2020 NFL Mock Draft: Pre-Combine mock with Redskins trading down

I almost had the Ravens go with Grant Delpit here, but the extension that they recently signed Chuck Clark gave me enough pause to reconsider. And with A.J. Epenesa on the board and filling a big need, it makes more sense for the team to keep him.

Though the Ravens were the No. 1 seed in the AFC last season and had a well-rounded team, one of their biggest weaknesses was their pass rush. They only had 37 sacks on the year which ranked 21st in the NFL. Former Redskins edge rusher Pernell McPhee played in about 25 percent of the defensive snaps last season, so that demonstrates just how desperate the team is for edge help.

With Matt Judon set to hit the open market, the need could become a gaping hole for the Ravens, too. So, they may just opt to take the best edge rusher here provided that one of the top options is on the board.

Epenesa was once considered a potential top-10 pick but slipped a little bit after struggling to start the season. However, Epenesa was excellent to close the campaign and managed a career-high 49 tackles and 11.5 sacks. And he found success against fellow first-round prospect Austin Jackson in Iowa’s bowl game, so that should demonstrate that he can perform against top talent.

If the Ravens can retain Judon and draft Epenesa, they’ll be in much better shape at the rush linebacker position. They’d have two true starters and would have a bunch of guys capable of being better in depth roles.