If you had told Ravens fans prior to last season that their team was going to finish with the best record in the AFC and that Lamar would win MVP, most of their fans would be ecstatic, but somehow the Ravens’ 2023 season still feels somewhat disappointing. Lamar Jackson recorded his first ever playoff win against an up-and-coming Texans team, but Baltimore got bounced the
next round by the Chiefs in a low scoring 17-10 affair. It really felt like the Ravens’ year heading into the AFC Championship game, but they had some costly turnovers in the highest leverage
moments of the game. The Chiefs weren’t particularly strong relative to prior years and the Ravens had home field all the momentum. Entering this offseason, there are a lot of questions that still remain around whether Lamar Jackson is truly a quarterback that can lead to winning a Superbowl. He is clearly great in the regular season, but his playoff record remains troublesome. Jackson may have won
the regular season MVP but Mahomes is undoubtedly the best QB in the NFL and it appears the Lombardi trophy will have to go through him and the Chiefs for the foreseeable future.

The Ravens made some big splashes this offseason. After losing JK Dobbins to an Achilles tear in the first game of the 2023 season, the Ravens decided to invest in their run game by signing superstar
RB Derrick Henry. Henry has rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of his last five healthy seasons and the Ravens are hoping he can continue his success in the historically run-heavy Baltimore
offense despite turning 30 years old this year. Mark Andrews and Zay flowers are returning and are expected to be the leading pass-catchers for the Jackson high-powered offense. Andrews is coming off a
down year by his standards in part due to injury, but he is hoping he can return to near the production he displayed in 2021. Zay Flowers is entering his sophomore season and appears to
be primed for a breakout. He recorded 100-yard games in two of his last three games including the playoffs and seems to consistently make big plays across the field with tremendous YAC
potential. He is currently being drafted as the 26th WR for Fantasy and I would be shocked if he finished outside of the top-20, health permitted. The Ravens were extremely intentional with
trying to manufacture touches for Flowers in 2023 and with his deep-shot potential as well, he should be extremely valuable in all fantasy formats. He has both a high ceiling and high floor
and that’s exactly what fantasy managers should look for. Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor are back as well but neither is likely to be anything more than be a complementary piece for the offense.
The Ravens defense remains essential to their success led by Pro-Bowlers Kyle Hamilton, Justin Madubuike, and Roquan Smith. Their defense was elite in 2023 and all signs point to them
remaining a top-five unit in 2024/2025. Ravens enter the 2024/2025 season with as much optimism as ever and are hoping that this is the year they can finally break-through to reach a Superbowl
under Lamar Jackson.

Writer’s Season Win Prediction: 11-6

The Ravens are truly an elite team across the board but their strength still lies in their defense and power run-game. The Ravens run game in 2024/2025 should continue to be excellent with plenty of volume.  Lamar Jackson is still arguably the best running quarterback in the NFL and Derrick Henry has been the best pure rusher in the NFL over the past five seasons. Although Henry’s YPC fell off a bit last year, he will likely face fewer stacked boxes In Baltimore than he did in Tennessee and OC Todd Monken is likely to be more creative finding ways to get him the ball in space. In addition to Henry and Jackson, the
Ravens also have Keaton Mitchell who should prove to be a tremendous change-of-pace back in the run game. His 2023 season went largely under the radar but prior to injury Mitchell seemed
to break a long-run almost every touch he got. In only 47 rushing attempts, Mitchell averaged 8.4 yards per carry and should he stay healthy, he should be an essential part of the Ravens
offense as they strive to keep Henry fresh for the playoffs.  On defense, the Ravens should continue to be stellar. In 2023, they ranked first in the league in DVOA and pretty much all of their pro-bowl talent is returning. They bolstered their defensive back depth by spending a first round pick on Nate Wiggins who should slot nicely alongside of Stephens and Humphreys. Their front-line should continue to be one of the best in the league, especially in the pass rush and the Ravens team overall really has no holes. 

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