INDIANAPOLIS — From how the Ravens are handling the sexual misconduct allegations against kicker Justin Tucker to general manager Eric DeCosta’s roster-building philosophy and thoughts for the 2025 season, there was no shortage of questions at last week’s NFL scouting combine, which wrapped up Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Here are the five things we learned from last week:

Tucker’s status remains a question: The Ravens were noncommittal about Tucker’s future, saying they will base whatever decision they make on the NFL’s investigation.

The last part of that sentence is the key and the determining factor in what Baltimore ultimately does.

Tucker was adamant about his innocence in his latest statement last week. But DeCosta also called the voluminous amount of allegations “serious” and “concerning.”

“A lot goes into that [decision],” he said. “We’ll wait as patiently as we can for as much information as we can. We’ll make our decisions based on that.”

The ongoing NFL investigation is expected to take several weeks, or possibly months, even with investigators having been in Baltimore recently to interview at least some of the massage therapists who have accused the 35-year-old kicker of inappropriate sexual behavior between 2012 and 2016, according to reporting by The Baltimore Banner.

Should the league find enough evidence, Tucker could be looking at a suspension under the league’s personal conduct policy. With that cloud of uncertainty lingering, it’s no surprise that the Ravens were looking at kickers at the combine.

One of them was Miami’s Andy Borregales, who was one of four kickers and two punters invited to the combine, along with an additional nine kickers (four via the league’s International Pathway Program) and six punters (one through the IPP).

Baltimore had previously met with Borregales at the Shrine Bowl, with the game coincidentally taking place the same day the accusations against Tucker became public, and kicking coach Randy Brown looked on closely last week. Over four years with the Hurricanes, he converted 74 of 86 field goals, including 18 of 19 last season, and 183 of 184 extra points.

Borregales, whose older brother Jose also kicked at Miami before a brief stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ practice squad, also said Tucker was his favorite kicker growing up and called the chance to meet with Baltimore “surreal.”

The best kicker, though, perhaps was Lenny Krieg, a 22-year-old German and former soccer player who taught himself how to kick footballs via YouTube and Instagram and eventually found his way to the Stuttgart Surge of the European League of Football. In Indianapolis, he was the only kicker who didn’t miss on Wednesday, converting all 14 of his attempts between 35 and 55 yards.

The Ravens are the only team to never draft a kicker, and though it seems unlikely that would change this year, even with 11 selections, it perhaps would not be a big surprise if they signed an undrafted free agent after what was also Tucker’s worst season on the field.

“Like every position, we’re gonna evaluate and rank the board. We’ve been doing that the last 29 years,” DeCosta said. “We’ll meet with Randy throughout the process over the coming weeks. He’ll travel all over the country looking at these guys and build the best board we can.”

Baltimore will probably draft the best player available: With the 27th overall pick in next month’s draft, Baltimore could go any number of directions — offensive line, edge rusher, cornerback and safety are among their needs. The draft class is deep with defensive linemen and nothing that happened last week changed anyone’s mind on that.

As NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah put it, “It’s a starters draft.”

The Ravens’ philosophy also hasn’t changed.

“I think it really just comes down to the best player at the time,” DeCosta said. “I think if we’re picking at 27, and there’s an edge rusher and he’s the best guy, we’re probably going to pick him.

“I think it’s an important position. I think we were maybe second in the league in sacks last year, but having a continuous influx of young pass rush talent, guys that can set the edge and play the run, guys that play like Ravens, physical players who can get to the quarterback, I think that’s a priority for us, for sure.”

One such player, Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart, has been projected by some to be chosen by Baltimore.

Except he might not be there when they pick. Stewart, a 6-foot-5, 267-pound stalwart who had just 4 1/2 career sacks for the Aggies, had an outstanding combine.

Notably, he finished with a 9.99 out of 10 relative athletic score, which included a 40-yard dah time of 4.59 seconds and a 40-inch vertical jump. His RAS score was also the third-best out of 1,802 defensive ends measured since 1987.

Also notable was that over his final two years, he had a pass rush win rate of 13.2%.

“I wasn’t a sack-chasing warrior,” said Stewart, who added that he has tried to model his game after former Carolina Panthers great Julius Peppers. “I just wanted to become the best player for my team. And sometimes the stats don’t show that.”

They do matter, though, so it will be interesting to see where Stewart goes, but his profile is on the rise.

South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori would be a good fit: The numbers are eyebrow-raising: 6-3, 220 pounds, 4.38 40-yard dash time, 43-inch vertical, 11-6 broad jump.

Emmanwori also had four interceptions (including two he returned for touchdowns), three pass breakups, 88 tackles and zero touchdowns allowed last season for the Gamecocks. If that’s not enough, he also scored a perfect 10 RAS at the combine, which ranked first out of all safeties dating to 1987.

The Ravens, of course, also need a safety, with Marcus Williams expected to be released and only unproven Beau Brade and Sanoussi Kane, both rookies last season, behind starters Kyle Hamilton and restricted free agent Ar’Darius Washington. ESPN draftnik Mel Kiper Jr. has Baltimore taking Emmanwori with the 27th pick.

