Baltimore Ravens 2020 season outlook: Matt Judon
Matt Judon has been a quietly productive player for the Baltimore Ravens since 2016 but broke out big-time in 2019. How will he follow it up in 2020?
The Baltimore Ravens have enjoyed some terrific pass rushers throughout its history, making it easy to overlook someone like Matt Judon. After a solid 2016 rookie campaign that saw Judon notch four sacks in a part-time role, Judon has accumulated 24.5 sacks over the last three seasons, including a career-high and team-leading 9.5 sacks in 2019. For his efforts, Judon was awarded with his first career Pro Bowl nod.
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Matt Judon was slated to be a free agent during the 2020 offseason but was instead given the franchise tag by the Ravens, which he signed back in May. Judon is set to make ~$16.8 million this year; a bargain deal considering the production he puts up both on and off the stat sheet. Baltimore should enjoy this deal now because if the team plans to resign him after 2020 it’ll be north of $18 million annually at least.
But we aren’t here to talk numbers or contract details. No, we’re here to talk about what Matt Judon is going to do in 2020. My bet is that he’ll once again shine in a contract year.
Judon brings a lot to the table for the Ravens pass rush. His ability to line up on either side of the line and/or put a hand in the dirt makes him arguably the front-seven’s most valuable piece to the puzzle.
Matt Judon proved more than capable of carrying the load for Baltimore in 2019, which saw the Ravens blitz at a higher percentage than any other team in the league despite a modest sack total. Judon shouldn’t feel as much pressure to be the lone producer in the sack department anymore following the offseason acquisitions of Calais Campbell and Derek Wolfe. Campbell is the most noteworthy add here, as he and Judon will make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks. Expect the numbers to go up for Judon in 2020 with some partners in crime he was missing last year.
With a little extra help, it wouldn’t be the least bit surprising to see Matt Judon once again put up career-best numbers in 2020. Couple that with his leadership and importance to this team and Judon will once again be an integral piece of the 2020 Baltimore Ravens team.
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The Baltimore Ravens have seen plenty of players ball-out in contract years and go on to get paid elsewhere. Matt Judon was almost another example of this but the Ravens opted to franchise tag him for 2020 to see if he can do it again. My bet is he will and it wouldn’t shock me if his 2020 season was better than his 2019 counterpart. Don’t be surprised when Judon proves that he’s worthy of a long-term deal.
Matt Judon 2020 projected stats: 50 tackles,10.5 sacks, three forced fumbles