The common sense thing for the Baltimore Ravens to do with their 2026 first round pick would be to draft a defensive player. It’s the safe bet.
Super Bowls are rarely won by teams who play it safe.
The first draft for head coach Jesse Minter will be a telling study in whether he’s going to play it safe — he’s a former defensive coordinator after all — or if he’s in a gambling mood.
ESPN’s Matt Miller predicts Minter and the Ravens will roll the dice and go with the most electric player available at No. 14 overall and draft superstar Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson.
“This team lacks reliable options for Lamar Jackson outside of Zay Flowers — who has back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons — and needs to diversify its passing attack,” Miller wrote in his latest mock draft. “At 6-foot-2, Tyson would give Jackson the bigger-bodied target he needs. I’ve long been an advocate of expanding Jackson’s strike zone with bigger receivers as opposed to smaller, speedier targets. Tyson overcame drop issues in 2024 to put together a cleaner, more complete résumé last season. There are injury questions, but he profiles as a WR1 who can win on vertical routes and has an expanded route tree for inside and breaking patterns.”
Tyson would also represent incredible value at the position with Flowers in line for a massive contract extension. Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren was the No. 14 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft and landed a 4-year, $20.9 million contract.
Jordyn Tyson Has ‘Franchise WR’ Upside
Tyson getting drafted in the first round would represent a rare piece of sports history as his older brother, Jaylon Tyson, was a first round pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2024 NBA draft.
It could also represent the Ravens’ offense making a leap in 2026 it hasn’t been able to make in recent years — from an also-ran to a team actually capable of making it to the Super Bowl. Nothing was more disappointing than what happened in 2025, when the Ravens entered the season as Super Bowl contenders but finished 8-9, missed the playoffs and got head coach John Harbaugh fired.
“Jordyn Tyson is going to be a franchise WR,” NFL draft analyst Ethan Kreager wrote on his official X account. “Tyson’s physical traits and route running make him a threat at all 3 levels: Excellent Deep Ball Tracking, Sharp Route Running, Strong Production History.”
Incredible Numbers Over Last 2 Seasons
Tyson, 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, played for Colorado as a freshman then transferred to Arizona State but only played 3 games in 2023 due to a knee injury.
Tyson bounced back with a breakout season in 2024 guided by Arizona State wide receivers coach and former Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward, racking up 75 receptions for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns in 12 games. He followed that up with 61 receptions for 711 yards and 9 touchdowns in just 9 games in 2025.
“Learning from Super Bowl XL MVP Hines Ward helped unlock Tyson’s production and elevated his draft stock,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote. “He’s added size and improved his route running over the last two years, showing he can align at all three receiver spots … The wiring, versatility and finishing talent point to a WR1 ceiling.”
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