{"id":26495,"date":"2025-02-16T08:55:11","date_gmt":"2025-02-16T08:55:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=26495"},"modified":"2025-02-16T08:55:11","modified_gmt":"2025-02-16T08:55:11","slug":"report-ravens-may-pivot-to-defense-in-upcoming-draft-major-change-ahead-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=26495","title":{"rendered":"REPORT: Ravens May Pivot to Defense in Upcoming Draft \u2013 Major Change Ahead?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"tagStyle_1bmarg5-o_O-style_gt0nzj-o_O-sidesPadding_1kaga1a\">\n<div>The Baltimore Ravens need to add pieces to improve the defensive depth on their roster.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wrapper_e296pg\">\n<div class=\"wrapper_oenkmd\">\n<div class=\"wrapper_1vgzeyt\">\n<div class=\"style_1q03211\">\n<figure class=\"base_1ruub6q\" data-mm-type=\"image\"><picture class=\"base_1emrqjj\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"base_1emrqjj\" title=\"Nov 9, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive lineman Princely Umanmielen (1) reacts during the second half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images\" src=\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,w_3773,h_2122,x_0,y_0\/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images\/ImagnImages\/mmsport\/raven_country\/01jkxm63n8bqtc2qr2cb.jpg\" alt=\"Nov 9, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive lineman Princely Umanmielen (1) reacts during the second half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images\" data-uw-rm-alt-original=\"Nov 9, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive lineman Princely Umanmielen (1) reacts during the second half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images\" data-uw-rm-alt=\"ALT\" \/><\/picture><\/figure>\n<div class=\"wrapper_brpv6a\">Nov 9, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive lineman Princely Umanmielen (1) reacts during the second half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images \/ Petre Thomas-Imagn Images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"inStoryContainer_1r009zu\">\n<div class=\"wrapper_qe1qt7\">\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-5\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_w4898a9p9\">The Baltimore Ravens have 11 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, and that will allow them to add a good chunk of prospects to sprinkle across the roster.<\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_1xkhu680k\">However, Bleacher Report writer Kristopher Knox points out that the\u00a0Ravens may be more inclined to target the defensive side of the ball this spring.<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-4\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_so5nk5t64\">\u201cBecause of their cap situation, the Ravens may look for defensive help in the draft. They used their 2023 first-round pick on cornerback Nate Wiggins, but they could easily dip back into the defensive pool this April,\u201d Knox writes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_usybm0ma8\">\u201cWith Odafe Oweh entering the fifth and final year of his rookie contract, a prospect like Mississippi pass-rusher\u00a0Princely Umanmielen\u00a0could make sense early.<\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_kl8ssstnt\">\u201cUmanmielen would be a good fit as a standup linebacker for a team that uses a lot of odd fronts,\u201d\u00a0Matt Holder\u00a0of the B\/R Scouting Department wrote. \u201cHe can contribute as a pass-rusher right away and is good enough to get by as a run defender to become a full-time starter by his second or third season, if not sooner.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_utbdu0669\">The Ravens could also look to target the\u00a0cornerback position, and Knox mentions two names in particular worth looking out for.<\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_v39ersmr9\">\u201cCorner prospects like East Carolina\u2019s\u00a0Shavon Revel Jr.\u00a0and Mississippi\u2019s\u00a0Trey Amos\u00a0should also be on Baltimore\u2019s draft radar,\u201d Knox writes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_u43l0s6c6\">These new\u00a0Ravens\u00a0rookies won\u2019t be expected to make an immediate impact, but they could eventually become part of the equation in the coming years. Baltimore has shown a knack of drafting well, and if that trend continues, the front office could set the defense up for success over the next several years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_of0o7suda\">The Ravens and the rest of the league will be participating in the NFL Scouting Combine later this month from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Baltimore Ravens need to add pieces to improve the defensive depth on their roster. Nov 9, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive lineman Princely Umanmielen&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":26496,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26495","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>REPORT: Ravens May Pivot to Defense in Upcoming Draft \u2013 Major Change Ahead? - 24\/7 News America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=26495\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"REPORT: Ravens May Pivot to Defense in Upcoming Draft \u2013 Major Change Ahead? - 24\/7 News America\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Baltimore Ravens need to add pieces to improve the defensive depth on their roster. 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