The Ravens’ 2022 season was a rollercoaster. They entered the year with lofty expectations, but, much like 2021, they were plagued by a number of injuries at key spots. Lamar Jackson missed five games for the second consecutive season amidst a knee injury and plenty of speculation surrounding his future with the team. Despite all of this, their defense still carried them to a 10-7 record and they made the playoffs for the fourth time in five years.
Roster changes
The Ravens’ biggest acquisition was a player already on their roster in Lamar Jackson. Getting their quarterback tied down to a long-term deal was huge, although the delays in getting it done had an impact on free agency. Odell Beckham Jr. was the only big name acquisition, signing a one-year $15 million deal. None of the other players they signed will earn more than $4 million APY.
The departures were more significant. Lamar’s new contract means that they can’t afford to spend big money on veterans and a number of notable names left as a result. Long-time starters Chuck Clark and Marcus Peters have both moved on. So has Calais Campbell, who had 88 pressures in three seasons with the team. Their depth at edge rusher took a hit too, with veterans Jason Pierre-Paul and Justin Houston hitting free agency.
Coaching situation
John Harbaugh is about to enter his 16th season in Baltimore, making him the third longest tenured head coach in the NFL. Defensive coordinator Mike McDonald enters his second year in the role after a promising 2022 season that saw them finish seventh in DVOA.
The big news however is the change at offensive coordinator. Greg Roman left after four seasons with the team, with Todd Monken taking his place. The former Buccaneers and Browns coach returns to the NFL after a three-year spell as the offensive coordinator at Georgia that saw him win two National Championships.
2023 NFL Draft
| Pick | Players |
| 1.22 | Zay Flowers – WR, Boston College |
| 3.86 | Trenton Simpson – LB, Clemson |
| 4.124 | Tavius Robinson – EDGE, Ole Miss |
| 5.157 | Kyu Blu Kelly – CB, Stanford |
| 6.199 | Sala Aumavae-Laulu – IOL, Oregon |
| 7.229 | Andrew Vorhees – IOL, USC |
The Ravens had a predictably strong draft, headlined by Zay Flowers in the first round. His quickness and YAC ability are a perfect fit for Todd Monken’s new, pass-heavy offense. Trenton Simpson could be the long-term successor to Patrick Queen, who is entering the last year of his rookie deal. Keep an eye on Andrew Vorhees too. A torn ACL dropped his draft stock and means he is likely to miss most of his rookie season, but he has legitimate starting potential at the NFL level.
Offense
The 2022 season was a similar story for Baltimore’s offense. Things started off well, and the team ranked fourth in DVOA by Week 9. An injury to Lamar and a lack of schematic innovation in his absence once again crippled them down the stretch though. From Week 10 they ranked just 26th in DVOA. For context, this was worse than the likes of the Commanders and Saints. This saw Greg Roman depart and be replaced by Todd Monken.
That coaching change should be a reason for optimism. Roman was an outstanding run game designer, but his passing attack was stale and simplistic. In Monken they get a coach fully attuned to the requirements of a modern passing game and one who has a track record of helming a high-powered NFL passing attack (his Jameis Winston and Ryan Fitzpatrick led Bucs team ranked ninth in DVOA in 2018). They also now have one of the most intriguing wide receiver trios in football, with Odell Beckham Jr., Rashod Bateman, and Zay Flowers. That’s before mentioning the excellent Mark Andrews and JK Dobbins at tight end and running back respectively, as well as one of the better offensive lines in football.
So what’s the catch? As always with the Ravens, it is going come down to health. That’s obviously true at quarterback, with Lamar Jackson having missed 10 games over the last two seasons. It is also true at wide receiver, with Odell Beckham Jr. playing for the first time since 2021 and Rashod Bateman recovering from a foot injury that limited him to just six games last season. If this group can stay on the field they look like one of the most potent units in the NFL – that’s a big if though!
Defense
The first year under defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald was a tale of two halves. He brought with him a big switch in defensive identity, with the team jumping from 24th in two-high coverage rate in 2021 to eighth in 2022. It clearly took time for the team to adjust. They ranked 14th in DVOA through the first half of the season, but following their bye week and acquisition of Roquan Smith everything changed. They ranked second in DVOA from Week 10 and held opposing offenses to just 14.8 points per game.
This provides them with a reason for optimism looking ahead to 2022. They have an excellent pair of linebackers in Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen. The same is true at safety, with last year’s first round pick Kyle Hamilton looking like a star of the future in his rookie season. Their defensive line also boasts two talented young players in Odafe Oweh and Justin Madubuike.
The question is whether that is enough. There are some glaring holes on this defense that get even more concerning once you look past the starters. Cornerback looks perilously thin behind Marlon Humphrey. As for the defensive line, they were one of just three teams in the NFL who didn’t have a single player eclipse 40 pressures. That was before they said goodbye to two of their top three pressure generators in Justin Houston and Calais Campbell. If this pass rush unit takes a step back then they could be candidates for some wider defensive regression in 2023.
Prediction
The Ravens are one of the most exciting teams entering the 2023 season. Their offense is filled with plenty of promise thanks to a bunch of new arrivals, but it is difficult to ignore the warning signs on defense. In a very tough AFC, that could be what prevents them from competing with the conference’s juggernauts.
