Eric DeCosta says Ravens draft plan shifts with each pick

TL;DR

Ravens GM Eric DeCosta explained that the team's draft strategy evolves with each pick, as early selections impact later choices. He emphasized the importance of adjusting the draft board in real time based on positional runs and previous picks.

Key points

Eric DeCosta discusses Ravens' draft strategy.
Draft picks influence remaining options on the board.
Strategy adjusts in real time based on earlier selections.

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RavensEric DeCosta

Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta explained how each draft pick affects the remaining structure of the board, noting that early positional decisions directly influence what Baltimore is willing to consider later.

DeCosta said the team constantly recalculates how many viable options remain at each position as the draft unfolds.

"I think it's going to be combinations, right? And so one of the things I try to do is say, 'OK, well, if we get this position at this pick, how does that affect things moving forward?' And then who's the best player? Now, certainly, hypothetically, say you take an offensive lineman in the first round. Could you take an offensive lineman in the second round? You probably could, right? But you're probably not going to take an offensive lineman in the first round, then an offensive lineman in the second round and an offensive lineman in the third round. So, then you get into a situation where you're going to probably have – I don't know – 20 offensive linemen that essentially get cut from your sequence because you're probably not going to take them in the third or fourth round. And that really kind of changes the math a little bit. So what you do, it's not just a matter of, 'Oh, it's a great draft.' It matters what you've done already in the draft and how that changes things. And I think the best way that we can approach it is to be thoughtful before the draft to think about the ways that we can address these positions to make sure that we're able to fill as many important needs throughout. I don't know if that answers your question really, but I think we talk about the numbers, and we talk about the players, but it also matters what you've done already in the draft. Because we're able to sort of project what players might be available at any given pick, and we get excited, but that's not taking into account the players we've already drafted. Because once we take into account those players, then the numbers change, because we're not going to just keep drafting the same position throughout the draft."

DeCosta emphasized that draft strategy is constantly adjusted in real time as positional runs develop and earlier selections reshape the board.

This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Ravens draft math changes with every pick, says DeCosta

Q&A

How does each draft pick affect the Ravens' overall strategy?

Each draft pick influences the remaining options on the board, as early selections can limit the viability of later choices at the same position.

What did Eric DeCosta say about drafting multiple players at the same position?

DeCosta indicated that while it's possible to draft multiple players at the same position, it’s unlikely to draft the same position in consecutive rounds due to strategic considerations.

How does the Ravens' draft plan change during the draft?

The Ravens' draft plan is adjusted in real time as the draft unfolds, taking into account how earlier selections affect available options and positional needs.