Emmanwori had plenty to say about the Ravens, too.

“I model my game after Kyle Hamilton, [Cleveland Browns safety] Grant Delpit and [Los Angeles Chargers safety] Derwin James,” he said.

So what would it like to be paired with Hamilton?

“That’d be scary for the league, honestly,” he said. “He and I playing together, that’s like a dream come true. He locks down one side, I lock down the other.

“I don’t think you’ve ever seen a safety like me. Well, there are a lot of dudes that came through this league, but a safety like me hasn’t come through this league for a long time. My size, my speed, my ability.”

Free agency looms large: The next big date on the Ravens’ calendar is free agency, with next Monday marking the beginning of the legal tampering period and the official start of free agency two days later. The biggest question facing Baltimore, of course, is what it will do with Pro Bowl left tackle Ronnie Stanley.

DeCosta said last week that he is “optimistic” the two sides would be able to get a deal done. He met with Stanley’s agent in Indianapolis as well.

Then, on Friday, the Los Angeles Rams and their free-agent-to-be left tackle, Alaric Jackson, agreed to a reported three-year, $57 million deal. So what does that mean for Stanley?

On the surface, it would seem Stanley might have both feet out the door as unaffordable. The big question, however, is whether he would jump at, say, $19 million from a lousy team like the New England Patriots, who have well over $100 million in cap room and need protection for quarterback Drake Maye, or would he be content with, say, $16 million or $17 million a year from a perennial contender in the Ravens, the only NFL team he’s ever known? Baltimore is projected to have just over $12 million in salary cap space.

The talks between the two sides were “productive,” according to a source with direct knowledge of the negotiations, and there is hope on both sides a deal can be reached, so stay tuned this week or early next.

“Right player, right price,” DeCosta said. “We don’t have a lot of cap room. We have [vice president of football administration] Nick Matteo working tirelessly to find some space for us. We call it couch cushion coins; just we’re trying to find 50 grand here, 75 grand there in the couch cushion. But we’re not a team that’s gonna make a lot of big splashes generally speaking.”

Being able to keep Stanley would qualify as a pretty good one, though.

Ravens could draft Lamar Jackson’s backup and WR depth: With Lamar Jackson currently signed through the 2027 season, Baltimore does not need to draft a starting-caliber quarterback. Still, the Ravens selected Devin Leary as a project in the sixth round last year, and veteran backup Josh Johnson, who will turn 39 in May, is due to be an unrestricted free agent.

Is it possible DeCosta could look to add to the quarterback room in the middle or late rounds again?

“Every smart team is always looking for quarterbacks,” he said. “Whether you’re looking for a backup, practice squad quarterback, a starting quarterback, it’s hard to win without one. … Living in a world without a quarterback is a tough world to live in. We understand that. These guys drive the league.”

While the 2025 class might lack top-end talent — Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward are two of just a handful of “blue chip” talents, according to scouts — there are potential future starters who will be found deeper in the draft.

One potential name to keep an eye on is Syracuse’s Kyle McCord.

He threw the deep ball well at the scouting combine, performed solidly on out routes and has plenty of run-pass option experience. The 6-3, 218-pound New Jersey native who started his career at Ohio State is, like Leary, a bit of a project but could go on to have a solid career as a backup or potential starter with some improvements, according to analysts.

As for the Ravens’ wide receivers, they are thin beyond Pro Bowl selection Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman, who is coming off his best season with 756 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, both career highs.

After that, veteran Nelson Agholor is a free agent, as are Tylan Wallace, Deonte Harty, Steven Sims and Diontae Johnson. That leaves just 2024 fourth-round pick Devontez Walker as the only other wideout on the active roster.

Maryland’s Tai Felton and Kaden Prather could be targets for Baltimore.

“It’d be a blessing,” Felton, a 6-1, 183-pound long-striding receiver, said when asked what it would be like to play with Baltimore. He grew up in Ashburn, Virginia, was a first-team All-Big Ten selection and finished last season with 96 catches for 1,124 yards and nine touchdowns. “I would be very comfortable. I feel like I’ll be playing with a lot of juice being able to be able to be around my friends and family and they’ll be able to come to all the games.”

Felton also scored a 9.60 RAS during the scouting combine, which ranked 138th out of 3,408 receivers since 1987.

Prather, who started his college career at West Virginia before transferring to Maryland, is bigger at 6-3 1/2 and 204 pounds, but more likely an undrafted free agent target for teams.

“Words can’t even explain,” he said when asked what it would be like to catch passes from Jackson.

Both players met with the Ravens and both are expected to attend their local pro day.

“I think it’s a pretty good class draft-wise, free agency-wise as well,” DeCosta said of the wide receiver group. “I’m very happy to see the development that our young receivers made the last couple of years. … We feel like there is a good opportunity for us to find some talent, either through free agency or the draft in every round, and at every price point.”

Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1.