The Pick Is In – Baltimore Ravens 2022 NFL Draft

Liam Blutman, Andrew Wilson and Kyler Cress

The Transfer Portal CFB Draft Team is excited to continue our newest series, The Pick Is In! In this series of articles, you will see members from our Draft Team play GM and select a pick for an NFL team. In some articles we’ll have a special guest write a pick too! You’ll see plenty of first-round selections but a good dose of day two and three picks as well. We hope you enjoy this series! The clock is ticking as the Baltimore Ravens are on the clock…

Liam Blutman

The Pick Is In: Trey McBride TE – Colorado State (Day 2)

The Baltimore Ravens hold a plethora of picks in the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft. They currently hold four picks in the top 100: 14, 45, 76, 100. There are a number of different ways that this franchise can attack the draft, but the one I’d like to see hasn’t been talked about at all. With a day two pick, we’ll be sending Trey McBride to Baltimore. Yeah, you read that right. Lamar Jackson just got another super talented TE to work with.

I’m well aware that this selection will raise eyebrows and many will question it. I understand that tight end is not a need for Baltimore, and I really just don’t care. Drafting for team needs is often overblown and does not always equate to the best value or the best picks. Many will point to WR as the position group that Baltimore should attack. And that’s what I am doing. I’m getting Lamar the best possible pass catcher for him to work with. A receiver in Baltimore’s system really wouldn’t be activated near as much as McBride could be. A receiver wouldn’t bring the versatility that McBride can bring for this offense. He wouldn’t just be catching passes and calling it a day. He’d be lining up anywhere, and he’d be a tenacious force in the run game too. Sign me up for Mark Andrews and Trey McBride on the same offense. Sheesh!

The 22-year-old is just about the consensus TE1 in this class. He stands at 6-foot-4 and weighs 246 pounds. McBride’s profile is decent; it’ll scare some and impress others. He ran a 4.56 40 and crushed the 10 & 20 splits respectively. A low bench press result and being undersized have people doubting if he’s big enough and strong enough to play in the NFL. While I do understand the cause for concern, I’m salivating at the thought of him in Baltimore’s offense. McBride has massive, reliable hands and his route-running is polished. After the catch you’ll often see him give defenders plenty of trouble because he’s a pain to bring down. He runs tough and looks to initiate contact with everyone. He very intensely keeps his feet moving forward and invites multiple defenders to try to tackle him. In the run-blocking game, you’ll see that same intensity as he bulldozes through dudes with no regard for human life. His ability as a run blocker would help Lamar Jackson and Ravens RBs in a big way. Just imagine McBride lined up in the backfield next to Lamar in a pistol set, and he’s paving the way for Lamar. I’d love to see it. The Ravens could utilize both McBride and Andrews in so many ways. Both can see work in the slot while the other is lined up at TE. There are a multitude of ways to create mismatches using those two dudes.

Trey McBride is one of many talented tight ends in this class. His landing spot is a mystery. There’s a small part of me that actually believes the Baltimore Ravens will draft him just like I’m hoping for. Eh, I doubt it… But we’ll find out soon enough. 

Andrew Wilson

The Pick Is In: Trent McDuffie CB – Washington (14th Overall)

Remember how bad the corners were for the Ravens when they had that unfortunate run of injuries in 2021? Well, I do, and I don’t want to see that ever again. Another factor that may cause the Ravens to address the secondary early is the expected departure of Marcus Peters after this season. As much as I understand how talented Marlon Humphrey is, he’s going to need a partner in crime to keep the Ravens in contention for the AFC North with a reloaded Cleveland and returning Cincinnati. With that being said, Trent McDuffie is the pick.

The first thing people are going to talk about when they mention McDuffie is his ability as a force in the run game. He is easily the most effective corner in the run game in this draft class, which some may view as a redeeming feature to his slightly undersized frame (even though 5-foot-11 isn’t undersized anymore). Getting him to Baltimore would immediately help that secondary stay at a high level of production, no matter who leaves over the next few years. And not only do you keep said production, but those rookie contracts are always the best friends of the front office when it comes to dealing with the salary cap. 

Kyler Cress

The Pick Is In: Zyon McCollum CB – Sam Houston State (110th Overall)

The Baltimore Ravens have been known for their secondary and having a top defensive personnel every year. With very little depth outside of starting CBs Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters, the Ravens should be looking to acquire more talent in the secondary. The past few years, we have witnessed both star cornerbacks get injured and the Ravens secondary has suffered because of it. I expect Baltimore to look toward the later rounds to establish cornerback depth, after potentially selecting other defensive positions in the earlier rounds. In the fourth round at 100th overall, I believe Sam Houston State CB Zyon McCollum would be a home-run pick.

At 6-foot-2 and 199 pounds, McCollum is an excellent corner with great size, speed and patience. His size is a great upside and allows him to compete with bigger receivers. McCollum is one of seven DBs in SHSU history with 10+ INTs in his career, recording 13 in his 56-game career. Competitiveness and athleticism make McCollum who he is, allowing him to compete for 50/50 balls and use his length to disrupt passes. His experience as a fifth-year senior makes him extremely valuable, and the Ravens can certainly rely on him to bring unprecedented maturity and leadership after coming from an FCS school. The Ravens would continue to dominate in the secondary by adding FCS star corner McCollum in the fourth round. 

About the author

Liam Blutman
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I am a diehard UCLA fan that has enjoyed (?) mediocrity year after year. My favorite CFB moment was witnessing UCLA comeback from 34 down against Texas A&M. Being at the Rose Bowl for that historic moment is something I’ll never forget. I have written about CFB since I was 14 and my favorite thing to do is give under-the-radar athletes the recognition they deserve. You might know me from @NoContextCFB !

Andrew Wilson
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Minnesotan who will never stop cheering for his Gophers, no matter how much they disappoint him. I've been writing about football for almost two years, which has inspired me to study Sports Management at the University of Minnesota. You’ll usually see me talking about my Gophers or talking about my favorite NFL draft prospects. My favorite CFB moment was when Minnesota beat Penn St in 2019.

Kyler Cress
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Diehard Notre Dame fan who was born in Indiana. Moved to Virginia a few years ago and have since fell in love with ACC football and college football even more. I am attending the University of Cincinnati this fall to pursue a career in the sports industry, preferably player personnel/recruiting. My favorite CFB moment is witnessing Will Fuller catch the game-winning TD with 15 seconds left against Virginia in 2015.

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