2018 NFL Mock Draft: Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen top first round
By Brad Weiss
James Washington
Wide Receiver, Oklahoma State
The Baltimore Ravens have had a terrible offseason, which has included injuries, retirements, and just overall bad luck. Quarterback Joe Flacco may not be ready for the season opener, which means Ryan Mallett is going to get the start under center. They also saw Steve Smith Sr. retire, and starting center John Urschel, so things could get ugly for the Ravens early in the season.
Flacco will eventually be back, possibly even for Week 1, but there is not enough talent on this team to make a serious run in the AFC this season. They will likely finish close to a Wildcard berth, but find themselves outside of the playoffs once again. They need to inject some young talent on this roster, and bringing in a wide receiver might be the play in April.
James Washington from Oklahoma State is a beast at the wideout position, and his game definitely equates to the NFL level. Washington has teamed with quarterback Mason Rudolph to make the Cowboys a national contender, and he got off to a hot start to his season this past weekend. It will be interesting to see how high he is drafted in April, but if he is here in the middle of the first, the Ravens should swoop in and grab him.
To replace Smith, the team did bring in Jeremy Maclin, who was surprisingly cut by the Kansas City Chiefs. Breshad Perriman is a solid player as well, but Mike Wallace is getting up there in age. Washington would be a perfect player for Flacco’s big arm, and while the Ravens may struggle this season, there is no doubt Flacco is still one of the better quarterbacks in the AFC.