‘He won’t be there…’ - Baltimore Ravens exclusive behind the scenes look at 2025 NFL Draft reveals which player Eric DeCosta couldn’t believe was available

The Baltimore Ravens’ wait to turn in their draft card with Malaki Starks’ name was a stressful one. And now we know just how stressful. Baltimore, thanks to a new behind the scenes look at draft weekend via ‘Baltimore Ravens Wired’, had their conviction in Starks set as early as late February at the NFL Combine. Seeing him last until pick No. 27 was a test of patience that also required the Ravens to decline some trade offers and the promise of more picks along the way.

It wasn’t the Ravens’ only called shot of the week in this year’s 2025 NFL Draft, either. It was revealed in that same behind the scenes documentary that general manager Eric DeCosta had his eyes set on Mike Green early in the night on Friday — and that the Ravens’ never dreamed they’d get a chance to draft him at No. 59 overall.

“If Mike Green is there…I mean we gotta take him at 59 if he’s there. He won’t be there.” - Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta

Sure enough, Green was there and the Ravens indeed made the pick. The talent is unquestionable for Green, who will look to bolster Baltimore’s outside pass rush group behind veteran Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh, who enters into a contract year in 2025. Given the resume of rushing the passer that Green illustrated this past year at Marshall, it stands within reason to believe he can be an impactful rookie performer in 2025. 

DeCosta, for Baltimore Ravens Wired, likened the wait for selecting Mike Green to a pitcher throwing a no-hitter — it’s an elephant in the room that no one wants to jinx.

“At first you’re just quiet. You know, you don’t say too much. It’s kind of like in baseball when someone’s pitching a no-hitter and all the guys on the team don’t want to talk about it. But at some point you do say ‘hey this guy keeps falling, what do you think?’.”

Baltimore Ravens Wired offers an outstanding behind the scenes look at Baltimore’s entire pre-draft process, starting with the NFL Combine and some of the player interviews there in Indianapolis before fast forwarding to draft weekend and looking inside the Ravens’ draft room in each of the three days of the NFL Draft.

DeCosta is a central voice throughout the entirety of the program, his perspective helping to paint the picture of the Ravens’ methodical, patient approach to the draft board. The Ravens’ general manager is well established on the record for his beliefs around how essential the NFL Draft is to the long-term sustainability of their organization, which makes such an intimate behind the scenes look at how the Ravens attacked this latest opportunity to add talent to their ranks so educational.

But sometimes even the most well-plugged in minds of the sport can’t see the curveballs coming. We now know that includes names DeCosta refusing to believe that Green could slide almost out of the second round all together before Baltimore made the call.