The 2023 NFL Draft can be a defining moment for any team. For the Baltimore Ravens, this is their chance to overhaul an offense that has to find an identity with or without star quarterback Lamar Jackson.

With Jackson still on the non-exclusive franchise tag and vulnerable to receiving a contract offer from another team, the Ravens could either lean into building with him or look elsewhere.

Which players are Ravens’ mock drafters selecting most often in Round 1? How does each of the top players fit a need and the Ravens’ scheme? Let’s dive in.

Baltimore Ravens Mock Drafts

For approximately the 15th offseason in a row, Ravens fans are clamoring for wide receiver help. It’s true now more than ever, as the Ravens hired Todd Monken as their offensive coordinator. Monken runs an aggressive vertical passing game, and the current receiving corps of Rashod Bateman, Devin Duvernay, and Nelson Agholor lacks reliability and star power.

It’s not all about wide receivers, though. The Ravens also have to address a sudden lack of depth at cornerback that resulted from injuries and age. These two positions have made up the vast majority of user picks in the PFN Mock Draft Simulator.

Currently, mockers draft these positions most often for the Ravens in Round 1:

WR– 47.9%
CB – 19.8%
DT – 3.5%

The most-mocked players to Baltimore in Round 1 are as follows:

WR Zay Flowers – 13.1%
WR Jalin Hyatt – 11%
WR Quentin Johnston – 10.2%
CB Kelee Ringo – 5.9%
CB Cam Smith – 5.5%

Boston College WR Zay Flowers

It’s not often a receiver who measures 5’9″ and 182 pounds gets first-round buzz. Boston College star receiver Zay Flowers checks plenty of boxes outside of his height thanks to blazing speed that allows him to generate effortless separation. He may have logged a 4.42 40-yard dash at the combine, but more important is his agility on quick-hitting routes and in the open field.

The Ravens have pure speed at receiver but don’t have guys who can cause corners to be completely lost in space. Flowers has the unique ability to change direction without losing speed, and if the quarterback is in sync with him, he can be an unstoppable target in man coverage. We saw this often in college when QB Phil Jurkovec was healthy.

MORE: Latest NFL Draft News and Rumors

Jackson is a smart passer but hasn’t had an explosive route-runner like Flowers. Agholor once fit the bill, but as he’s aged, he’s become more fast than quick. Flowers is reminiscent of Antonio Brown with his foot speed and ability to play bigger than his size.

Flowers would represent a departure from the receiving archetype the team has valued in the past, but he’s a surprisingly high-floor player in comparison to his peers.

Tennessee WR Jalin Hyatt

It’s harder to find tape showing Jalin Hyatt covered than it is to find him wide open. Of the 12 passing touchdowns Alabama allowed in 2022, five went to Hyatt. To say that he’s a game-breaking talent with devastating speed is only an obvious statement.

Hyatt led all Power Five players in yards created from the slot in 2022 with 955, and a whopping 87% of his production came from the alignment. Monken could certainly slide Hyatt into a similar role, but the Ravens would need more out of him as a Desean Jackson-esque clone. It’s rare to see explosive plays continually happen from the slot, so Hyatt isn’t without projection.

Still, Hyatt may not be on the board for the Ravens to select. The Biletnikoff Award winner could fill massive needs for several teams drafting in front of them, including the Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans, and Green Bay Packers. He’s been a massive riser throughout this offseason as teams scramble to add playmaking talent.

TCU WR Quentin Johnston

The latest height/weight/speed playmaker to enter the NFL as more of a project than a refined playmaker is Quentin Johnston. Johnston, who was devastatingly explosive at TCU as he averaged 19 yards per catch over three seasons, is remarkably similar to several notable past Ravens busts. Similar players include Breshad Perriman and Mark Clayton.

That’s not to say Johnston won’t be a great NFL player, but he fits the general profile of someone who is simply big and runs fast. He’ll have to develop as a route-runner to be more effective in the NFL, but he has the tools to be a vertical powerhouse. Standing at 6’4″ and leaping 40.5″ are massive pros for his outlook.

It’s possible he becomes a new lob target for Jackson, and the Ravens would benefit from the spacing that’d create. Baltimore needs more layering with their passing game, and one way to add it is by selecting an efficient, explosive downfield threat. With that in mind, it’s hard to say Johnston would be a bad pick, even if his range of outcomes is substantial.

Georgia CB Kelee Ringo

Marcus Peters remains a free agent, and there’s an inexperienced group of corners behind star Marlon Humphrey on the depth chart. So it’s only natural to project a young stud CB to the team. The top-mocked corner to Baltimore in our draft simulator is Kelee Ringo. The massive Bulldogs cornerback blazed an impressive 4.36 40-yard dash at 6’2″, 207 pounds.

There’s a lot to like about Ringo’s game despite other corners overtaking him throughout this past year.

MORE: Broback’s 2023 NFL Mock Draft — Jaxon Smith-Njigba Rises, Will Levis Falls

He’s physical in coverage and run support, consistently in a position to challenge at the catch point, and has makeup speed to overcome the tightness in his hips. Like most corners, the scheme will either help Ringo succeed or expose his weaknesses more.

Expecting Ringo to be an effective turn-and-run corner or a ballhawk will lead to a letdown career. Like Humphrey, Ringo is more of a cover threat but needs safety help against quicker receivers in case he misses his jam attempt. His best fit will be found by blending off-man and press-man looks.

South Carolina CB Cam Smith

A pure replacement for Peters would be South Carolina’s Cam Smith. Smith is a lanky 180 pounds at 6’1″ but has solid speed and explosiveness. He’s not a superstar-caliber athlete but, like Peters, is incredibly gifted at finding the ball off-coverage. His length and instincts at the position give him playmaker status.

Baltimore is used to dealing with some physical limitations with Peters, and Smith isn’t much different. He’s a stronger, more willing tackler and fights for the ball in contested-catch situations. He profiles as an ideal CB2.