Five Ravens most likely to make a jump in 2020

Taking a look at the five Baltimore Ravens that are most likely to see an increase in stats and field presence in the 2020 NFL season.

Every year, following the NFL Draft, football fans love to ponder and predict almost everything about the upcoming season: predict the final roster, predict the win-loss record, and predict player performances. So many Ravens fans are predicting big things for the 2020 iteration of the team. You can’t blame them. The Ravens seem to have become more stout and/or experienced at every position. So, which players are most likely to make a jump in 2020?

Lamar Jackson

Yes, Lamar Jackson will be better in 2020 than he was in 2019. Statistically, that seems very hard to make a jump after his MVP 2019 season, but I believe he will have a better overall season on paper in 2020. I believe he will basically match his total passing touchdowns, completion percentage, and rushing yards stats, while throwing for more yards than he did in 2019. However, beyond the black and white on paper, I feel Lamar will exude a confidence and game-management mentality that we haven’t seen from him yet. This goes from his more get-down-to-business-like demeanor, to calling audibles. I see a more aggressive, focused Jackson than what we saw on the sidelines in 2019. Sure, the Ravens will likely have one or two blow-out games and be laughing and smiling on the sidelines, but I think Lamar will be seen with a furrowed brow burrowed into his Microsoft Surface tablet more often than not, looking for the next way to dice up the opposing defense once the Ravens’ defense comes off the field.

Marquise Brown

This young man is going to be nasty. Marquise “Hollywood” Brown was quite exceptional in 2019 (pulling in just shy of 600 yards and catching 7 TDs), considering his limitations with his foot via the Lisfranc injury. After having two screws removed during the off-season, Brown has been consistently posting videos of these workouts with friends and trainers and, more recently, fellow Ravens (including Lamar Jackson). His speed and footwork looks light-years more advanced than what we saw in-game and in practice footage from 2019. Marquise Brown will literally make a jump from 2019 to 2020, being able to better pursue passes that he may not have been able to go after comfortably in 2019 because of his injury.

Also, I believe Marquise Brown has not only adjusted to the speed of the NFL but is becoming a student of the game. Again, I don’t have hard-proof of some of these claims, but my hunch is that Brown, like Lamar Jackson, is not just working on the physical aspect of the game, but the mental aspect, as well. Brown seems to be studying routes and route-running techniques from the footage I’ve seen, and given his recent practice sessions with cousin Antonio Brown, I think he may be learning from one of the best.