The Ravens signed 33-year-old (in September) Alejandro Villanueva to start opposite Ronnie Stanley, but the team still needs a longer-term replacement for Orlando Brown. Nelson enters his true junior season as a three-year starter at left tackle, but he could become the team's starting right tackle in 2022 (or 2023). In addition, Nelson's left tackle versatility would provide insurance for the Ravens in the event that Stanley misses time in the future like he did last season.
With additions to the edges this draft cycle, as the Baltimore Ravens added Odafe Oweh and Daelin Hayes in the 2021 NFL draft, the Ravens could look to bolster the interior next draft cycle.
That could make Jordan Davis from Georgia an ideal fit. Davis does the bulk of his damage against the run, but his ability to align at both 1-technique and 3-technique could make him an intriguing option for NFL defenses. If he starts to be more of a factor attacking the passer, watch out.
While he's not quite the Bosas or Chase Young, Harrison is next in the Ohio State defensive end pipeline. The 6-foot-6, 265-pounder earned an 86.6 pass-rushing grade as a sophomore in 2020.
Despite losing Orlando Brown Jr., the Ravens' only offensive line addition in the draft was a guard in the third round (Ben Cleveland). They signed Alejandro Villanueva, but he isn't a long-term solution. The 6-foot-6, 312-pound Walker has 22 starts at left tackle in college, and the Maryland native could step into a starting role on the right side opposite Ronnie Stanley.
Linderbaum was recruited as a defensive lineman, but switched to the offensive line during bowl prep of his freshman season and has never looked back. He heads into the fall as the top center in college football.
Over the last two seasons, Salyer has lined up at left tackle, right tackle and left guard, and it will be interesting to see where he lines up as a senior. It doesn't always look pretty, but his wide base and natural power help him overwhelm defenders.
Davis is an enormous human being who can clog running lanes all day long, but he'll need to expand his pass-rush repertoire (mostly because he's only needed brute strength to beat most of the O-linemen that lined up in front of him).
A team can never be too deep in the trenches, especially not in the AFC North. Defensive linemen Calais Campbell will also see his deal expire after 2021, so it's possible the Ravens will have a legitimate hole to fill along the DL anyway. Davis was a stud for the Tigers as a freshman, ripping off 10.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. An ankle injury put a damper on Davis' 2020 season a bit, however, and he was not quite able to continue his upward trajectory. Expect Davis, a powerful DT with a red-hot motor, to get back on track in 2021 with a cleaner bill of health.
With DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle off the NFL, Metchie III will become Alabama's top wideout for the 2021 season. If the draft materializes this way, Metchie would be the fifth 'Bama first-round receiver over a three-draft period (2020-2022). Metchie was just shy of 1,000 yards as a sophomore with 55 receptions for 916 yards and six touchdowns.
Full credit to Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht, who found a way to get the band back together this off-season. That allowed the organization to add value and look to the future early in the draft, and they did just that, adding EDGE Joe Tryon in the first round and quarterback Kyle Trask in the second.
Now they can look to add on the interior alongside Vita Vea, and Tyler Davis could be an ideal option. Davis has been a mainstay on the inside for the Clemson Tigers since stepping on campus, and he became the first true freshman to start at defensive tackle since Jeff Mills in 1974. He led all true freshman interior defensive lineman in sacks in 2019 with 5.5. Last season he added a pair of sacks while dealing with an MCL sprain, but he is healthy and ready to put together a monster season.
Linderbaum is the top center on PFF's draft board and one heck of an athlete for the position. He's put on a good deal of weight since he first became a starter in 2019 and earned an outstanding 91.5 overall grade last year.
With no massive holes in the roster, Tampa Bay can look at the top running back on the board at the moment, the Aggies' Spiller. The 6-foot-1, 225-pound back had 1,036 yards and nine touchdowns last season, and he has averaged 5.5 yards per tote over his career. Plus, he is a capable receiver, catching at least 20 passes in each of his two seasons. The Bucs have a handful of running backs on their roster, but it's noteworthy that only Ke'Shawn Vaughn is under contract past 2021.
The Buccaneers have a year to evaluate Kyle Trask after using the final pick of the second round on him at the draft, but quarterback could obviously also be in play for them as they start to plan for the future.
The pandemic limited Karlaftis to only three games last fall (he still had two sacks), but he was an AP Freshman All-American in 2019 after producing 7.5 sacks with 17 tackles for loss as a true freshman.
My top-ranked center, Linderbaum flies out of his stance to reach blocks or advance to the second level. He plays with tight hands and a flexible lower body to cleanly redirect or move laterally.
Originally a defensive end, Leal has the versatility and athleticism to play up and down the line, though at 6-foot-4, 290 pounds he's primarily on the inside. He has the potential to be really, really good and this could be the year he puts it all together.
Rob Gronkowski and OJ Howard will both see their contracts expire after the 2021 season. Who knows what Howard will ask for on the open market, and Gronk only has so many years left with the condition his body is in at this point. Wydermyer has been producing since his freshman season at Texas A&M, thanks in large part to some exceptionally smooth movement skills. Wydermyer can also play both in-line and from the slot comfortably. Though not in the George Kittle tier, Wydermyer can also handle himself as a run blocker.
