Ronnie Stanley: Right Choice for Baltimore Ravens?
By Joe Serpico
The Baltimore Ravens have selected Notre Dame offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley with the No. 6 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. It was not a popular move, but is it the right one?
The speculation is finally over. After months of debating who the man would be, the Ravens have added Ronnie Stanley with their top choice in this year’s draft.
The draft opened with the expected when the Jared Goff and Carson Wentz went in the top two picks. With the San Diego Chargers taking Joey Bosa, the first pass rusher went off the board. The Dallas Cowboys choice of Ezekiel Elliott took the star running back out of contention.
The Jacksonville Jaguars drafting Jalen Ramsey was the situation the Ravens did not want. Adam Schefter reported during the draft that Baltimore and Dallas had talks about a potential trade, but the Cowboys decided to stay pat and take Elliott.
Many thought that would leave Ozzie Newsome with a decision to make between Myles Jack, Laremy Tunsil or DeForest Buckner. Everyone was wrong.
People are going to compare Stanley to Ogden, but that talk should be kept to a minimum. Stanley was never considered the top tackle in this draft, and if a video of Laremy Tunsil didn’t leak minutes before the draft, he might have been the choice.
Taking a left tackle is not that far-fetched as many would think. Joe Flacco is coming off a significant injury for the first time of his career, and they need to keep him upright as he backs into form. Some have compared him to D’Brickashaw Ferguson which the Ravens would love.
Stanley has great athletic ability for someone who is 6-foot-6 and 312 pounds. His length will keep pass rushers away and offensive line coach Juan Castillo will work on his technique.
With that in mind, offensive tackle was not the pick that Ozzie needed to make with the sixth pick. Stanley was also one our list of players the Ravens should avoid. They needed an instant playmaker on defense, and Jack and Buckner were those guys.
The pick also makes you wonder what is the future of Eugene Monroe with the Ravens. The team can free up $6.5 million in cap space if they released him after June 1 so move seems inevitable.
Baltimore next pick will be at No. 36, and a cornerback seems to be a popular choice in many mock drafts around the net. A pass rusher could also be the choice.
Ravens will also make their third-round choice at No. 70 overall tomorrow. They could go a variety of ways in that spot, with Sterling Shepard being the guy in our final mock draft.
Next: Our First Round Mock Draft
Ronnie Stanley wasn’t a sexy pick by the Ravens but if he keeps Flacco healthy for another decade, it’s a win for franchise. The second day of the draft should see Ozzie focus on the defensive side of the ball.