The Baltimore Ravens pulled off a few trades during the first round of the 2018 NFL draft in a surprise move that landed them two first round picks. GM Ozzie Newsome pulled off moves that many called masterful in his final draft with the team.
The Ravens initially had the #16 pick in the first round, but made two trades with the Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans that would end up moving their first pick down to #25 but moved up their second pick from #20 (52 overall) in the second round to #32 in the first round.
With the #25 pick, the Ravens drafted South Carolina tight end Hayden Hurst. Hurst was seen by experts to be perhaps the best tight end in this year's draft as the Ravens look for a long-term replacement at the position after the retirement of Dennis Pitta. He is graded as being a decent blocker and an above average receiver.
In a rather surprising move to take the #32 pick, the Ravens chose Louisville QB Lamar Jackson after making a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles. Jackson was the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner and was the fifth quarterback drafted in the first round, the most drafted in the first round since 1999. The Ravens insist Jackson is not going to be competing for Joe Flacco's starting QB position in 2018, but the team hopes to develop him for the future. The Ravens also recently added former Redskins QB Robert Griffin III to the roster.
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