Damning ranking proves Lamar Jackson carried Ravens offense in 2023

The Baltimore Ravens may have had one of the best offenses in the league last season, but that's not hard to do when you have a quarterback in Lamar Jackson, who was one vote shy of winning the MVP in unanimous fashion twice. The players around him might not be as stellar as Jackson himself.

On top of the fact that center Tyler Linderbaum is the only player on the offensive line who is guaranteed a starting spot in Baltimore next season, Jackson has never had a truly elite collection of wide receivers around him. Even after Zay Flowers broke out as a rookie, the depth isn't exactly stellar next to him.

Bleacher Report shares a very pessimistic view of the Ravens' offense, specifically their young talent. Baltimore was ranked 29th in the league in terms of "building blocks" on the offensive side, with only Linderbaum and Flowers receiving any sort of high marks in this exercise.

The only teams who ranked below Baltimore are the rival Cleveland Browns (who are saddled with the Deshaun Watson albatross and a very scary Nick Chubb injury), and a pair of teams who fired their 2023 coaches and are starting from the ground in the Las Vegas Raiders an New England Patriots.

B/R rips Baltimore Ravens young offensive building blocks around Lamar Jackson

The concerning part about Baltimore's offense is the fact many of their best role players aren't in their prime. Mark Andrews is going to be 29 this offseason and has started to pick up injuries, and left tackle Ronnie Stanley is both expensive and declining due to his own issues when it comes to staying healthy.

John Harbaugh may have big plans for Rashod Bateman, but even his supporters will tell you he is an uninspiring WR2 right now. Flowers is good, but any offense with him as the best skill position player is going to have a tough time competing for a championship. The offensive line could be a mess if not properly addressed.

The Ravens may have lucked out in the 2024 NFL Draft, however. Many of the positions where they could use an upgrade, like wide receiver and offensive tackle, are incredibly deep this season. DeCosta can shoot Baltimore right up these rankings with another terrific draft class in the right areas.

No matter what happens when the draft rolls around, examinations like this underscore the idea that Baltimore is perhaps overreliant on Jackson and his ability to make magic happen. Perhaps that explains why the Herculean effort of one man is not enough to get them over the top when the playoffs come around.