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[Baltimore Ravens]

NFL announces suspension for Justin Tucker; still may participate in training camp, preseason

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The NFL has announced they’ve suspended former Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker

According to reports, the NFL has announced they’ve suspended former Baltimore Ravens kicker and current free agent Justin Tucker for the first 10 games of the 2025 NFL season without pay.

Per league, former Ravens K Justin Tucker will be suspended without pay for first 10 wks of 2025 regular season for violations of the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy. Tucker’s suspension will take effect on roster cutdown day, Aug. 26. He's eligible for reinstatement on Nov. 11.

— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) June 26, 2025​

While Tucker has been suspended, he is granted permission to sign with a team, participate in training camp and preseason.

League also says that Tucker is free to try out and sign with a team. And he's eligible to attend training camp and play in the preseason. But Tucker's suspension will start on Aug. 26, whether he's on a roster or not. https://t.co/TXGIACqhGg

— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) June 26, 2025​

Tucker’s suspension is following the NFL’s investigation into the allegations of sexual misconduct. Tucker was accused of inappropriate sexual conduct from a total of 16 massage therapists in the Baltimore area, first reported by The Baltimore Banner.

Three months after the allegations, the team announced they cut Tucker. During said length of time, the team drafted Tyler Loop in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Source: https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2...ll-may-participate-in-training-camp-preseason

 

[Baltimore Ravens]

Highlights from Lamar Jackson’s ‘Cold as Balls’ interview with Kevin Hart

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Lamar Jackson joined Kevin Hart in his interview series, “Cold as Balls.”

Finally, LOL Network’s season finale of “Cold as Balls” with Kevin Hart interviewing Lamar Jackson has released. Below are the highlights.

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Kevin Hart: “Did you really have the [NFL] in your mind at that age?”

Lamar Jackson: “Yes. First grade. I was seven years old.”

KH: “Was quarterback always the position?”

LJ: “Yeah. Quarterback was always the position. Always my position. Back then, too.”

Jackson on his college decision and selecting Louisville over Florida.

“Louisville’s Head Coach Bobby Petrino, he was like, ‘Yeah, you’re going to get a chance to play, you’re going to get an opportunity, but you’re going to have to study your playbook,’ stuff like that. I’m like, ‘Alright.’ And when I got there, there was like six other quarterbacks, though.”

KH: “Were you a little pissed at that?”

LJ: “No doubt. I wasn’t thinking, like, ‘I’m going to be in competition with all these guys.’ And they were great quarterbacks. But, I ended up playing my freshman year and had a successful season.”

KH: “Let’s talk [NFL] Draft. They had you at 32. What the f***, man?”

LJ: “That’s what I was thinking at that time. This is what I’ve been waiting on. The opportunity here. So, when I go to the [NFL Scouting] Combine, they like, ‘Lamar, quarterback and receiver?’ I’m like, ‘What the hell? No.’ I’m just thinking he’s being funny. I don’t know who the hell he is, but he like, ‘No, seriously.’ I curse in my head, ‘Hell no. I’m not doing no f******... I’m playing quarterback.’”

Jackson on if he was nervous for his first NFL start...

“I wasn’t really nervous. Like, I had butterflies. Once I got tackled that one time, ‘Oh, this is easy. I love it.’”

On when Jackson recognized he could dominate at the same level as he did in college and high school.

“My sophomore season. First game of the season. We blew out the Dolphins. ‘Oh, this is easy.’”

On the most difficult adjustment in the NFL...

“Just being a leader. I’m going to say being a leader. Because I really don’t — I’m not really outspoken. Like, being vocal with my guys like, ‘Oh, lets do this and that,’ or got a great motivational speech. I don’t have that. I just pretty much lead by example. I go out there. I’m going to work hard. I expect that out of you. And as I’ve been growing in the league I’m like, no. You got to talk to the guys. Coaches and stuff like to tell, ‘You got to talk to the guys.’ Now I talk to them one-on-one about certain things I’m seeing. I’ve got to voice it more.”

