3 Players the Ravens Need to Avoid With Their First-Round Draft Pick

Six straight losses to end the 2021 NFL season caused the Baltimore Ravens to miss the playoffs while highlighting numerous areas to fix this offseason. Even though they've already addressed some of these issues through free agency, there are still areas that need work.

The good news is that the 2022 NFL Draft is right around the corner and the Ravens hold the 14th overall selection in the first round. There are plenty of prospects that can help them improve, however, there are also some mistakes that Baltimore must avoid making.

Here are three players that the Ravens need to avoid with their first-round pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Baltimore Ravens NFL Draft

1. George Karlaftis, EDGE, Purdue

The Ravens have made it clear that improving their edge rush is a top priority this offseason, which is why they may consider drafting Purdue's George Karlaftis. Although Karlaftis could be an impressive player one day, there's some reason for Baltimore to stay away. After having 7.5 sacks as a freshman, Karlaftis only had 6.5 in 14 games over the following two seasons, indicating that he may have reached his pass-rush potential. He also isn't that fast and struggles with triple-teams, which could turn him into a one-dimensional player if opposing NFL coaches solve him early on. Injuries and COVID-19 were also an issue for him in 2020, so it remains to be seen how his medical history could impact his long-term professional success.

2. Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU

The Ravens are also looking to improve their secondary after allowing an NFL-worst 278.9 passing yards per game in 2021. Even if that's the case, they shouldn't turn to Derek Stingley Jr. for help. Although the LSU cornerback was an athletic freak with 15 defended passes and six interceptions in 2019, he hasn't come close to those heights since. Injuries have held him to only 10 games played over the last two years, recording five broken-up passes without an interception in that span. The Ravens need a playmaking CB who can be out on the field more often than not and with Stingley's recent history, he might not be able to provide them with either of those qualities until proven otherwise.

3. Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa

A season-ending ankle injury allowed offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley to play only one game for the Ravens last season. His replacement, Alejandro Villanueva, gave up nine sacks last year, signaling that Baltimore could turn to the draft for OT depth. Having said that, Trevor Penning has enough weaknesses that make him an avoidable pick. He allows his opponents to get under him too often and is susceptible to taking too many holding calls. He can also get lost as a run-blocker, which would be a major concern in the Ravens' rush-heavy offense. Add in the fact that his balance has come into question and it's easy to see why Baltimore should let another team take a swing at developing Penning.

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.