Who is Ravens Best Building Block?

Bleacher Report's pick for the Baltimore Ravens most promising building block may come as a surprise.

Dec 10, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers (4) celebrates his touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jessica Rapfogel-USA TODAY Sports / Jessica Rapfogel-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Ravens have been one of the league's better drafting teams throughout their history, and that reputation still holds merit today.

Over the past few years, the Ravens have found absolute studs in the draft, with 2022 first-round picks Kyle Hamilton and Tyler Linderbaum being the best examples. Some of their later-round hits include Justin Madubuike and Brandon Stephens, third-round picks in 2020 and 2021 respectively.

With all those hits, Bleacher Report's selection of Zay Flowers, a 2023 first-round pick, as Baltimore's "most promising building block" may come as a surprise.

"In very unsurprising news, the Ravens have crushed some draft picks lately with Pro Bowl safety Kyle Hamilton and center Tyler Linderbaum. The next in line is likely Zay Flowers, who paced Baltimore in receptions (77) and yards (858) with a handful of scores as a rookie," B/R's David Kenyon writes. "Although the team needs to upgrade the receiving unit for Lamar Jackson, Flowers is clearly a positive part of the solution."

When looking at the selection criteria, though, the Flowers pick starts to make more sense. B/R limited eligible players to those who are still on their rookie deals, haven't signed an extension yet and have not been named to the Pro Bowl or All-Pro teams. That automatically eliminates Hamilton, Linderbaum and Madubuike, the latter of which is ineligible on all three counts.

Stephens could be a viable option as well, but not only is Flowers a bigger name at a weaker position, the cornerback could also price himself out of Baltimore with another strong season.

Even disregarding all that, Flowers is still a solid pick for this thought exercise. Fair or not, the Ravens have been criticizied for not surrounding Lamar Jackson with enough receiving weapons to truly thrive. If Flowers can build on his great rookie season, he could become a consistent 1,000-yard receiver and silence those critics once and for all.

Make sure you bookmark Ravens Country for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

• Ravens Rivals Announce Passing Of Beloved Mascot
• Reason For Ravens' O-Line Overhaul Revealed
• Former Player Slams Ravens QB Lamar Jackson
• Ravens O-Line Questions Continue With Recent Ranking
• Jets Logo Controversy Brings Back Ravens Memories