The Ravens have been looking for leaders on and off the field in previous draft classes. They’ve been looking for young, socially conscious, campus leaders who can add to their already impressive locker room. This year will be no exception. And Josh Paschal fits the bill, not just with his play on the field – that stands on its own merit, but with his character off it too. That, only adds to the case that he be marked with a red star on the Ravens draft board this April.

He is easily the most fearsome YAC-getter in this class. And this was in the SEC, not some flat-track bully in a lesser division. He was beating the best athletes in the nation with both speed and physicality on a regular basis. Arkansas would put the ball in his hands as much as possible, on both screens and out of the backfield, and let him go to work. The potential with a guy like him lining up on the offense as both a runner, receiver and decoy is mouth-watering.

There was another constant though, by his side – Eric DeCosta. So I think EDC makes a fascinating case study in humility, self-development and team-building. He saw a great team-builder change his approach and build two different teams – he was there for all of it. But also because there was so much success, particularly in the draft, during Ozzie’s tenure, that it would be so easy to fall into the crash and burn pitfall that lies in wait if he were to try and replicate Ozzie’s approach, lock, stock and barrel.

We know for sure that Eric DeCosta likes to get better. It is one of the things that makes me feel most secure in his stewardship of this franchise. On night one of the 2021 NFL Draft, he proved to us that he is well and truly, captain of this ship now. The most un-Raven like edge rusher pick in a long time awaited us as the first night drew to a close. It tells us a lot about how DeCosta likes to learn and grow. Odafe Jayson Oweh was, literally, the last guy I expected to be a Raven on draft night. The Ravens are habitual valuers of production at the edge rusher spot and Oweh… Does. Not. Have. It.

The last piece I wrote was for Russell Street Report and it was a potential, Raven-like approach to the first two days of the 2021 NFL Draft that would see us take four prospects on day two that I believe, play like Ravens on film. My piece was predicated on us having ONE pick in the first round and trading back off that pick to acquire more picks in what I believe to be a loaded day two this year. It was surely this that tempted fate and caused our favorite Right Tackle to be traded to the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday. Giving us two picks in the first round this year and a chasm of a gap to our next pick in the 90s, in a draft where I believe the sweet spot for talent is right in the middle of that pick desert for us.

Lamont Brightful, David Pittman, Lardarius Webb, Asa Jackson, Christian Thompson, Tray Walker – all I knew before setting off on this journey through the Ravens draft tendencies was that Ozzie loved a small school corner, he could not get enough of them. Though looking at this list, a one of out of six hit rate and you’re glad they stopped doing this as frequently as they used to. In fact one of the overall tendencies I’ve noticed, is that recently, we’ve reduced the frequency with which we take a player of any position from the small school ranks.

The Ravens are still obsessed with speed at the position, especially in the earlier rounds. The clearest tendency that they have in all of their receiver selections is their need for speed on day one and two of the NFL Draft. A 4.4 40 or faster highlights the profile of all of these selections. They also like to find wide receivers who are big, and fast for their size – in the case of Aaron Mellette or Jaleel Scott, or receivers who are simply big, and fast for anyone’s size – in the case of Tommy Streeter or Miles Boykin.

I think the Ravens will feel caught out badly by this scenario, finding themselves so bereft of homegrown talent at a premium position is something they are not accustomed to. In short, I think they’re ready to dip into the edge rusher bucket in this upcoming draft

Having said that, as with every single draft year, many receivers have been mocked to us over recent months. Like every year, after I’ve worked through most of my evaluations, I find myself going back to watching potential late first round receivers. From Hakeem Nicks, to Devin Smith to AJ Brown himself, I’ve had my favourites going way back but they read like a crapshoot.

Having studied other team’s draft histories, I have noticed that patterns start to emerge that betray a little, what types of players different teams are looking for and what they are want to do on draft night. In the same way that teams study play-calling tendencies before a game, we can begin to evaluate team’s drafting tendencies when considering whether to trade up and above them or to play out scenarios on who might be there from our board when we pick.

Ojulari is an intriguing prospect for the Ravens at the end of round one. I think where the Ravens pick is about where his talent dictates he should come off the board. There are things about him the Ravens will love, his pass rush skills are advanced and the way he deploys his athleticism off the edge is enticing.