Ravens' Super Bowl Window Ranks No. 4
Though it's been only a week since the Super Bowl concluded, the quest for next season's championship has already begun. Sportsbooks have the Ravens among their favorites to lift the Lombardi Trophy next year and with a core as good as Baltimore's, the Ravens ranked No. 4 on NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks' list of teams with the biggest Super Bowl windows right now.
"The Ravens are set up to make another run at the title with Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Zay Flowers, Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely under contract to anchor the league's most dynamic offensive attack," Brooks wrote. "As a unit that can punish opponents with a ground-and-pound approach or a bombs-away attack, Todd Monken's offense is built to flourish in any kind of game."
Along with last season's historical offense, Brooks notes the defense is also one not to forget, especially when it's headed into Year 2 under Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr.
"On defense, the Ravens should take a leap forward in Zach Orr's second year as coordinator," Brooks wrote. "With Kyle Hamilton entrenched as the designated playmaker and a host of blue-chippers by his side (SEE: Roquan Smith, Marlon Humphrey and Nnamdi Madubuike), the Ravens can overwhelm opponents with an assortment of overload blitzes featuring hard-charging defenders whipping blockers at the point of attack."
While Brooks ranked the Ravens behind the Eagles, Lions, and Chiefs, he sees Baltimore being right on the cusp.
"Though general manager Eric DeCosta might need to add some young talent to get over the hump, the Ravens' nucleus is good enough to challenge for the title," Brooks wrote.
Offensive Line Named Biggest Offseason Need
The Ravens' offensive line last season was one of the NFL’s best, but left tackle Ronnie Stanley and versatile lineman Patrick Mekari are set to become free agents. That has The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec naming the offensive line as the biggest offseason need for the Ravens.
"The Ravens could be looking at an offensive line makeover for the second straight offseason," Zrebiec wrote. "Starting left tackle Ronnie Stanley and starting left guard Patrick Mekari are free agents, as are reserve offensive linemen Josh Jones and Ben Cleveland. Nearly half of the offensive linemen who ended the season on the 53-man roster are not under contract. The Ravens have some young players who can step into bigger roles, but they must add one — if not two — starting-caliber offensive linemen through the draft or free agency."
Similarly, PFF’s Bradley Locker put "stabilizing the offensive line" as the Ravens' biggest roster decision entering 2025.
"Baltimore's line closed the season ranking 16th in PFF overall grade and 20th in PFF run-blocking grade, and the team must now confront some increasingly difficult personnel questions," Locker wrote. "The biggest one revolves around left tackle Ronnie Stanley, who played 1,000-plus snaps for the first time in five years and recorded a strong 80.9 PFF pass-blocking grade. Next to Stanley, left guard Patrick Mekari will also hit the open market after producing only a 56.9 PFF overall grade from Week 4 onward."
In the end-of-season press conference, DeCosta said the offensive line will remain a priority this offseason.
Ravens Rookie Class Graded Top 10 Following 2024 Season
Before the book is closed on the 2024 season and focus shifts to the draft, NFL.com’s Gennaro Filice took one final look at the 2024 rookie class. For the Ravens, Filice ranked their crop No. 9 with a 'B+' with first-rounder Nate Wiggins a big factor.
"Baltimore only had two rookies log more than 60 snaps on offense or defense ... but those two fulfilled enormous needs on each side of the ball," Filice wrote. "From Week 11 through their Divisional Round loss, they only allowed two teams to reach 200 yards through the air. Many accurately pointed to Kyle Hamilton's transition to more of a deep-safety role and Marlon Humphrey's move to nickel as two big reasons for this striking turnaround, but Nate Wiggins' increased playing time and growth over the course of the season played a major part.
"The cornerback's slight frame led to pre-draft concerns about his physicality, but he played with an edge in Zach Orr's defense. And his 4.28 speed kept him right in the hip pocket of receivers, as the sticky cover man finished the season allowing a completion rate of just 47.8 percent -- the third-lowest figure among all cornerbacks who faced at least 30 targets, per Next Gen Stats."
Similarly, Filice was complimentary to second-round tackle Roger Rosengarten.
"On offense, Baltimore had major questions on the line last offseason, needing to replace three starters. Fortunately, the Ravens pounced on Roger Rosengarten near the end of the second round," Filice wrote. "Despite being the 11th offensive tackle off the board, Rosengarten proved to be a godsend for Baltimore. The rookie entered the starting lineup at right tackle in Week 4 -- allowing the uber-versatile Patrick Mekari to shift to left guard -- and the line wound up being a strength for an offense that finished first in total yards and rushing yards while tying for the third-fewest sacks allowed."
