The Baltimore Ravens have never drafted a kicker in their 29-year history, but given their current situation, this may be the year they do so.
In what’s easily become the biggest story of the Ravens’ offseason so far, star kicker Justin Tucker is facing accusations of inappropriate sexual behavior from 16 Baltimore-area massage therapists, with the alleged incidents taking place between 2012 and 2016. The Ravens have made it pretty clear that they will wait for the NFL’s investigation to conclude before making their own decision, but the team’s brass is closely monitoring the situation.
“The allegations are serious [and] concerning. The amount of allegations are serious and concerning,” general manager Eric DeCosta told reporters last week. “I think we are fortunate that the league is doing an investigation. We’ll wait as patiently as we can for as much information as we can, and we’ll make our decisions based on that.”
Head coach John Harbaugh also said last week that the Ravens are looking at kickers in this year’s class, but who could be a viable option.
In a new seven-round mock draft by The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec, Baltimore finds its new kicker in Florida State’s Ryan Fitzgerald with a compensatory sixth-round pick.
“Tucker’s status with the team is murky, and the Ravens have no choice but to install contingency plans,” Zrebiec wrote. “Fitzgerald is one of the better kicking prospects available. He has a big leg and connected on 32 of 34 field goal attempts over the past two seasons.”
A first-team All-American in 2024, Fitzgerald was one of the only bright spots for a terrible Florida State team. The Coolidge, Georgia native made all 13 of his field goals with a long of 59 yards, and made all 14 extra points (yes, the Seminoles’ offense was really that bad).
Fitzgerald has come a long way from where he started. In his first three seasons, he made just 26 of 40 field goals (65 percent) and was seen as a liability. Now, he’s arguably the best kicker in this year’s draft class.
Replacing Tucker’s raw talent will be next to impossible for the Ravens, but assuming they do move on, they’re going to have to find someone to fill the role. Fitzgerald, assuming he makes the transition to the NFL smoothly, would be about as good as they can expect for a rookie kicker.
