As city employees in Kansas City sweep away the final remnants of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade, all 32 NFL teams will move deeper into the offseason with dreams of hosting their own championship celebration 12 months from now.

That means executives and coaches are poring over player evaluations and tweaking schemes — and that analysts are pumping out mock drafts.

It’s that time of year in the NFL. And fans of the Baltimore Ravens, who watched their team roll to a franchise-record 14 regular-season wins before crumpling in the divisional round of the playoffs, have reason to get excited about expert projections for the draft. After all, any player the Ravens pick in late April will step directly onto an expected title contender.

So I rounded up four mock drafts from prominent sites and identified below which prospect each writer predicts the Ravens will select with the 28th overall pick. Then I offered my own analysis on each selection, three of which look identical. Dive on in…

ESPN’s Todd McShay: Kenneth Murray, ILB, Oklahoma

McShay’s take: “A trade for Marcus Peters added a jolt to the secondary, and Matthew Judon just missed double-digit sacks. What was missing? A chase-him-down, bring-him-down linebacker in the middle of the defense. Patrick Onwuasor and Josh Bynes led the front seven with just 64 and 46 tackles, respectively, and they're both free agents. While Murray doesn't have ideal coverage skills, he has great speed and tackling ability, manifested in his 102 tackles this past season at Oklahoma.”

My take: McShay’s not the first notable analyst to suggest the Ravens could draft Murray, and he’s certainly not the last (as you can tell by scrolling a bit further down this page). It’s true that Baltimore lacked an every-down inside linebacker in 2019, and Baltimore has a hole at that position with Onwuasor and Bynes entering free agency.

One thing to note here is that while the Ravens wouldn’t mind plugging a future star into the middle of their defense, the unit’s relative success last season proved that such an addition isn’t necessary. Baltimore made great improvements last year when it signed two midseason free agents and implemented a three-man linebacker rotation. The team has confidence that it could thrive without acquiring a C.J. Mosley-esque centerpiece for the defense.

All of this is to say that while the Ravens have room to draft a player like Murray, they won’t reach for one. Murray seems like an ideal fit in Baltimore, but if general manager Eric DeCosta disagrees, he won’t draft the all-Big 12 honoree just because of the position he plays.

Brugler’s take: “Do you prioritize play speed at linebacker? How about competitiveness? If your answer was a resounding yes to both then Murray is the prospect for you. He is still working through his ability to sort through the action, but coaches will be pounding the table for a player with his skills.”

My take: Where McShay centered his blurb on the Ravens’ needs, Brugler placed focus on Murray’s style play. And his description would appeal to Ravens coach John Harbaugh, who regularly emphasizes the importance of resolve and of defenders who sprint to the ball.

Baltimore drafted four Oklahoma players in the first four rounds of the draft the past two years, and Murray’s college production (257 total tackles the past two seasons) bodes well.

It’s easy to see why he’s a popular mock draft choice for the Ravens.

Sports Illustrated’s Kevin Hanson: Kenneth Murray, ILB, Oklahoma

Hanson’s take: “Linebackers Josh Bynes and Patrick Onwuasor are both scheduled to become unrestricted free agents and the Ravens lost C.J. Mosley in free agency last offseason as well. A tackling machine for the Sooners, Murray has the instincts, non-stop motor and sideline-to-sideline range to become an impact defender.”

My take: OK. At this point, let’s just move on.

Reuter’s take: “Baun will fit with the Ravens due to his versatility. He can attack the passer or play in coverage. Ravens edge rusher Matt Judon is due to become a free agent this offseason.”

My take: Sweet! Someone else to consider. The Ravens need to replenish pass-rushing talent, and Reuter is right that the team covets the type of positional and functional versatility Baun could bring to the NFL.

The question is whether Baun has enough talent to enter consideration for a first-round pick. He’ll need to test well at the scouting combine to improve his draft stock and show that his athleticism compares well to other top-flight prospects.

Baun had 7.5 sacks in 2019 but totaled just 2.5 sacks during his first three seasons at Wisconsin, and that raises questions about his ability to make a quick impact in the professional ranks. The Ravens’ most recent first-round picks — Marquise Brown, Hayden Hurst, Lamar Jackson, Marlon Humphrey, Ronnie Stanley — were all high-impact starters in college for multiple seasons. Baun had just one standout year with the Badgers.

He might make for a better selection on Day 2 of the draft.

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Aaron Kasinitz covers the Baltimore Ravens for PennLive and can be reached at akasinitz@pennlive.com or on Twitter @AaronKazreports. Follow PennLive’s Ravens coverage on Facebook and Youtube.