Ravens should deeply consider Ezekiel Elliott

Running back may not be the Ravens biggest need at this year’s draft, but the Ravens have never been a team that picks based on need. The key to their draft success as been sticking to the ‘best player available’ strategy. If Ezekiel Elliott is available at the sixth overall pick, there is little chance he won’t be the best player available.

Offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, defensive end Joey Bosa, linebacker Myles Jack and cornerback Jalen Ramsey would all fit both the ‘best player available’ and needs, but it is not very likely that any of those players last until the sixth pick. After that group of players the Ravens still have plenty of options. Oregon defensive end DeForest Buckner, Georgia pass rusher Leonard Floyd and Florida cornerback Vernon Hargreaves lead the pack and all should have impressive careers, but Elliott can have a bigger impact than any of them.

His explosiveness would be a huge benefit for the Ravens and he’s far from just a one-trick pony. Elliott is an explosive running back, but he catches the ball very well, is an elite blocker and he’s pretty powerful too. This is a guy who carried a very talented Ohio State Buckeyes team to a National Championship as a sophomore in 2015.

The Ravens have a mixed back of running backs right now.

Justin Forsett is coming off an injury, but wasn’t great before it last year; which was disappointing considering how great he looked two years ago. At 30-years-old, maybe baking on Forsett to repeat what has so far been a one-year performance might not be wise. Lorenzo Taliaferro is a big bruising back, but is not explosive and has been plagued by injuries both years he’s been a pro. Buck Allen has explosiveness, but he appears to be more of a change of pace back and not a between-the-tackles back who will fight through a front. Terrence West is a local-product, but is still trying to find his way in the NFL. And they are taking a flyer on former first round bust Trent Richardson.

It’s a collection of valuable skill sets, but only one guy can get the ball at once. Elliott has it all in one package. He’s a game changer.

Considering that Flacco is coming off a major knee injury and struggled without a reliable running game two of the past three years, getting a play-making back like Elliott would be very beneficial.

And while some might say taking a running back with a short life-span is not worth a high first round pick, if he can contribute at a high level for six to seven years, why not? Breshad Perriman hasn’t even played yet, Calvin Johnson just retired after only nine seasons. There is no guarantee anyway.

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Corey Johns

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You could say Corey was born to become a sports journalist. His father won a national championship coaching college soccer. His mother is a baseball fanatic who hasn't missed seeing an Orioles game since 1983 (literally, sometimes it's annoying). His great uncle was a big-time boxing promoter and his maternal grandfather was once a department head at the Baltimore Sun. Basically, sports and journalism run through his blood. He played just about every little league sports there was when he was a kid and was a multi-sport athlete in high school; even playing in the first-ever high school sanction Rugby game in the country. Eventually he retired from sports as an undefeated Maryland state Rugby champion as a high school senior. Perhaps lack of athletic talent has more to do with the retirement, but he will tell you that it more had to do with a great desire to jump right into media. Upon his graduation from University of Maryland, Baltimore County as a triple communications major, Corey started the So Much Sports network and has continued to grow his websites and continues to work to make them premier sports media outlets.

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