Ranking the Ravens’ position groups, from strongest to weakest

Fourteen Baltimore Ravens left for new teams in free agency. Seven returned and four newcomers joined. Five remain on the market.

Needless to say there’s been a lot of change on the Ravens’ roster, with more losses than additions.

Last year, the Ravens were patient in free agency, and it worked out well for them. Their two late signings, outside linebackers Kyle Van Noy and Jadeveon Clowney, both finished in the top three on the team in sacks. Clowney has signed with the Carolina Panthers while Van Noy elected to return.

With limited cap space, the Ravens’ next best opportunity to add talent will be through the NFL draft, although they’re picking 30th after posting an NFL-best regular-season record of 13-4 and reaching the AFC championship game.

Ahead of the draft on April 25-27, here’s where each position group stands, from strongest to weakest:

Tight ends

This position group has everything you need: a star, a more than competent backup and a backup’s backup. The depth was evident here after Mark Andrews suffered an ankle injury, and Isaiah Likely broke out. As safety Kyle Hamilton pointed out before the AFC championship, Likely might be one of the best tight ends out there who is considered a backup. Without Andrews, he’s a starter. And Charlie Kolar isn’t too bad himself. His role could grow if he develops into a strong blocking tight end, which is really the only thing the Ravens are missing in this group.

Specialists

Although he saw some drop-off last year, Justin Tucker regained his spot at the top of the list of most accurate kickers. Punter Jordan Stout took a bit to find his consistency but ended up playing a huge role in the field position game. He had one of his best performances in the AFC championship game. And long snapper Nick Moore is coming back from injury, offsetting the loss of Tyler Ott in free agency. This position group has star power, which will be even more important with the new kickoff rules.

Defensive linemen

The biggest news of the offseason arguably wasn’t running back Derrick Henry’s signing but rather Justin Madubuike’s extension. While the running back position has slowly lost some of its luster in the modern NFL, disruptive interior defensive linemen are rapidly gaining value. Plus, Madubuike is much younger and is on a longer contract. He’ll have the advantage of being surrounded by familiar faces next year. Michael Pierce and Broderick Washington have signed extensions, and Brent Urban elected to return. Travis Jones, a third-rounder in 2022, could take a step forward in his third season. This position group could mostly benefit from the Ravens bulking up at the EDGE position.

Quarterbacks

It’s hard to imagine this position group as anything but top-notch when it has the reigning MVP returning. Lamar Jackson made it through this past season healthy, but he was one of the few starting quarterbacks to do so. Signal-callers all over the league went down with injuries (many suffered while playing the Ravens defense), highlighting the value of a quality backup.

Coach John Harbaugh already went ahead and named Josh Johnson the backup quarterback over Malik Cunningham. But at 37, Johnson has not played in an NFL game since 2022, and he hasn’t played more than four games in a season since 2011. There aren’t many solid backups left on the market, but the Ravens could stand to add someone just in case the worst happens.

Linebackers

Out of all the significant losses the Ravens took in free agency, linebacker Patrick Queen was one of the biggest, if not the biggest. He played every game and almost every defensive snap on his way to second-team All-Pro honors. But Roquan Smith is a force multiplier, so whoever steps in behind Queen will have a leg up. That seems to be Trenton Simpson, who impressed in his first and only start, the final game of the regular season against the Steelers. The Ravens added Chris Board and brought back Malik Harrison, who can pivot from the outside to the inside if needed. It remains to be seen if any of those guys can be what Queen was to this team, but there are certainly options.

Running backs

Henry might have hit age 30, making him elderly among running backs, but his numbers haven’t seen a significant drop yet — even after running behind a leaky offensive line last season. The Ravens’ line from last year could have helped him a lot, although as it’s currently constructed, the unit has some question marks.

But playing with a dual-threat quarterback like Jackson and in a system that uses backs by committee could help keep him fresh. Justice Hill was part of the rotation last season and impressed toward the end of the season. Undrafted rookie Keaton Mitchell was also a pleasant surprise, although his season ended too soon once he tore his ACL. He likely won’t be ready for the start of the season, and even if he is, the Ravens need more options in case they have more bad injury luck at the position like they did last year.