On how close he feels he is to the Super Bowl...

“Extremely close. As I’ve been getting older in the league, like I said, our team, my mindset has been different and the game has gotten a lot easier for me.”

On his conversation with Mark Andrews after the dropped two-point conversion against the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs...

“I talked to him. I went up to him and I’m like, ‘We all played a part in this game. I had my turnovers. We shouldn’t even be in this situation. I know you’ve been busting your ass all season despite what you’ve been through, we’re just going to have to bounce back. We can’t dwell on that s***.’”

Source: https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2...ksons-cold-as-balls-interview-with-kevin-hart

 

[Baltimore Ravens]

Who will be the Ravens’ interception leader in 2025?

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Interceptions are one of the most notable individual statistics in football, but in particular on the defensive side of the ball. While the Baltimore Ravens have had one of the league’s better defenses for the past several seasons, they haven’t always been near the top of the team interception list.

Last year, the Ravens’ 12 interceptions ranked tied for 17th among all defenses. All-Pro cornerback Marlon Humphrey accounted for half of the team’s interceptions with a career-high six of his own. In 2023, the Ravens finished third in the NFL with 18 interceptions. That season, Geno Stone’s seven picks led the team followed by Kyle Hamilton with four.

Interceptions can be difficult to predict and happen at-random. The Ravens have had a different player lead the team in interceptions every season since 2018. After signing two-time All-Pro cornerback Jaire Alexander recently, the Ravens have a loaded secondary with talent across the board — so there’ll be plenty of competition for interceptions.

Will the trend of high variance continue in 2025, or will Humphrey repeat with another high-interception campaign to pace all Baltimore defenders?

Question of the Day: Which Ravens’ player will lead the team in interceptions in 2025? ​

My Answer: S Kyle Hamilton

Although he’s quickly established himself as an elite All-Pro safety, Hamilton has only recorded five interceptions through three seasons for his career. Four of them came in 2023 and the other happened last season.

Hamilton is not a natural ball hawk but has proven to be a great coverage player and is targeted often. While he’s deployed all over the field and thrives near the line of scrimmage, he proved last year that he can similarly shine in a free safety role playing deep in the backend.

Hamilton was already targeted often when in coverage before the Ravens added Alexander, Chidobe Awuzie, and Malaki Starks to the secondary. He should continue to see passes thrown his way while also having chances to make plays on the ball as a roamer.

If not for a couple of unfortunate dropped passes last season, Hamilton’s interception total would have been higher than just one. He’s likely due for some positive regression in the interception luck department. If he can get his hands on around five or so passes, he should have a good chance to lead the team in picks.

Do you agree that Hamilton will be the Ravens’ interception leader in 2025, or will it be someone else instead? Share your prediction below and join in on the discussion!

Source: https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2...25-baltimore-kyle-hamilton-humphrey-alexander

 

[Baltimore Ravens]

1 superpower for each Ravens’ late-round 2025 rookie

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It’s hard to show up as a late-round draft pick. What can each prospect lean on to make an impact?

It’s hard enough as it is for college football players to make an NFL roster and continue their football careers. Most college football players don’t. But when you are a Day 3 draft pick, it becomes even harder to get on the field and show your stuff. Add in being to an already loaded, championship roster and the Ravens' eight(!!!) Day 3 picks might be struggling just to make the 53-man roster.

The best thing these rookies can do is lean into their superpower. The thing that made them stand out in college. So, what is one trait each pick has that they can try to flash during training camp, preseason, and the regular season to both make the roster and impact the team?

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LB Teddy Buchanan: Pass coverage​

Buchanan profiles as a potential every-down linebacker if he reaches his peak. For now, the Ravens are likely honing in on Buchanan’s play in coverage. The projected starter, Trenton Simpson, struggled in this area last year and the Ravens lost their fix with Chris Board leaving. The Ravens are grabbing some insurance with Buchanan.

