around without tipping the defensive call.
- Motor never stops running. Consistently chases plays to the opposite side of the field and picks up effort sacks because he simply refuses to quit on a rush.
- Showed legitimate bend around the corner against SEC tackles, flattening his rush path to the quarterback with balance and body control that surprises for a man his size.
- Diagnoses screens and draws quickly, staying disciplined in his rush lane rather than flying upfield and taking himself out of plays. His 96% run defense grade from PFF backs up the film.
- First step off the snap lacks that explosive burst you see from premium edge rushers. Tackles get hands on him early, forcing him to win with technique rather than speed.
- Counter move repertoire needs real development. When the initial rush gets swallowed up, he tends to default to power rather than having a plan B that changes the math.
- Pad level gets inconsistent, particularly on inside moves where he stands tall and gives away the leverage advantage his frame should naturally provide.
- Coverage reps are rough. He looks uncomfortable dropping into space and lacks the hip fluidity to match running backs or tight ends on underneath routes.
- At 262 pounds, there are legitimate questions about whether his frame can handle the week-to-week toll of engaging NFL offensive linemen who outweigh him by 40-plus pounds.
- Two off-field incidents cloud the picture: a misdemeanor assault charge from the Michigan State tunnel fight as a freshman and a DWI arrest in December 2025 that is still pending a court hearing.
Scouting Report: Summary
Young's tape at Missouri tells the story of a player whose impact on the game goes well beyond what the box score captures. The sack numbers spiked in 2025, sure, but what jumps off the film is the constant, grinding pressure he puts on quarterbacks and the tone he sets against the run. His 96% run defense grade from PFF is not a typo. He is legitimately one of the best edge setters in this entire draft class, and any defensive coordinator who values winning on early downs before worrying about third-and-long will see a player who fits right into their front.The ideal landing spot is a 4-3 defense where he can operate as a strong-side end, pinning his ears back on obvious passing situations while being trusted to hold the point of attack on running downs. His length and hand technique allow him to win at the line of scrimmage without needing to be the fastest player off the ball, and his versatility to bump inside on sub packages or stand up in odd-front looks adds real value to a defense looking to create multiplicity up front. He's not a one-trick speed rusher, and that's actually what makes him interesting.
The ceiling question comes down to explosiveness. If an NFL strength program can unlock a quicker first step, you're looking at a legitimate every-down starter who can pile up pressure numbers and anchor one side of the defensive line for years. Even if the athleticism stays right where it is, the floor is a valuable rotational piece who makes his money defending the run, generating consistent pressure through effort and technique, and being the kind of player coaches can count on every single snap. The off-field history will cost him in some board rooms, and rightfully so, but the football player on tape is someone who belongs in the conversation as a legitimate Day 2 selection.
