As you may recall, I started doing mock drafts here in 2017. Or maybe you don’t recall: I didn’t, and had to look through the archives to find out. Holy shit there’s some stuff back there! Anyhoo, the average NFL career, across all positions, is 3.3 years. Some positions, kickers and coddled QBs last much longer, running backs get hammered into dust in 2+ years. Somewhere Derrick Henry has a covered portrait that is taking a fucking beating.

The point being that it’s fun and pointless to mock a draft, and it’s fun, (and even more pointless), to rate a draft immediately afterwards. What were about to find out is how much fun it is to look back after roughly twice the time an average NFL player lasts, and see who did what and how well.

This week we’ll take a stab at the Baltimore Ravens draft class of 2017, making sure no one gets the shaft, elevator or otherwise.

The Ravens had 7 picks over 6 rounds, 1 in each round other than the 3rd, in which they had 2 picks. Those picks resulted in Marlon Humphrey, a CB from Alabama, (I defy you, if you are above a certain age, to ever say “Alabama” without trying to imitate Keith Jackson. You cannot do it), Tyrus Bowser, an OLB from Houston, Chris Wormley, a DE from Michigan, Tim Williams, a LB out of Alabama, (hello again, Keith), Nico Siragusa, a G from San Diego State, Jermaine Eluemunor, a G from Texas A&M, and lastly Chuck Clark, a DB out of Virginia Tech.

So how did the Ravens do?

Marlon Humphrey is still with the Ravens. He’s never played less than 12 games in a season, (and only that few once, albeit last year), has 9 INTs for his career, and has returned two fumbles for TDs. He was All-Pro gin 2019, and a Pro Bowler in 2019 and 2020. He just signed a 5-year contract for $97.5 million, ($67 million+ guaranteed), so the Ravens seem pretty happy with him. He did tear his pectoral last season, but is expected back in time to start this season, and probably tear something else, because the NFL is a brutal way to make a living.

Torn pecs aside, the Ravens used the 16th pick to land a starting CB, a two-time Pro Bowler, 1-time All-Pro, and generally consistently on the field and productive player. Around here, we call that an ‘A’. We just don’t say it too loudly, because snitches get stitches.

Tyrus Bowser is also still with the Ravens. He only became a starter last season, but played in at least 15 games, and in all but one season 16, prior to that. He had 10.5 sacks before going full-time last season, then added 7 more over 17 games last year. It’s not All-Pro by any means, but it’s not awful by any means. He just resigned last year for 4 years and $22 million, (potential to rise to $27 million), so this is another guy the Ravens like. Unfortunately Bowser went out and celebrated the new contract by tearing his Achilles tendon. Wiki says surgery in January of 2022. He should be back this season, but maybe not right away. So with the 47th pick the Ravens got a consistent and productive, if not outstanding OLB, and they liked him well enough after his first full year as a starter to invest some significant money in him. I’ll give them a B, with the potential to move up to B+ if he bounces back from the tendon surgery, which is a bitch from what I’m told.

Chris Wormley is now with the Steelers, having been traded, along with a 7th round pick, for a 5th round pick. For a 3rd round pick that’s not a great start. Wormley had a pretty good year for the Steelers last year, racking up 7 sacks and 46 tackles over 15 games, but prior to that he doesn’t seem to have made much of an impression in Baltimore, generating 50 tackles and 3.5 sacks over 4 seasons. He was only the 77th pick, and he does seem like he’s got potential with playing time, but for the purposes of the Ravens draft he’s a C-.

Tim Williams never started an NFL game and had 13 tackles over 4 seasons, one of them with Green Bay after the Ravens released him. He was recently released by the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL, and is now supposedly with the BC Lions. I actually remember Tim Williams from the 2017 draft, because in my first version I had the Cowboys taking him. At the time he was considered a top prospect, but had some off the field issues that were scaring teams off. The only thing I see in his Wiki is carrying a pistol, which if I were a Black guy in Alabama I would think would be a necessity, not a crime, but either way is stock plummeted, even past the point where Jerry Jones wouldn’t draft him, and that fucking guy supposedly had to be physically restrained from drafting Johnny Goddamn Manziel. Anyway, the point is that, while this pick should be an F, I’m giving the Ravens a C-, because all they really did here was take a chance with the 78th pick on a potentially first-round guy. It didn’t work out, but you can’t kill them for that. Certainly not while wearing a white suit in the back of a limo, anyway.

Nico Siracusa is not related to the late Tony Siragusa. Nor is he in the NFL anymore, having been waived by Baltimore, Indianapolis, and Buffalo, before apparently ending his professional football career with the Los Angeles Wildcats of the late, and largely unlamented XFL. It does appear that Sirgusa’s career may have been killed in its infancy when he destroyed his knee during his first training camp. At least he got a $600K+ signing bonus out of it, and presumably some cut rate medical care. Regardless, a pick that results in a guy never playing for you, or anyone else, and so far not even in the CFL, gets you an F, knees be damned.

Jermaine Eluemunor is now on his 5th team since being draft in 2021, and that team is Rikki’s Raiders.

/crowd goes wild

From what I can tell just skimming some of his stuff, Eleumunor doesn’t start most games, and seems to be a career backup. Still, he’s still playing in the NFL at a physically demanding position 5 years after being drafted, so he’s had a better-than-average career. Credit to him for that, but the Ravens never got anything out of him. D, and that only because Eleumunor is making them look better by finding a way to stick around. The Ravens got nothing out of this pick.

Chuck Clark is…holy shit, look at Chuck taking care or business! Chuck is still with the Ravens, and more than that he’s a productive member of the Ravens. Recently resigned for $15.3 million for three years, ($10 million guaranteed), Clark seems pretty well established as their free safety, taking over after an injury to Tony Jefferson in 2019. I would also note that I am 1″ taller and 10 lbs. heavier than Clark and I look nothing like him. That aside, getting that kind of talent and contribution to your team at #186 is outstanding. That’s an A+ for the Ravens.

So with 7 picks over 6 rounds the Ravens got an All-Pro with the 16th pick, a solid contributor in the second round, did not do well in the 3rd round, (but Williams was a potential steal and Gormley looks to be decent, just with another team), whiffed in the 4th round, took a guy who eventually carved out a career as a back-up and is still in the league, and got an absolute steal in the 7th round in Clark. That’s 5 productive guys in 7 picks, 3 of whom are still with your team, one of whom is an All-Pro and another starts at free safety. That’s an A.

Way to go Baltimore, and I’m not just saying that because Harry’s Bar is awesome.