Baltimore Ravens full 2018 NFL mock draft
By John Buhler
It might already be past time for the Ravens to look for alternatives to eventually move on from Joe Flacco. There is no reason for the Ravens to throw a boatload of money at a free agent signal caller that’s just going to back up Flacco in 2018 anyway. Might the Ravens go quarterback in the fourth round?
If they do, Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Kurt Benkert could be readily available. Benkert was a two-year starter for Bronco Mendenhall’s Hoos after transferring from East Carolina. He completed 57.5 percent of his passes in Charlottesville for 5,759 yards, 40 touchdowns and 26 interceptions.
No, those aren’t overly impressive numbers, but you do have to keep in mind how bad Virginia football had been before Mendenhall’s arrival. The Cavaliers just went bowling for the first time in who knows how long. Perhaps Benkert’s accuracy will improve at the next level if he is put in the right system. He did play his college ball in a similar climate to what he would play in with Baltimore.
He has the frame to play in the NFL at 6-foot-3, 218 pounds. Benkert will likely kick around the league as a serviceable backup quarterback for most of his career. His coaching early in his career will be paramount if he ever wants to be an NFL starter. One would think Baltimore would be a good place for him to compete right out of the gate. Not necessarily for playing time, but to get better as a player.