The free agency is just around the corner, but there are few things that general manager Eric DeCosta loves more than getting additional draft choices, and he added two more on Wednesday.
The Ravens received two compensatory choices for the NFL’s 2021 Draft – one in the third round (No. 105 overall) and one in the fifth round (No. 184).
Baltimore now has seven draft choices in what is considered to be a draft that is very strong and deep in the Ravens’ main areas of need. Here are the Ravens’ current choices:
- 1st round: No. 27
- 2nd: No. 58
- 3rd: No. 105 (compensatory)
- 4th: No. 132
- 5th: No. 172, No. 184 (compensatory)
- 6th: No. 209
“In numbers, it’s very similar to last year’s Draft in terms of the amount of really good prospects,” said DeCosta on Tuesday. “We feel very good about our opportunities, we just wish we had more choices. We have seven choices right now and, hopefully, we will have the opportunity to accumulate some more.”
The Ravens already knew they were getting an additional choice in the third round, after David Culley was hired by the Houston Texans to be their new head coach. It is part of the new league rule to promote diversity in signings.
The confirmation that came Wednesday was the fifth round, which is the result of the 2020 off-season loss from defensive tackle Michael Pierce (Minnesota Vikings).
The Ravens’ hiring of unrestricted free agent Derek Wolfe in the last off-season probably canceled the additional loss of wide receiver Seth Roberts (Carolina). Baltimore also lost linebackers Patrick Onwuasor (New York Jets) and Josh Bynes (Cincinnati) to the free agency, but they did not qualify for compensation.
Even though Pierce chose not to play last season due to concerns about COVID-19, he still qualified for the compensatory choice formula. Pierce signed a three-year, $ 27 million deal.
Baltimore is the king of compensatory choices, accumulating the largest amount in the league (53) since the system started in 1994. The next closest team is the Dallas Cowboys (47), who achieved a league record with four compensatory choices this year . The Ravens will also have a compensatory choice in the third round next year for the loss of Culley.