The NFL Combine is kicking off this week, which will send draft season into high gear. Testing results, interviews, and other bits of information coming out of Indianapolis will cause seismic shifts in big boards across the league. Mock drafts at the beginning of March will look very different than the ones that have proliferated in February.
Let’s take a look at one last pre-Combine mock draft courtesy of Dalton Wasserman at Pro Football Focus. In his three-round projection, the Ravens landed Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane with the No. 14 pick, Louisville wide receiver Chris Bell in the second round, and USC edge rusher Anthony Lucas in the third.
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No. 14 overall: Olaivavega Ioane, G, Penn State
Ioane is an obvious target for the Ravens given their dire need to upgrade at guard. The Ravens have not invested much in the position in recent years, but last year showed why the team needs more reliable play at both spots. An upgrade at guard will be even more crucial if Tyler Linderbaum walks in free agency.
Here’s what Wasserman had to say about mocking Ioane to the Ravens:
Ioane is a safe bet as a starting-caliber NFL guard. He earned an excellent 87.0 PFF pass-blocking grade in 2025 and did not allow a sack across his final 31 college games. Meanwhile, Ravens guards ranked 27th in PFF overall grade last season, and starter Daniel Faalele is ticketed for free agency.
After watching Lamar Jackson spend the 2025 season running for his life behind the line of scrimmage – and suffering several injuries as a result – Ioane’s standout pass protection is extremely appealing. There are some concerns about his athleticism and fit in Declan Doyle’s more zone-heavy scheme, so his performance at the Combine will add some crucial context to his draft profile.
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Ioane has become a popular mock draft selection for Baltimore in recent weeks, with Jeff Zrebiec also selecting him in The Athletic’s beat writer mock:
Is a guard the best use of the 14th pick? If your answer is yes, you probably are well aware of the struggles the Ravens had at both guard spots last season. Ioane certainly wouldn’t be a sexy pick, but he would be a very functional one. He’s the top guard in the draft and has Pro Bowl upside. The Ravens could plug him in from Day 1 and not have to worry about that spot for at least five years. That would be a nice luxury to have, particularly for a team that hasn’t gotten enough quality from that position in recent seasons.
As Zrebiec alludes to, positional value would another drawback of this selection. The Ravens desperately need to upgrade their pass rush both on the interior and the edge. Talent at those positions tends to dry up quickly, but capable guards are often available throughout Day 2. Ioane would have to be a sure-thing to be worth the No. 14 pick, but solidifying the O-line could make a world of difference for the Ravens offense in 2025.
No. 45 overall: Chris Bell, WR, Louisville
The Ravens need to continue adding inexpensive receiving talent with Zay Flowers in line for a massive extension and Rashod Bateman’s cap hits rising. In theory, Bell fits the bill. His productions steadily increased in his college career, resulting in his best numbers (83.4 yards per game, six touchdowns) in 2025. At 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, he would bring some size and contested catch ability to Baltimore’s wide receiver room. He is not the sharpest route runner, but he can build up speed to separate deep and rack up yards after the catch.
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But DeCosta would fall into a familiar trap if he drafted Bell so early. He tore his ACL in December, which will significantly affect his draft stock and NFL prospects. He will not be able to test at the Combine, reducing the amount of pre-draft information teams can have on him. He will spend his first spring/summer as a pro rehabbing rather than getting integrating into a new offense and developing chemistry with his teammates. Even if Bell is able to pay by the beginning of the regular season – which is a longshot for a rookie less than a year removed from an ACL tear – he may not be able to contribute much.
As a result, there would be a significant short-term opportunity cost in drafting Bell. The Ravens cannot afford to waste another year of Jackson’s prime, and they badly need cheap contributors to balance out their top-heavy salary cap.
In the long-term, there is no guarantee that Bell reaches his pre-injury NFL projection. The Ravens are all-too-familiar with coveted prospects they drafted in spite of major injuries. A torn Achilles robbed second-rounder David Ojabo of his explosiveness, his best trait, and though Baltimore only invested a late Day 3 pick in Andrew Voorhees, he never turned into the starting lineman they expected after his ACL tear at the Combine. Selecting Emery Jones in the third-round of last year’s draft felt like a questionable decision after news of his post-Combine shoulder surgery that sidelined him for almost all of his rookie year. Even if Jones emerges as a capable guard this year, it’s fair to wonder if that pick could have been spent on a player with more impact last season.
No. 80 overall: Anthony Lucas, EDGE, USC
The Ravens badly needed to use this pick on a pass rusher, but fans will rightfully be wary of Lucas’ lack of college production: just eight tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in the last three seasons. His length, power, and frame offer potential inside-outside pass rushing versatility, but his game tape does not show a consistently impactful player. A major lower-leg injury in 2024 is another concern.
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Lucas could test well at the Combine and make this selection look more reasonable, especially with a new defensive coaching staff that could unlock his physical traits. Head coach Jesse Minter developed a number of pass rushers in Los Angeles, and defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver has a long history working with defensive linemen.
Nikhil’s grade: I would give the Ravens a C+ for this draft. It’s hard to argue with a seemingly safe but impactful first-rounder in Ioane, but Bell and Lucas both have significant red flags on their profiles. There is every chance that they could develop into solid pros, but four years of any consistent contribution seems like a long shot. Even reaching starting-level play by their third or fourth year seems like a big ask, and it should not be for Day 2 picks. DeCosta could do better than this.
How do you feel about this mock draft? Would you give it a similar grade, or do you have a different perspective on these prospects? Let us know in the comments below!
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