Buchanan was one of the better coverage linebackers in this draft. He played 437 coverage snaps with a 76.2 PFF coverage grade, which ranked highly amongst all linebackers. He’s a fluid mover in space, with the ability to cover running backs sideline to sideline in man and smooth in zone with little panic. He’s also highly adept at knowing when to trigger and can drop out of his coverage and chase down a quarterback. If this can cover over early, Buchanan could find early snaps because of it.

OT Carson Vinson: Size​

Left tackles are difficult to find. 20 of the 30 projected starting tackles for the 2025 season were first-round picks. Most of the elite of the elite left tackles are high first-round picks, typically happening in those first 15/20 picks. The Ravens don’t pick there often; their last two Top-15 first-round picks were Kyle Hamilton in 2022 and Ronnie Stanley in 2016.

The Ravens drafted Vinson in the fourth round knowing that he’d need time to develop. The reason they probably picked him? His size. Vinson is 6-foot-7 with 34.5-inch arms and he moves well with his size. The Ravens are betting on that size to help with his development into the next franchise left tackle.

CB Bilhal Kone: Ball Skills​

Kone will have a lot of little technical things to work on to be a full-time starter, but one thing he has that’s hard to teach is ball skills. While the stats don’t show it, his tape does. He spends a lot of time with his eyes on the quarterback, allowing him to attack the catch point.

If Ravens fans had gripes with Brandon Stephens always seeming to struggle to find the ball, they won’t have that issue with Kone. He is excellent at turning his head and finding the ball mid-air. If he manages to find snaps either this year or in the future, expect plays on the ball.

K Tyler Loop: Power​

There aren’t many traits to pick from that matter for a kicker, but this isn’t a “got to find something” choice. The leg power for Loop is real. He had nine attempts from 50-plus yards in 2024 and made six of them, including a 62-yarder. He’s got practice videos from 70 yards as well. On tape, you can see he kicks from 50-plus yards out with plenty of leg left. His kicks consistently go in with a good amount of height left in the arc. It’s a real NFL leg.

WR LaJohntay Wester: Yards After Catch (YAC)​

Wester is a curious case. On tape, he can seem to struggle to separate at times or completely run away from guys despite his speed and agility being pluses and the production. His route running isn’t crisp enough on breaking routes despite his agility. However, the agility and speed show up with the ball in his hand. He is fantastic at avoiding tacklers once he’s reading blocks and going downfield.

His tape on screen plays and abilities as a punt returner really show off the yards-after-catch ability. His IQ to set up blocks and read defenders will allow him to be an immediate impact player on punt returns, screen plays, and other designed touches. After that, hopefully, NFL coaching can translate to route running and have him continue to be a productive slot at the professional level.

DT Aeneas Peebles: Pass Rush Package​

Peebles was drafted by Baltimore for one reason: pass rush. He’s an undersized defensive tackle at only 6-foot tall and 280 pounds. He’s not going to be able to stuff gaps, take on double teams, and generally be a great run stuffer. He will have success occasionally as a penetrating run stopper. Peebles will get a lot of run as a sixth-round rookie on passing downs, though.

His pass rushing bag is massive. He can win with first-step quickness, moves, pure motor, or leverage. His spin and swim moves are electric, with an edge-rusher-like explosiveness to them. His hands work against blockers to athletically win and get off blocks with finesse. Despite his size, he does have strength and utilizes being shorter to gain leverage and can push the pocket into quarterbacks. His finesse moves and motor are going to impact NFL pockets. Peebles and the Ravens really need to focus on that and make him a pure pass rusher.

CB Robert Longerbeam: Physicality​

Longerbeam is a hard projection because he was mostly exclusively a press outside corner during his time in college, but likely is a slot in the NFL. Luckily, the one thing on tape that does show up that transfers well is the physicality. Longerbeam is a scrappy player. He loves to get his hands on receivers, which is very important to being a successful slot coverage player when typically facing shifty, smaller players.

He is constantly around the ball and looks to rip it out. He also finished college with 37 total passes defended, including 21 in his last two seasons. He is a handsy sewer rat of a corner and that’s what you need out of slot players. If he can show that, Longerbeam has a shot at making this roster.

