The Baltimore Ravens have a quarterback conundrum on their hands. They are in a stalemate with Lamar Jackson, who is seeking a deal that pays him the most guaranteed money in NFL history. Baltimore placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson, which gives them the right to match any offer sheet he may sign. If they opt to not match, they will receive two first-round picks in exchange.
While there are plenty of teams around the league that could use an upgrade at quarterback, his market has been nonexistent. There are a lot of factors that are going into that, with one of them being that teams are angling for prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft.
There is a chance that as many as five quarterbacks are selected in the first round. Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson and Will Levis are locks, all potential top-10 picks. Hendon Hooker is the fifth that is looking to sneak into the first round.
While the Ravens didn’t answer any questions about Jackson earlier this week, they did provide some interesting tidbits about their draft plans. General manager Eric DeCosta didn’t dismiss the idea of the Ravens selecting a quarterback in the first round.
“It depends on the board, it really does,” DeCosta said. “I mean, I’d have to say yes because we have quarterbacks in our top 31. So just based on that alone, simple math, I would have to say yes.”
Baltimore is currently slated to pick at No. 22. They are lacking draft capital to move up in the draft, so it is very unlikely they will nab one of the top-rated signal callers. But, there is a real chance someone like Hooker is available when they are on the clock.
Not only is Jackson unsigned currently, but his backup, Pro Bowler Tyler Huntley, remains a restricted free agent as well. Anthony Brown remains on the roster, so something will have to give at the position sooner than later.
“I would say there’s probably more than four guys that can be significant quarterbacks in this league in this draft class,” DeCosta said.
While the future of the quarterback position is certainly up in the air for the Ravens, they have options. They can bring back Huntley if Jackson moves on or dip into free agency for a stopgap, such as Teddy Bridgewater.
With more pressing needs across the roster, it would be surprising to see the Ravens select a quarterback in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
