Baltimore Ravens: Matt Judon should be a franchise cornerstone

The Baltimore Ravens roster is a loaded one full of potential franchise-caliber players, and edge rusher Matt Judon should be one of them.

Teams are constantly looking for players to build their franchise around. Quarterback, left tackle, edge rusher, wide receiver… Having one or more of these franchise-level players will typically mean you’re a competitive and competent franchise. The Baltimore Ravens have a slew of these guys, most notably Lamar Jackson at quarterback. But one player who should be viewed, and paid, as a franchise cornerstone is edge rusher Matt Judon.

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Judon led Baltimore in sacks a season ago with 9.5 en route to his first Pro Bowl selection. Judon was an absolute force off the edge, pressuring and knocking down quarterbacks as often as he brought them down. With how weak the Ravens pass rushing was in 2019, Judon was every bit as valuable to the defense as other franchise cornerstone edge rushers are.

The man whose body is “built by Taco Bell” has grown into a leadership role with Baltimore, as well. Players gravitate to him and he’s proven to be someone who can lead by example and play.

This is precisely why the Baltimore Ravens need to sign him to a long-term contract as soon as possible.

Matt Judon very recently signed his franchise tender, which will pay him $16.8 million in 2020. That’s pretty decent value for a guy who has 24.5 sacks over the last three seasons. Since getting drafted in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft out of Grand Valley State University, Judon has outplayed his billing and been a consistent presence in Baltimore’s front-seven. Judon has improved as a player in each progressing season and his best football is still to come.

Judon is also entering his prime, as he’ll turn 28-years old at the start of the season. That may be perceived as “old” to some, but that’s still fairly young for the position. And like I said, he’s only gotten better with age. His best football days are ahead of him.

Quality pass rushers are hard to find, and the Baltimore Ravens need to ensure that they retain their guy in Matt Judon for the long haul. Judon is worthy of a long-term deal and can be an elite player and leader for this team for years to come.