OG Garrett Dellinger: Versatility​

Dellinger has a massive uphill climb. There are 11 players shooting for nine or 10 spots. Dellinger will mostly fight Nick Samac for that last spot. Dellinger is also coming off surgery due to an ankle sprain in his last season. His biggest gift coming into this season is his experience. The Ravens recently lost Patrick Mekari, their versatile lineman who made at least one start in every position while in Baltimore.

Dellinger made at least one start at tackle, guard, and center during his time at LSU. If he can display that, he could make the roster similar to how Mekari made the roster as a UDFA because of his versatility. Dellinger and Mekari could have similar career paths, as do-it-all swing men capable of filling in everywhere, and maybe that can lead to a starter's role at some point.

Source: https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2...-each-ravens-late-round-2025-rookie-baltimore

 

[Baltimore Ravens]

Ravens Break 5-Year NFL Re-Draft: ‘They Don’t Have a First-Round Miss’

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Re-drafts are a fun on account of hindsight, but the Ravens don’t need it.

Re-drafts are an entertaining way to pass the time of the dreaded offseason. Looking back at drafts with the power of hindsight to hit on every pick and groan knowing your team could have selected X instead of Y. And last week, Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder attempted a re-draft of every NFL’s team’s worst first-round selection over the past five year. But the power of hindsight wasn’t good enough, because the Baltimore Ravens have hit on eight straight first-round picks in the past five years.

The experiment was to remedy busts for each team’s first-round picks since 2019. And to qualify as a bust, the player they were replacing via re-draft must not receive a second contract or be a starter for the 2025 season. But the Ravens broke the game on account of their success in the past five years. In their attempt, Holder selected outside linebacker Odafe Oweh as the one being replaced for the Ravens.

Original Pick: Edge Odafe Oweh at No. 31 (2021)

“We have to bend the rules for the Ravens a bit since Oweh is projected to be a starter this season,” Holder wrote. “But Baltimore doesn’t have a blatant first-round miss over the last five years, making it slim pickings.”

Oweh has not been a bust by any account. He’s steadily developed into a more impactful outside linebacker. A bit slower than any — including himself — would have liked, but nowhere near bust territory. Especially after hitting 10 sacks last season. And it’s worth mentioning the Ravens picked up Oweh’s fifth-year option last year, proving their faith in him.

“Linebacker Patrick Queen was the other player considered since he didn’t sign a second contract with the club, but Queen was a Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate and a Pro Bowler in Baltimore,” Holder wrote. “So, somewhat unfairly, Oweh is the default pick even though he isn’t a ‘bust.’”

There were a few other teams that Holder ruled the “jury is still out” on if the player he’s replacing is a bust or not, but the Ravens were the only team in his experiment to be flat-out rule-breaking. A testament to the Ravens’ drafting since 2019 when Eric DeCosta became the General Manager.

Source: https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2...fl-re-draft-they-dont-have-a-first-round-miss

 

[Baltimore Ravens]

Who will lead the Ravens in receiving touchdowns in 2025?

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Which tight end will score the most touchdowns for the Ravens?

The Ravens have assembled a plethora of weapons for quarterback Lamar Jackson in the passing game, both at wide receiver and tight end. Jackson’s go-to target for his career has been tight end Mark Andrews, who led the team with 11 receiving touchdowns in 2024 despite a slow start to the season. Will the reliable tight end repeat as the team leader, or will he be usurped as Jackson’s favorite target?

Today’s Question of the Day is:

Who will lead the Ravens in receiving touchdowns in 2025?​

My answer: Mark Andrews

There have only been two seasons in which Andrews has not led the team in receiving touchdowns since being drafted by Baltimore in 2018. Nobody has a better connection with Jackson, and that routinely shows up in the endzone where Jackson trusts Andrews more than anyone. Andrews’ offseason was affected by a car crash in 2024, possibly leading to his uncharacteristic performance at the beginning of the season. The 29-year-old tight end showed that he still had gas in the tank with a strong finish to the year, scoring touchdowns in 10 of the final 12 games of the regular season.

