Offseason Moves and Draft Needs: AFC North

Apr 07, 2019

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This is the second article in an eight-part series detailing the biggest offseason moves and where teams still need to fill holes via the NFL Draft. This iteration will focus on the AFC North with a slant toward the impact on dynasty leagues.

More Divisions: AFC East | AFC South | AFC West | NFC East | NFC North

Baltimore Ravens

What Changed

Joe Flacco was shipped to Denver and clearly, the Ravens are all in on transforming this to Lamar Jackson’s team. They will build their offense accordingly. The addition of Mark Ingram looks like a perfect match and he could be in for major production in his new home, especially with Alex Collins out of the way. For fantasy, not only is Ingram an every-week starter, but he could flirt with RB1 numbers. The wide receiver situation is very precarious right now, especially with Michael Crabtree and John Brown out of the equation. While the wide receiver position is a barren wasteland, Baltimore has more tight ends than they might know what to do with after re-signing Nick Boyle.

The Impact

Boyle is a good football player, but for our fantasy purposes, he could impede the progress of Hayden Hurst and Mark Andrews, both of whom show significant promise. With the abundance of players at this position, it might be a shrewd move to put a low-ball offer in for Hurst or Andrews. Someone has to catch the ball from Jackson and Baltimore is sure to use a heavy dosage of multiple tight end sets. Gus Edwards’ stock took a massive blow with the signing of Ingram, but could Kenneth Dixon be a sneaky guy to add to your roster now? He does have receiving ability, although he is difficult to trust in pass protection.

What To Expect

With Willie Snead atop the depth chart currently, the Ravens absolutely must draft wide receivers. That could be a recurring trend over the next few draft years, as this is not a place free agents at this position will be excited to go. If your favorite wide receiver from this draft class ends up in Baltimore…my apologies. Expect the Ravens to address their offensive line early in this draft, which can only help everyone involved.