The 2019 NFL regular season is right around the corner, and we’re here to handout some superlatives for this year’s edition of the Baltimore Ravens!
The Baltimore Ravens will kick off their 2019 season next Sunday with a road game against the Miami Dolphins. I recently predicted the Ravens to go 10-6 on the season, and to retain their grip on the AFC North via a tiebreaker. Now we’re going to take a look into the crystal football, and predict some end-of-season superlatives for the Ravens.
MVP:
Lamar Jackson, quarterback. I’m not predicting Jackson to make the Pro Bowl. I’m not predicting he will be universally accepted as a top-10 quarterback, but, if healthy, I could see Jackson finishing in the top 10 of the league’s MVP voting because he is a football star, plain and simple. He will pull this team to wins with his arm, feet and heart, and become a superstar in this league. That, or this experiment will be a failure and I’ll deny ever writing this.
I’m petty. I accept that.
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Offensive Player of the Year (not named Lamar):
Mark Ingram, running back.We saw what Gus Edwards did in just a sampling of what this offense can be last year. We also saw Kenneth Dixon play his best ball with Lamar Jackson taking snaps. With all due respect to those two backs, Ingram is a different level. Yes, there will be a committee approach, but Ingram figures to be the top dog in a well-designed, run-heavy offense. He will produce.
Defensive Player of the Year:
Marlon Humphrey, cornerback. He’s good. Like, really, really good. Adding Earl Thomas to the back end of the defense should only help Humphrey continue his upward arc since entering the league, and he is entering that realm of eliteness. If he can get his hands on a few more passes this year, he could be All Pro. Chris McCallister is one of the best players the Ravens have ever had. Humphrey has that kind of potential.
Rookie of the Year:
Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, wide receiver. I was squarely in the corner of Miles Boykin for this until Brown made a cameo against the Eagles. His brief appearance, and those quick feet and sure hands, made me a believer. There are just so many things he can do, on every level of the defense, and I think he’s going to have a lot of cornerbacks chasing him around in one-on-one battles due to the Ravens running game. Dude is super explosive.
Coach of the Year:
Don “Wink” Martindale, defensive coordinator. The Ravens lost some important pieces from last year’s top-ranked defense, but Martindale has made me a believer. His exotic looks, combined with some supremely talented players a d the kind of depth that will allow him to keep the pedal to the metal makes me believe the Ravens will be a top-six defense again this year. Martindale will be the maestro behind that.