What Pundits Expect in Ravens-Browns Week 15 Game

The Athletic asked its AFC North writers to grade the general manager of the team they cover for how they have fared in building and updating this season’s roster. Zrebiec gave Eric DeCosta a “solid B.”

“And it would be even higher if not for the curious approach at wide receiver, where Baltimore didn’t really replace the traded Marquise Brown and left themselves vulnerable to an injury. Sure enough, No. 1 receiver Rashod Bateman went down with a season-ending foot injury,” Zrebiec wrote. “Otherwise, DeCosta has done a nice job building a deep roster that has withstood numerous injuries to key performers. You can fixate on the Ravens’ shortcomings or talk about how unimpressive they’ve looked at times this season if you want. But they are 9-4, and they’ve won six of their last seven games despite being without quarterback Lamar Jackson for two games and counting, top running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards for nearly two-thirds of the season, Bateman since October and left tackle Ronnie Stanley for more than half the season.

“Defensively, outside linebackers Tyus Bowser and Justin Houston, nose tackle Michael Pierce, cornerback Kyle Fuller and safety Marcus Williams were all out for prolonged stretches, and Pierce and Fuller remain sidelined. DeCosta made a host of late offseason or in-season additions, including Houston, Jason Pierre-Paul, Demarcus Robinson, DeSean Jackson and Kenyan Drake, who have helped the team stay afloat. And the team’s draft class, led by Kyle Hamilton, Tyler Linderbaum and Isaiah Likely, has mostly delivered. DeCosta deserves solid marks.”

Zrebiec didn’t even mention DeCosta’s midseason trade for two-time second-team All-Pro middle linebacker Roquan Smith, a move that obviously has paid huge dividends.

The Ringer’s Danny Kelly released his first mock draft, and his first-round pick for the Ravens is a bit of a surprise. Kelly has…