Ravens could draft QB in first round?

In an era where quarterbacks like Tom Brady and Drew Brees continue to play at an extremely high level at or around their 40th birthday, you could make the argument that the Baltimore Ravens are set at the quarterback position for another five years or so. Does the team agree?

Many felt NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah was reaching when he predicted that the Ravens will draft Baker Mayfield at No. 16 overall in his latest mock draft. Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun noted on Wednesday that Jeremiah is a former Ravens scout who has connections to the organization, and while Zrebiec thinks it is “unlikely” Baltimore will take a QB in the first round, he conceded that it is possible.

Zrebiec lists several reasons why the Ravens might consider drafting Mayfield or one of the other top QB prospects in a loaded class. The obvious is that Flacco is 33 and has dealt with knee and back injuries over the past few seasons. His play has also been average at best for several years now. While Baltimore’s offense had many issues beyond Flacco in 2017, Flacco threw for just over 3,000 yards in 16 games and had 18 touchdown passes compared to 13 interceptions. Ryan Mallett, Flacco’s primary backup last season, is also set to become a free agent, though the Ravens could replace him in free agency or the later rounds.

For what it’s worth, the Ravens have openly praised another one of the better QBs in the 2018 draft class. If Flacco and Baltimore’s offense struggle again in 2018, the Ravens will almost certainly start looking to the future at the quarterback position. It wouldn’t exactly be a shock if they started that process this offseason.