If Baltimore’s 2024 draft class makes the jump we think (hope) it can, this team might be straight-up unfair next season.
The Ravens aren’t hurting for talent. This is a roster built to win right now—and the foundation runs deep. But the real difference between a great team and a championship team? It’s the second-year leap. That’s where good rosters turn elite.
Head coach John Harbaugh has said it for years: many NFL players make their biggest jump from Year One to Year Two. Press Box’s Bo Smolka just revisited the Ravens’ 2024 draft class with that exact mindset, laying out what success looks like for each player heading into their sophomore campaign. For a team that fell short in the playoffs once again, the next wave of talent could be what finally pushes Baltimore over the top.
Let’s break down what that success looks like—and how this class could define it.
Four second-year Ravens who could take this team to the next level
CB Nate Wiggins
The first-rounder didn’t waste much time flashing what made him the 30th overall pick. After a shaky start to the season—fueled by a car accident that forced him to miss Week 1—Wiggins quickly emerged as a lockdown corner, allowing just a 47.8% completion rate per Next Gen Stats. He capped his year with a pick-six and looked more than ready to be a full-time starter.
As Smolka puts it:
“Wiggins is a 17-game starter who plays 80 to 90 percent of the defensive snaps, as he did during the final month of his rookie season. He reaches 45 tackles — Marlon Humphrey had 37 in Year Two — 15 passes defensed and three interceptions and scores his second career touchdown.”
If Wiggins becomes that guy, the Ravens’ secondary could be one of the most dangerous in the NFL.
RT Roger Rosengarten
Taken at No. 62, Rosengarten went from unknown to anchor almost overnight. By Week 4, he was the starting right tackle, and he never looked back. He even earned All-Rookie honors after holding down a line that helped Baltimore make history on offense.
Smolka’s bar for Year Two?
“Rosengarten doesn’t need to say he’s “a nobody” anymore, which is what he told Cleveland’s Myles Garrett in a viral moment caught on video. (Garrett complimented Rosengarten at the time and later sent him a signed jersey.) Rosengarten again starts every game at right tackle and shows improvement as both a pass blocker and run blocker for a Ravens offense that again ranks among the best in the league.”
With the O-line still retooling, Rosengarten’s consistency will be huge.
OLB Adisa Isaac
Injuries derailed his rookie season, but the upside is real. Isaac logged just 32 snaps in 2024 but now has a clear runway to take on a larger role—especially with Clowney gone.
“Hamstring injuries behind him, Issac becomes a situational impact edge presence with his former Penn State teammate, Odafe Oweh. The Ravens didn’t make a splashy edge signing in free agency, so they continue to bank on players such as Isaac stepping forward.”
This edge group is loaded with potential. Isaac just needs a clean bill of health.
WR Devontez Walker
Walker had just one catch all year—but it was a beauty. That toe-tapping touchdown against the New York Giants reminded everyone why the Ravens were high on him coming out of the draft.
Smolka outlines what the next step looks like:
“He shines during a healthy training camp and forces offensive coordinator Todd Monken to find ways to use him. Walker hits on at least two 25-yard pass plays and scores another touchdown. Finding meaningful snaps on offense won’t be easy with DeAndre Hopkins joining a passing game that already features Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely.”
Walker doesn’t need 50 catches to matter. He just needs to be explosive when his number’s called.
Bottom line? If this 2024 class takes the leap the Ravens are known for developing, they won’t just reload—they’ll be even more dangerous than they were last year. And that should terrify the rest of the AFC.