Here are three predictions based on the Baltimore Ravens additions to the defensive line in NFL Free Agency:
1. Brandon Williams will have the best year of his career
Brandon Williams is now going to be in the perfect situation. To one side he will have Michael Brockers. To the other side he will have Calais Campbell. Williams will be right smack dab in the middle of the defensive line of the Ravens. To run the ball inside against the Ravens teams will have to double team Williams. If Williams can take up two blockers, the linebackers will be able to make plays in the backfield. Double teaming Williams is a hard thing to do when you have Campbell and Brockers winning their one on one battles with offensive linemen. Putting Williams in the center of everything forces the offense into a bad spot.
Williams should see a bit of a bump in his pass rushing stats as well. Think about the situation. The least scary pass rusher of the group is Williams. Matt Judon (assuming he sticks this offseason) and Campbell are the most intimidating pass rushers. On passing situations, Williams may get less attention and he’ll have the inside track to the quarterback.
Williams highest sack total was in 2015 and it was just two. He’ll have three to five sacks in the 2020 season. That’s my bold prediction. The reasoning is simply that the offensive line could easily run out of blockers. This magnifies why it is so important for the Ravens to find another edge rusher. They already have a lot going for them with this offensive line. Williams will be the best space eater in the NFL this season and it will come with more production pushing the pocket in on the quarterback.