Latest mock draft projects Ravens to select 'uncoverable' playmaker

Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Ladd McConkey (84)

The Ravens currently own the No. 30 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

It’s difficult to project which players will still be available when Baltimore makes its first selection, but CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco believes the team will still be able to land one of the draft’s best playmakers.

Prisco has the Ravens selecting Georgia wide receiver Ladd McConkey with their first-round pick in his latest mock draft.

“Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken coached Ladd McConkey at Georgia, and he would be a nice addition for Lamar Jackson,” Prisco writes. “McConkey and Zay Flowers would be a nice 1-2 combo for a few years.”

McConkey didn’t have outstanding numbers over the past three seasons at Georgia, but he was productive, nonetheless, posting 119 catches for 1,687 yards and 14 touchdowns during the span.

The 22-year-old may have also been able to finish with more impressive numbers in his final season if it weren’t for the back and ankle injuries he suffered in 2023.

His medical history could scare Baltimore away as the team hasn’t had the best track record of drafting wide receivers in the first round outside of Flowers.

However, McConkey, who ranks as the sixth-best wide receiver and No. 33 overall prospect on Pro Football Focus’ big board, is a difference-maker when on the field.

NFL.com analyst Lance Zeurlein agrees.

“If pass rushers have rush plans, McConkey has route plans that allow him to uncover on all three levels,” Zeurlein writes. “He can manipulate coverage with an advanced feel for leverage and has enough top-end speed to get past cornerbacks who are non-believers.”

The Ravens need to add to their wide receiver room, which is quite thin after the losses of Devin Duvernay (Jaguars) and Odell Beckham Jr.

Baltimore’s struggles of drafting wide receivers in the first round may deter it from taking McConkey, but it’s difficult to argue against him, making the offense even more dangerous in 2024.

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