Ravens: 4 best-kept secrets on Baltimore’s current roster
By Justin Fried
2. L.J. Fort, LB, Baltimore Ravens
L.J. Fort has had quite an interesting NFL journey. An undrafted free agent back in 2014, Fort bounced around between a number of different teams with stints in Cleveland, Seattle, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia, before landing with the Ravens in 2019.
Originally nothing more than a midseason pickup, Fort went on to start eight of 12 games for the Ravens in 2019 helping solidifying what was a struggling linebacker corps.
He returned in 2020, once again playing a vital role on both special teams and defense. In total, he played in 14 games, making eight starts, and finishing with a stellar Pro Football Focus grade of 71.5 which ranked as the ninth-best player at his position.
Fort was superb in 2020 and one of the best run-stoppers in football as he earned a PFF run-defense grade of 78.6 (top-five in the NFL).
He had a missed tackle percentage of just 8.6 percent, whereas fellow linebackers Patrick Queen and Chris Board had percentages of 16.5 percent and 22.5 percent respectively.
That’s why it was a bit surprising that the Ravens opted not to pick up his option in the offseason. Fortunately, he returned on a cheap one-year deal in April and should play a key role once again in 2021.
He’ll have to fend off Board and 2020 third-round pick Malik Harrison for playing time, but Fort remains one of the best run-stoppers on the roster and is a valuable special-teamer as well.
L.J. Fort is a very good player, even if few people outside of Baltimore are aware of who he is.