The Ravens selected 11 players in the 2026 NFL draft, with Eric DeCosta getting tremendous value with his first four picks. Value is an integral part of the draft process, and understanding the board is vital to judging how teams maximized value during the draft. Establishing actual "value" on NFL draft prospects is incredibly difficult, with all 32 NFL teams having different schemes, cultures, and ideas of what elite talent looks like. Over his final two seasons in Happy Valley, Vega Ioane didn't allow a single sack and drew zero holding penalties.
Zion Young's average of 0.69 sacks per game ranked him 19th nationally and fourth in the SEC. According to Pro Football Focus, he was the 34th-ranked pass rusher in the nation with a grade of 80.9, and He ranked 13th nationally among all edge players in Pass Rush Productivity (PRP) with a score of 10.5, which is calculated using a formula that combines sacks, hits, and hurries relative to the number of times he rushes the passer.
Experts around the league have been handing out grades for all 32 teams, and we have a Ravens-related roundup.
The Ravens' eventful March gave way to an equally eventful April. After nixing a potential Maxx Crosby trade after a failed physical, Baltimore kept its first-round pick. General manager Eric DeCosta said at the time that he was "gutted" that the deal didn't work out. But tasked with finding help for Lamar Jackson at multiple offensive positions, he might have been happy to still have that 14th pick when Olaivavega Ioane was on the board.
Ioane is a 320-pound immovable object at guard and gave up just two sacks over 2,231 career snaps. But he also moves really well for his size and has the run-blocking chops to pave some fresh lanes for Derrick Henry. Ioane has played both sides, but he will probably settle in as the left guard, with new signee John Simpson taking the other side. The loss of Tyler Linderbaum will undoubtedly hurt, but it's good to see Baltimore focused on protecting Lamar Jackson.
Ioane's size, strength and nimble feet made him a solid mid-first round pick -- though I do wonder if the Ravens might have been better off taking edge Rueben Bain Jr. at 14 and meeting the need for a guard later on. I wasn't sure about the value of Baltimore's Day 2 selections. Still, with his strength and length, Young meets the team's pass rush need, while Lane is a tall jump-ball king who could be a major threat in the red zone.
It was hard not to pick Zion Young here, but Ioane should be one of the league’s most impactful rookies. He is a plug-and-play option who can be an athletic bulldozer and will immediately upgrade the Ravens’ guard play.
With the Steelers needing wide receiver, the Eagles jumped Pittsburgh to take the sliding Lemon. This is good value at a position of need for Philadelphia, as has often been the case in recent years. With a potential A.J. Brown trade looming, Lemon adds a player who can make tough catches over the middle of the field, as he recorded 10 receptions on 14 contested targets in 2025.
Following the loss of All-Pro center Tyler Linderbaum in free agency, it was critical that the Ravens reinvested in the interior, and Vega Ioane was one of the few blue-chip prospects available in this class. Eric DeCosta came back in the second round with another player in Missouri defensive end Zion Young — one of the most violent and competitive players of this class — seemingly born to play for the Ravens. I liked the mid-round gambles on big receivers Ja’Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt. While they play the same position and have similar size, they are quite different, with the former excelling as a vertical threat and the latter as more of a possession receiver. Both can help Lamar Jackson. I liked the similar double-dip at tight end with Matthew Hibner and Josh Cuevas on Day 3 and the addition of toolsy big back Adam Randall. My favorite late-round pick for Baltimore, however, was fifth-round cornerback Chandler Rivers, a four-year starter at Duke who plays much bigger than his size suggests (5-9, 185). With 11 draft picks, DeCosta had plenty of "shots at the basket," and I think this class will have plenty of swishes — though I was disappointed to not see the Ravens make selecting a true center more of a priority given this year’s quality class at the position.
The interior of the Ravens' offensive line is in flux after Tyler Linderbaum departed in free agency. Bolstering the guard and center spots is paramount as Baltimore enters the Jesse Minter era, and it kicked off that new phase with a home-run pick that addresses the need. Olaivavega Ioane might be the best pure lineman in the class and will immediately help open lanes for Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry in what should remain one of the NFL's premier rushing attacks.
“Guard Olaivavega Ioane (14) is a Day 1 starter. Edge Zion Young (45) was often mocked in the first round. They got two receivers with size in Ja’Kobi Lane (80) and Elijah Sarratt (115), and TE Matthew Hibner (133) fills a void.”
“Baltimore’s interest in Ioane at the 14th pick was evident throughout the pre-draft process, with the Ravens valuing the instant production they should get from the plug & play interior lineman. Edge Zion Young was ultra-productive at Missouri and opened eyes at the Senior Bowl, leading to some first round steam. Getting Young at 45 was a solid value at a premium position. What’s interesting about the Ja’Kobi Lane/Elijah Sarratt combo is the relative similarity in their profiles as big receivers who win on the outside with back shoulder throws and winning at the catch point despite lacking ideal sub-4.5s speed. Their selections are a clear signal to the current Ravens WR room that times are changing. Hibner established himself after star SMU TE R.J. Maryland got injured in 2024, and followed up a pair of very effective seasons with a great combine. He’s an intriguing replacement for Isaiah Likely.”
“There may not be a better marriage of team and player this year than first-round G Vega Ioane, who projects as a prototypical Raven and one who more than stabilizes the middle of a line that lost C Tyler Linderbaum during free agency. Second-round OLB Zion Young also seemed to emanate from central casting Baltimore-style to help fortify a front that didn’t get the job done last year for a variety of reasons. Mid-rounders Ja’Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt could push the WRs behind Zay Flowers or might even be de facto stand-ins for departed TE Isaiah Likely, though that’s a loose presumption given the schematic overhaul that’s about to happen here offensively. This is another draft that will be better understood in a year when it becomes apparent whether the Ravens were better off with Ioane and next year’s first-rounder … or Crosby.”
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Experts grade the Baltimore Ravens 2026 NFL draft class