OTL: We Made it, Flock! Draft Week is Here!

Congratulations Baltimore, we’ve made it to Draft week. The Ravens’ biggest chance to improve the roster before training camp is here and we’re going to look at everything in our coverage. In that spirit we start with Glenn Erby’s Ravens Wire article in which he highlights 10 small school prospects for the Ravens. Let’s take a look at three of Erby’s small school gets: 

EDGE Elijah Ponder, Cal Poly

Ponder tested very well at his Pro Day workout. He recorded a 4.57-second 40-yard dash time, hit 41 inches on the vertical jump, and did 24 reps on the bench press. Ponder is a very experienced prospect who has played almost 2,500 career snaps, including being a key member of the Cal Poly defense for four seasons. His most productive season came in 2023 when he recorded 51 pressures and nine sacks. According to PFF, Ponder tallied 38 pressures and seven sacks last season.

This description had some magic words to my ears. The Ravens need pass rushing help and his measurables are the first thing that stands out. 2,500 career snaps is another one of those magic phrases. The Ravens need a hard working grinder off the edge. I’m thinking about how life was during Jarret Johnson’s incredible start streak. It sounds like there’s a lot of tape on this prospect and the Ravens have certainly scoured it.

CB Isas Waxter, Villanova

Waxter is a big corner who won’t shy away from playing the physical game against opposing receivers. During his final season at Villanova, Waxter earned Honorable Mention Associated Press FCS All-American and first-team All-Coastal Athletic Association. He was tied for sixth in the FCS with 3 FFs and played in 11 games with 10 starts (33 tackles, 2 TFLs, 2 PBUs).

It’s hard to call Villanova a small school, but this is football, not basketball. The Ravens have always valued size at the cornerback position, which makes sense with their bully ball brand of football. Waxter seems scrappy and tough so keep an eye out for his name on Saturday.

TE Carter Runyon, Towson

Runyon is an excellent blocker, and as a receiver, he’s shown the ability to work himself open against zone coverage in the underneath passing game. Last season, he became only the second player in Towson football history to head to the Hula Bowl, and he was named All-CAA First-Team tight end.

As a grad student at Towson, Runyon has my vote. He’s got a little bit of a Nick Boyle like quality about him. If he could come and develop, maybe even hide on the practice squad for a bit, the Ravens might have something here. He’s a blocking tight end with some skill as a pass catcher that can be further tapped into. He certainly looks the part and again he’s a Towson Tiger. I’m biased here, but I see it in the appropriate round.

In the latest USA Today Mock Draft by Nate Davis, the Ravens are going after another defensive back in round 1.

27. Baltimore Ravens – S Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina

Imagine pairing this physical specimen with All-Pro Kyle Hamilton, who was teamed with Smurf-y Ar’Darius Washington (5-8, 180) for much of 2024. Emmanwori, an All-American in 2024, has size (6-3, 220) comparable to Hamilton’s – yet his metrics suggest the Gamecocks star is a more explosive athlete. After running a 4.38 40 and posting a vertical jump of 43 inches, he was one of the combine’s 2025 stars. And given that speed, maybe not a surprise he returned half of his four picks last season for TDs.

I can see this pick happening. In fact, I have a friend who is a Commanders fan who wants Emmanwori for his team. The Ravens don’t always get held hostage by the combine numbers though. Kyle Hamilton was a darling of tape study and not the NFL Combine workouts. Still, the range and play-making ability of these two safeties paired together would be an embarrassment of riches. The Ravens have to upgrade at the safety position to get the most out of Hamilton, who is a true superstar. As much as I love Ar’Darius Washington and what he brings to the table, the Ravens need a rockstar to pair with the shining star they have in Hamilton. This would be an exciting pick.

The Ringer has the Ravens taking an edge rusher in their latest mock draft. They have the Ravens going with Nic Scourton from Texas A&M.

The Ravens look to add depth and talent to the trenches here, grabbing a powerful pass rusher in Scourton. The former Aggies standout brings power with his bull rush, collapsing pockets and forcing quarterbacks off their spot. He should feature early on in the team’s defensive line rotation and give that unit a boost in intensity.

This is a popular train of thought for the Ravens mocks. I have seen Scourton in a lot of the mock drafts for the Ravens. What I like about this is that The Ringer highlights his abilities as a power rusher. We always look for lightning in a bottle at the edge rusher position, but there’s something to be said for a guy who can run through you like Juggernaut in an X-Men movie. Bring on the power. Check out our own James Ogden’s scouting report here:

Prospect Profile: Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M

Like the Ravens, we hope you had a wonderful Easter.

The Ravens social media team gets an A for this Easter photo. There’s nobody I trust more than Derrick Henry with an Easter egg.

We’ll leave you with a video shared by the Ravens on X. It shows Eric DeCosta greeting Nate Wiggins to the Baltimore Ravens as a first round pick.

It’s NFL Draft week. Let’s do this.

The post OTL: We Made it, Flock! Draft Week is Here! appeared first on Russell Street Report.

Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2025/04/21/out-to-lunch/otl-we-made-it-flock-draft-week-is-here/