Baltimore Ravens: 2026 NFL Draft Grades

The Baltimore Ravens once again leaned into its identity and came away with one of the more cohesive classes in the 2026 NFL draft. The Ravens prioritized physicality in the trenches, versatility at the skill positions, and rotational defensive depth while consistently finding strong value throughout the middle rounds. This class feels very “Ravens” in both temperament and roster construction philosophy, blending immediate role players with long-term developmental upside at premium positions.

Baltimore Ravens: 2026 NFL Draft Class Overview

Draft Pick Selections

Round 1 | Pick 14 — Olaivavega Ioane | G | Penn State

This was one of the cleanest player-team fits in the entire draft. Olaivavega Ioane was widely viewed as one of the premier interior offensive linemen in the class. He also arguably belonged in the conversation for best overall offensive lineman available. His physical temperament, power profile, and run-game mentality align perfectly with Baltimore’s offensive identity, making this an outstanding value and ideal schematic fit at a position of need.

Round 2 | Pick 45 — Zion Young | EDGE | Missouri

Excellent value at a premium position for a Ravens defense that benefits from length and rotational versatility on the edge. Young provides a contrasting skill set to Mike Green opposite Trey Hendrickson, giving Baltimore multiple ways to attack protections. Entering the 2026 NFL draft with an early second-round grade, this felt like a strong value landing spot and an ideal developmental fit with the Baltimore Ravens.

Round 3 | Pick 80 — Ja’Kobi Lane | WR | USC

Lane lands in an appropriate range and gives Baltimore a complementary receiver to pair with Zay Flowers. His size profile and playstyle diversify the receiver room while still allowing room for long-term development. He may not immediately command a featured role, but the fit within the offense and long-term upside make this a solid middle-round investment.

Round 4 | Pick 115 — Elijah Sarratt | WR | Indiana

Baltimore double-dipping at receiver makes sense given the positional value and long-term roster outlook. Sarratt brings boundary-winning ability and offers a different style of target through back-shoulder throws and contested catch situations. There is also enough versatility in his game to project occasional slot usage, giving the Ravens multiple ways to deploy him within the offense.

Round 4 | Pick 133 — Matthew Hibner | TE | SMU

This felt slightly early relative my evaluation of Hibner. His best trait currently is his ability to threaten vertically up the seam and create stress as a movement tight end. However, his game still requires refinement in several areas. The Ravens are clearly betting on developmental upside and athletic traits, though the value feels aggressive at this stage of the draft.

Round 5 | Pick 162 — Chandler Rivers | CB | Duke

One of the steals of the draft from a value standpoint. Rivers carried a top-100 caliber grade for me due to his instincts, coverage discipline, and ability to stay connected through routes. Despite lacking ideal size, he plays with outstanding intelligence and competitiveness, giving Baltimore an immediate contributor with long-term upside in the secondary.

Round 5 | Pick 173 — Joshua Cuevas | TE | Alabama

Cuevas may have come off the board a bit earlier than expected, but he offers legitimate versatility as a movable tight end piece. His alignment flexibility and ability to contribute in multiple offensive looks give Baltimore additional depth and creativity at the position. He projects more as a complementary contributor than a featured option at the next level.

Round 5 | Pick 174 — Adam Randall | RB | Clemson

A fascinating developmental offensive weapon after converting from wide receiver to running back. Randall’s receiving background is evident in his ball skills and open-field comfort, while his larger frame provides versatility within the backfield rotation. There is still growth needed in run diagnosis and processing. However, Baltimore could immediately utilize him as a passing-down complement while also mixing him into rotational carries to help manage Derrick Henry’s workload.

Round 6 | Pick 211 — Ryan Eckley | P | Michigan State

Baltimore addressed a clear special teams need by adding Eckley late in the draft. While specialists rarely generate major draft headlines, securing a punter with developmental upside in the late rounds is solid value.

Round 7 | Pick 250 — Rayshaun Benny | IDL | Michigan

Benny projects as a rotational run defender capable of holding up physically at the point of attack. His immediate role likely centers around depth and early-down run support. Yet, Baltimore values defensive linemen who can embrace specific responsibilities within a rotation. For a seventh-round selection, this is a reasonable role-based projection.

Round 7 | Pick 253 — Evan Beerntsen | G | Northwestern

Although Beerntsen spent time at tackle in college, his long-term NFL projection appears cleaner on the interior. His experience at multiple positions still provides valuable versatility, but guard is likely where his skill set best translates. Baltimore adds another quality developmental depth piece along the offensive line with some positional flexibility.

Best Value Pick — Chandler Rivers | CB | Duke

Rivers stands out as one of the biggest steals in Baltimore’s class and one of the better value selections in the entire draft. Despite being undersized, he plays with outstanding instincts, competitiveness, and coverage discipline, consistently staying attached through routes. His intelligence and sticky man-coverage ability should allow him to contribute early and fit well within Baltimore’s defense making this selection even stronger.

Biggest Question Mark — Matthew Hibner | TE | SMU

Hibner was drafted earlier than expected. His speed and seam-stretching ability offer intriguing traits at the position. However, he remains somewhat specialized at this stage and lacks the juice of an early Day 3 tight end selection for me. Baltimore clearly believes there is developmental upside to unlock, but this is one of the more projection-heavy picks in the class.

Final Thoughts

The 2026 NFL draft class reflects exactly what the Baltimore Ravens have consistently done well as an organization: identify scheme fits, prioritize toughness, and attack premium positions with value in mind.

The additions of Olaivavega Ioane and Zion Young immediately reinforce the Ravens’ physical identity, while the double investment at wide receiver adds needed long-term flexibility to the offense. Baltimore also found several intriguing value swings late in the draft, particularly with Chandler Rivers and Adam Randall. Overall, this is a deep, balanced class with multiple contributors and a strong alignment between player traits and organizational philosophy.

Final Draft Grade: A-