With a healthy offseason, Andrews will be determined to rebound from a mistake-filled performance against the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs that saw him fumble and drop a game-tying two-point conversion with just over a minute left in regulation. While it was tempting to choose fellow tight end Isaiah Likely, especially in a contract year, I think Andrews will remind everyone how he became the all-time leader in receiving touchdowns for the Ravens.

Who do you think will lead the Ravens in receiving touchdowns in 2025? Scroll down to the comment section and let us know!

Source: https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2...2025-mark-andrews-isaiah-likely-lamar-jackson

 

[Baltimore Ravens]

Rashod Bateman ‘went through a lot of things with the Cowboys’ before signing extension with Ravens

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The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec interviewed Rashod Bateman and the wide receiver revealed trade talks with the Dallas Cowboys were more extensive than originally reported.

After the Ravens’ final minicamp practice this offseason, there was a chance the Ravens were moving on from their 2021 first-round pick, Rashod Bateman.

According to The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec, Bateman “wondered if he had played his last game as a Raven.”

Instead, he signed a three-year, $36.75 million contract extension, and will remain in Baltimore through 2029.

But prior, to the deal, Bateman was on the trading block and General Manager Eric DeCosta was looking to make a deal. Reports indicated the Dallas Cowboys were interested in Bateman and he stated he was involved.

“I went through a lot of things with the Cowboys and all of that with my contract,” Bateman said to Zrebiec. “There was a time when I didn’t know what was going to happen. (The Cowboys talks) were a thing, for sure. It was a possibility. I don’t want to deny that. But you know, DeCosta, he’s always making magic work, and he made it work. And I’m thankful for that.”

The reason for being shopped was Bateman wanting a new contract. He’d produced a career-season with 46 receptions for 756 yards and nine touchdowns. In the playoffs, he scored touchdowns in both playoff games. The first-round pick had found his stride and after signing a below-market deal partially due to his failure to report to training camp and losing an accrued season, which voided his fifth-year option.

But even with the lows of his first few seasons dealing with injuries, critique, pressure and mounting frustration, Bateman wanted to remain a Raven.

“That’s the first thing I told [DeCosta]: I don’t want to go anywhere else. ‘I know you’ve got a lot of stuff to work through and we’ll figure it out when we figure it out,’” Bateman recalled of their conversation to Zrebiec. “It took time, but it takes time with a lot of people’s contracts. He had a lot of contracts to get done, and maybe more to get done in the future. To be a priority for him in that way is important. He shows he values me.”

And now, it’s all in the rearview mirror for Bateman. He’s healthy, he’s coming off an excellent season and a market-value contract extension has him with the Ravens through 2029.

Source: https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2...-cowboys-before-signing-extension-with-ravens

 

[Baltimore Ravens]

Baltimore Ravens Hidden Gems: 3 Secret Superstars on the 2025 roster

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The Ravens are trying to get past the rest of the AFC for the first time in over a decade. Here are three Secret Superstars who could help them get there.

Both John and Him Harbaugh are fond of asking the question-as-credo, “Who’s got it better than us?” It’s part of an overall philosophy they got from their father Jack, and in the case of the John Harbaugh-led Baltimore Ravens, the answer is, “Very few NFL teams.”

At least when it comes to the regular season.

Since Harbaugh became Baltimore’s head coach in 2008, the Ravens have had exactly two losing seasons, and their 172-104 regular-season record, and .623 winning percentage, are bested by only the New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers, and Pittsburgh Steelers. This has long been known as one of the most consistent franchises in sports, and unlike some franchises in that boat, the Ravens don’t use that consistency as something to hold onto when they should be reaching for more.

Which is where the postseasons of late become so frustrating.

