Baltimore Ravens Season Preview by George Johnston IV

In 8 days, the 2024 NFL season will kick off with the Baltimore Ravens taking on the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. The Ravens just came off of a AFC Championship loss to the Chiefs, and are looking to rebound. So ahead of the opening game, I went ahead and made a season preview of the Baltimore Ravens..

Offseason:

The Ravens made some huge changes to their roster in the offseason. In terms of free agents, they gave Nelson Agholor a 1 year deal, keeping one of Lamar’s targets. They gave Justin Madabuike a huge 4 year, $98 million deal after having the season of his life with 13 sacks; more than all of his prior seasons combined. They also gave Kyle Van Noy a 2 year deal after having a career resurgence. However, to retain this talent and some others, they had to let lots of talent walk in free agency. This included letting go of OBJ, Jadeaveon Clowney, Gus Edwards, J.K. Dobbins, Tyler Huntley, Patrick Queen, Geno Stone, Kevin Zeitler, and more. In terms of signing players, their marquee signing was of course Derrick Henry on a 2 year deal, definitely making up for the loss of Dobbins and Edwards. They also added return specialist Deonte Harty, former Pro Bowler Eddie Jackson, and slot receiver Russel Gage. 

In the draft, they used their 1st round pick on Nate Wiggins, who was 1st team All-ACC last year, and ran a 4.28 in the combine. They drafted Washington OT Roger Rosengarten, who was part of Washington’s award winning offensive line, and drafted TJ Tampa, who was in contention to be the best DB in the nation and one of the best overall defensive players in the nation. The Ravens have been known to have one of the best draft strategies in the league, so these players must have great talent for the Ravens to want them. The last major part of their offseason was replacing defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, who helped make their defense the best in the NFL last season. They replaced him with Zachary Orr, former player who has been their inside linebacker coach since 2022, helping grow Patrick Queen and Roquan Smith into top middle linebackers.

Roster Depth (Offense):

Quarterback: 

A reigning 2x MVP is a great way to start. If Lamar Jackson can stay healthy this season, the Ravens should be in good hands. Journeyman quarterback Josh Johnson has played with an NFL record 14 teams, so he has experience and is the backup quarterback on the depth chart. 6th round pick Devin Leary will get some experience as 3rd on the chart, and he might be a backup if Josh Johnson gets injured or retires in the next couple years.

Running Back: 

Of course there’s Derrick Henry, who will take most of the runs, and will be the star when it comes to the running back position. They also have Justice Hill, who has been reliable when the team needs him. They drafted Rasheed Ali, who made waves during his time at Marshall. Finally, Keaton Mitchell. Although his rookie year was cut short due to injuries. When I got to watch him, he was explosive and quick, and young. Even though he has played in the NFL longer, he’s actually 1 year younger than Rasheed Ali. He may miss the start of the season due to injuries, but still amazing to watch. Patrick Ricard is also a top fullback in the league, so expect to see him getting lots of snaps.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends:

The Ravens weren’t too aggressive on the receiver position in the offseason because they already have a nice backbone to work on. Zay Flowers is turning into a WR1 after a stellar rookie season. When healthy, Rashod Bateman has been reliable for the team and will be WR2. Nelson Agholor has been consistent when given playing time. Russel Gage and Devontez Walker will have to show out when given playing time, especially in the preseason. Mark Andrews, if healthy, will still be one of Lamar’s favorite targets, and Isaiah Likely has been developing well, so maybe we see the Ravens use a 2 tight end formation.

Offensive Line:

Ronnie Stanley needs to stay healthy and be productive to keep his job. We know how great of a player he is when he’s healthy. Tyler Linderbaum, although only coming into his 3rd season, is already a top 5 center in the league right now. Roger Rosengarten can get the starting right tackle job over Patrick Mekari, but he will need to use all his reps wisely. Both guard spots will be heavily coveted so Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faaele should watch their backs.

Roster Depth (Defense)

Defensive Line:

Justin Madabuike has developed into a top tier defensive tackle in the league, getting 13 sacks last year. Nose tackle Michael Pierce got his most amount of tackles since 2017. Travis Jones has the starting spot, and is hoping to develop. Broderick Washington and Brent Urban are both backups hoping to compete for snaps.

Linebackers:

Roquan Smith is one of the most important leaders of this team, and one of the best inside linebackers in the NFL. He is one of only 2 NFL players to have 100+ tackles, 2+ sacks, and 1+ interceptions in their first 5 seasons. The other player is Ravens legend Ray Lewis. Trenton Simpson will take over Patrick Queen’s role, and will develop alongside Smith. Kyle Van Noy is having a career resurgence on the team, and Odafe Oweh had a breakout season last year and is hoping to help be a force at the edge.

Defensive Backs:

Kyle Hamilton has become a top-3 safety in the league in my opinion, and I hope he can continue his dominance this year. Marcus Williams was injured last year, and is looking for a comeback with the team. Eddie Jackson is hoping to regain some of his form from his early years with the Bears, and will start as backup strong safety to Kyle Hamilton. Marlon Humphery, when healthy, is a top corner, and Brandon Stephens is becoming a nice CB2. Nate Wiggins and TJ Tampa are pretty far back in the depth chart, but should be getting starts as the season progresses. 

Special Teams:

Justin Tucker is still a top kicker even though his field goal percentage has declined, and Jordan Stout is still progressing as a punter. Long snapper Nick Moore has been reliable, and will be coming back from an ACL tear.

Season Predictions:

To open the season I think the Chiefs are the favorites to beat the Ravens. They are the defending champs and have strengthened their team. But, I do think the Ravens win their next 3 straight against the Raiders, Cowboys, and Bills. I think they also beat the Bengals, Commanders, and Bucs. 6-1 is great, but the Browns will give them problems, and I think the Ravens are at risk of losing that game. They should beat Denver and Cincy again for the next two games, and I think that they will fall to Pittsburgh in Week 11. They will likely beat the Chargers, lose to the Eagles, and take a bye at 9-4. Then, I think they win their last 4 games, and end the regular season at 13-4. Then time will only tell what happens in the playoffs; hopefully a Super Bowl.

This was my full season preview of the Baltimore Ravens. This team is one of the strongest in the National Football League, and can contend for championships to come. I can’t wait for the season to start, and I can’t wait to watch the Ravens. Let’s go Flock!