The Baltimore Ravens will kick off their 2023 regular season with a matchup against the Houston Texans in Week 1 on Sept. 10, following their early exit from the 2022 postseason at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals.
There have been a lot of changes around Baltimore including the hiring of new Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken, the signing of veteran wideout superstar Odell Beckham Jr., the drafting of rookie phenom Zay Flowers, and of course the return of QB Lamar Jackson, TE Mark Andrews, and a healthy Ronnie Stanley.
After the Ravens named their initial 53-man roster and applied some final touches to it through the week leading up to the regular-season kick-off, here are Ebony Bird's Positional Power Rankings for the offensive groups of the Ravens.
5. Offensive Line
Starting off, it's unquestionable that Ronnie Stanley leads the charge as the left tackle, Kevin Zeitler adds a lot to the mix, and second-year center Tyler Linderbaum is already looking like a massive stud.
The competition at left guard tells you a bit about this ranking, as a glaring hole there showcased the need for a subpar option to fill the gap in a battle that involved an ostracised lineman, a rookie, and a free-agent signing.
The Ravens are placing their bets on Stanley's health as well as an ever-developing-and-improving Linderbaum. On top of that Zeitler and Moses are more than solid veterans, and the depth is good enough with former starters elsewhere (Sam Mustipher) available in the practice squad and ready for a call-up in case of emergency.
4. Running Backs
Leading the charge as RB1 is a healthy J.K. Dobbins, whose return to the team after a brief absence during training camp has been eagerly anticipated. Dobbins' undisputed talent places him at the forefront, though concerns about his availability due to past injuries persist and that's what did it for me when it came to rank the unit outside of the top three.
Gus Edwards and Justice Hill, holding the RB2 and RB3 positions, respectively, maintain their roles in the Ravens' backfield and shape a hella solid backfield. The Ravens have built their recent seasons around their backfield and it has worked more than it has not, so the talent is undeniable.
Adding depth to the lineup is the surprise inclusion of UDFA Keaton Mitchell, who secured the final roster spot surpassing veteran Melvin Gordon III (rostered in the practice squad).
If Dobbins is available for the full season, though, this unit and the tight ends (mostly, Mark Andrews) could end up flipping positions in the power rankings of the Ravens' offense.
3. Tight Ends
Mark Andrews stands tall as the unquestioned starter and no. 1 player at the position and maybe even the pass-catching corps as a whole. Lamar Jackson loves him and his targets are going nowhere even with the many additions made to the wide receiver unit.
Andrews's only drawback has been occasional injuries that have sidelined him, but he's displayed incredible resilience and his talent is undeniable, perhaps second only to one player across the NFL landscape.
Behind Andrews, the Ravens feature Isaiah Likely as TE2, at least for now ahead of TE3 Charlie Kolar.
A unit is a unit, for sure, but when it comes to tight ends no team really boasts more than a legitimate top-tier player, and considering Andrews is a Top 2 player at the position that alone places this "unit" this high in the Ravens' rankings.
2. Quarterbacks
Lamar Jackson is a former MVP three seasons removed from getting the award. Missing some time and playing under a stale OC might have cut his ceiling short, but that might be about to change with Todd Monken's varied playbook now in Baltimore.
The Ravens could have brought a better quarterback to back up Jackson in 2023, but keeping both Tyler Huntley and Josh Johnson around was not the worst possible outcome. Same as with the tight ends unit ranked one spot below the QBs room, at the end of the day this is mostly a one-man army and Lamar is undeniably an elite talent at the position.
Jackson said a few months ago that he was aiming at passing for 6,000 yards. If he does that, then he alone will jump up to the no. 1 spot in the positional power rankings. Even if that doesn't happen we won't be mad at him.
Lamar signed a hefty contract extension, became the richest man in the NFL for a few weeks, and should be poised and eager to have his best season ever playing with the strongest pass-catching unit he's enjoyed through his pro career.
Huntley and Johnson are nothing otherworldly, and perhaps a better backup would have been better, but it was obvious that the likes of Baker Mayfield and other names linked to the Ravens were never going to accept the QB2 role. It's all about Lamar, anyway.
1. Wide Receivers
The Baltimore Ravens have built a wideout room so strong that GM Eric DeCosta told reporters on Friday that the franchise did receive calls asking about the potential availability of some of the WRs through the summer and for the first time in years. That tells you all you need to know about how this unit is perceived around the NFL.
The starting trio comprises Odell Beckham Jr., Rashod Bateman, and Zay Flowers. You can give any of those a WR1 role and honestly, nobody wouldn't bat an eye.
Even the veterans following those three in the pecking order--Nelson Agholor and Devin Duvernay--are players that could easily crack a start unit in half of the other 31 NFL franchises. And adding wood to the pass-catching fire there will be WR6 Tylan Wallace after he beat everybody else to the final spot in the unit, probably thanks to his special-team skills.
With the guidance of new offensive coordinator Todd Monken, the Ravens have assembled one of the strongest receiving units in the Lamar Jackson era, promising an exciting season ahead and ranking clearly ahead of the pack.