EDGE

Clowney and Van Noy were crucial to the Ravens’ success. Clowney’s departure is a major hit, but the news that Van Noy is returning shot this position up two spots on the list. Now, they’ll have Van Noy to play alongside Odafe Oweh, who has yet to reach his potential but received high praise from general manager Eric DeCosta when he spoke at the NFL combine. David Ojabo will be back, although it remains to be seen if he can stay healthy. He was limited to two games last season.

Harrison’s return is important for depth at both linebacker and special teams, but he hasn’t shown he can be a nine-sack rusher like Clowney and Van Noy were. Tavius Robinson, who played in all 17 games primarily on special teams, offers some potential upside entering his second year.

Safeties

Hamilton was named first-team All-Pro in his second season. Add in Marcus Williams and the Ravens have an impressive duo roaming the field — if they can get both on the field at the same time. Williams suffered a torn pectoral muscle last year. He missed six games, and those he played in, he didn’t look quite the same. Hamilton was healthier, but was hampered by a knee injury at the end of the regular season. The Ravens don’t have much in terms of depth here after the loss of Geno Stone. Ar’Darius Washington, who the Ravens list as a safety, primarily lined up in the slot. While someone else could step up and surprise, the Ravens will likely need another backup heading into the season.

Cornerbacks

Much like the safeties, the cornerbacks have a Pro Bowler in Marlon Humphrey and another star in Brandon Stephens, who switched positions and sides of the ball in college to become a dependable shutdown corner in the pros. The return of Arthur Maulet helps a lot, although Maulet performed better in the slot than on the outside. The Ravens also picked up Ka’dar Hollman, a 29-year-old without much starting experience. Beyond that, they have little depth at a position where they relied heavily on backups last season. Their star is turning 28 and has dealt with injuries, and Stephens will be a free agent after the 2024 season. They’re still waiting for bigger contributions from Damarion “Pepe” Williams and Jalyn Armour-Davis.

Wide receivers

Of their two veteran free agents, the Ravens signed the more inconsistent performer but cheaper option in Nelson Agholor. They have two young players with potential in Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman, but the depth chart pretty much stops there. Harbaugh said he has high hopes for Bateman, who played well and stayed healthy but struggled to find a connection with Jackson. His progress will be critical to the success of the group. Harbaugh also mentioned Tylan Wallace as a potential part of the rotation. Wallace’s big moment last year was a punt return — he made just one catch on offense last year. For a position that usually puts three guys on the field at once and utilizes a rotation, three, maybe four, options is not enough.

Offensive line

The offensive line is always critical, and when you have a quarterback like Jackson who likes to use his legs to extend plays, it’s even more so. The Ravens are returning their Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum, as well as former Pro Bowl left tackle Ronnie Stanley, who has been around since Jackson arrived. But those are the only two starters coming back.

They have some depth here when it comes to backups, but it’s unclear if any of those guys have what it takes to be a starter. Ben Cleveland was solid when he came in for Kevin Zeitler. Patrick Mekari is reliable as a backup, but he may not have the durability to start all 17 games. Daniel Faalele has upside but hasn’t reached Morgan Moses-level consistency. Andrew Vorhees was once considered a high-end pick but fell down the boards when he tore his ACL at the 2023 combine. He has not taken the field for the Ravens yet.

While the offensive line has depth, it’s been hit the hardest with the departure of three starters. Harbaugh said the line will be better than it was last year, but the Ravens have some work to do if they’re going to replace the likes of Moses and Zeitler, and even John Simpson, who played above expectation last year.

Giana Han

giana.han@thebaltimorebanner.com

Giana Han is a Ravens beat reporter from Howard County.

More from Giana Han

Reacting to each Ravens draft pick :)

Apr 28, 2024

Ravens draft tracker: Analysis of every Baltimore pick in the NFL draft

Apr 27, 2024

More From The Banner

Baltimore’s oddest island: Key Bridge shines new light on abandoned fort

Helena Hicks, civil rights crusader who countered segregation with sit-ins, dies at 88

Suspect in Pikesville AI case set off red flags before racist recording spread

Errors in Nick Mosby’s latest fundraising report raise even more questions