Interesting Mock Draft Lands Ravens Freakish Edge Rusher

NFL Draft analysts put out new mock drafts every day, especially at this time of year when the main event is mere weeks away.

However, the number of mock drafts made by analysts is miniscule to the number of them made by regular fans. Even if they don't have quite the same level of insight as the ones made by professionals, it's still interesting to see what the fans have in mind.

Pro Football Focus's Mock Draft Simulator is one of the most popular tools fans use to make their predictions, and the outlet recently decided to take advantage of that tool. PFF's John Kosko assembled a mock draft using the fans' top picks in their mocks, or an alternative if that player is already off the board.

For the Baltimore Ravens, the player they end up with at No. 27 overall is none other than Texas A&M pass rusher and combine standout Shemar Stewart. Their actual top pick is Tennessee's James Pearce Jr., but he goes off the board at No. 17 overall to the Cincinnati Bengals.

"The Ravens have thrown a lot of early-round draft picks at the edge position, but nothing has fully materialized," Kosko wrote. "So, the fans opt for NFL Scouting Combine phenom Shemar Stewart. If there is a top team to go to for developing a pass-rush skill set, the Ravens are on the shortlist. Stewart lacked production in college and is coming off a 67.2 PFF pass-rush grade in 2024 but could thrive in Baltimore."

The big red flag with Stewart is his lack of production in college, as he had just 4.5 sacks over his three seasons at A&M. However, his sheer athleticism cannot be ignored. At 6-5 and 267 pounds, he ran a 4.59-second 40-yard dash, made a 40-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot-11 inch broad jump during the combine.

It's also in character for the Ravens to take a dvelopmental pass rusher around this point in the draft. In 2021, they took Odafe Oweh, who had no sacks in his final season at Penn State, at No. 31 overall. Now, Oweh's coming off a 10-sack season after posting 13 in his first three years.

Stewart may take some time to come into his own, but his potential could make him hard to pass up if he's available at No. 27.