Five Ravens most likely to make a jump in 2020
By Corey Meihls
BALTIMORE, MD – DECEMBER 29: Marcus Peters #24 of the Baltimore Ravens reacts during the first half of the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium on December 29, 2019, in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Marcus Peters:
I chose the picture for this entry on the list for a very specific reason: Marcus Peter is becoming a different player. Do some of you recall the “burnt toast” nickname and “scared to tackle” comments that flooded social media posts when the Ravens picked up Peters from the Los Angeles Rams, via a trade? I certainly do.
However, that is not the player that has shown up in the Purple and Black. From Peters’ hard hit in the Week 16 game versus the Cleveland Browns that injured his ribs, to the blistering chase-down and tackle he displayed on Derrick Henry in the Divisional Round playoff loss to the Tennessee Titans, I’m seeing a Marcus Peters that is ready to hit, ready to cover, and ready to ballhawk (yes, I used that as a verb). I think Peters becomes even more comfortable in the system in 2020 and with a newly enhanced D-Line for the Ravens, I think he shines even more than he did in 2019. I would expect a jump in Peters’ interceptions and tackles numbers (he had 5 and 53, respectively, in 2019 between the Rams and Ravens).
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Jaylon Ferguson:
Jaylon Ferguson seemed to come into his own in the latter half of the 2019 season, especially when it came to pressure. You could make the argument that his chance to shine came up when Pernell McPhee went down in Week 7 against the Seattle Seahawks, but I believe Ferguson made the most of his snaps every time he was on the field. As Ferguson saw more snaps, he looked more and more comfortable and confident. You can see him start to shed blocks with more ferociousness and speed as the season moves on. Ferguson’s stat-sheet isn’t going to wow anyone coming off of his rookie season, but it’s the aforementioned attitude and intensity that grew as the season went on that impressed me. I think with another off-season of being coached up by fellow DE Pernell McPhee, Ferguson might be the force for the Ravens defense that many envisioned when he was drafted in 2019 if he makes that crucial year one to year two jump.