It could easily be argued that Lamar Jackson was the NFL’s best quarterback in 2024, but those old postseason ghosts came calling once again. And the 27-25 Divisional Round loss to the Buffalo Bills was particularly heartbreaking in that things could have gone differently with one play here or one play there. I don’t need to go into excruciating details here; Ravens fans know the deal. The good news is that everybody in the organization, starting with Jackson, has more on their minds.

“I don’t think I get over any loss, to be honest,” Jackson said on June 18. “I’ve got losses from youth football that still haunt me. I never get over a loss, I don’t care how small it might be to someone else or how great it might be, it’s always the same for me.

“Before, it was like, ‘Oh, he can’t win a playoff game,’ and then we won a playoff game. We got to the AFC Championship two years ago. We just fell short. We fell two games short this past year. We’re going to bounce back, and when we come back, I feel like we are going to have vengeance on our minds.”

Easy to say, harder to do. But in the Ravens’ case, there’s everything on point for better results. There isn’t a serious hole anywhere on the roster as long as health isn’t an issue (obviously), and the personnel staff made some great gets in the offseason to add even more on-field credibility to a roster that is [bangs head in Judas Priest fashion] Screaming for Vengeance.

A secondary that was already very good now has first-round safety Malaki Starks, and free-agent gold-rush signing Jaire Alexander. And though there are off-field questions about second-round edge-rusher Mike Green, I believed Green to be the best overall pass-rusher in the 2025 draft class.

Marshall's Mike Green will come to the NFL with a packed toolbox of pass rush moves. Dip-and-rip, inside counter, multi-gap shots, maybe the best spin move in this draft class, and he knows how to use his hands -- he's not just running by people. pic.twitter.com/fdyIBYTsl5

— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) March 31, 2025​

Still, the AFC looks to be a gauntlet from the seventh level of hell once again, so if the Ravens are to finally transcend past postseason issues in all the right ways, it’ll take everybody rowing in the same proverbial direction.

In the continuation of our “Hidden Gems” series, we look at one underrated veteran, one underrated free-agent signing, and one underrated draft pick — three players who could well exceed their under-the-radar statuses.

Maybe 2025 is the season in which nobody has it better than the Baltimore Ravens.

Underrated Veteran: DI Travis Jones​

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Obviously, if you don’t blitz a lot, your defensive linemen had better be very much on point when it comes to beating offensive linemen from snap to whistle. The 2024 Ravens had this in the bag; their blitz rate of 20.3% was the NFL’s seventh-lowest, but only the Denver Broncos (63) had more sacks than Baltimore’s 54, and the Ravens’ pressure rate exceeded their blitz rate, which is always a good sign.

We all know the names of the stars — Nnamdi Madubuike, Kyle Van Noy, and Odafe Oweh. But the guy who has held that defensive line together, against both the run and the pass, has been Travis Jones, the 6’4, 338-pound force multiplier who was selected in the third round of the 2022 draft out of Connecticut, and has become more of a presence every season since. In 2024, Jones totaled one sack, 35 total pressures, 28 solo tackles, 20 stops, and four tackles for loss. Jones did his thing everywhere from head-over nose tackle to occasional edge snaps, but he was at his best when he was either head over or off to the center’s shoulder, and either the center or one of the guards was about to be in big trouble.

Jones did all of that in just 675 snaps last season; ankle issues got in the way to a point as the season went along, but the tape was still pretty serious when he was on the field. Jones has developed a full array of moves to get to the ballcarrier in a big hurry, and with evil intent.

On/off splits aren’t 100% indicative of player value, but when Jones was on the field last season, the Ravens had a pressure rate of 39.0%. Without him, it dropped to 30.9%. With Jones, Baltimore’s sack rate was 8.1%; without him, it was 7.0%. Especially with a team that doesn’t blitz often, that value does become more apparent. Another reason for this is that Jones can soak up double-teams without losing his disruptive effect; 14 of his pressures last season came when he was doubled.

Travis Jones of the @Ravens (No. 98) is one of those defensive linemen who doesn't get a lot of national praise, but everyone in the building knows what's up, and the pass rush is a completely different animal when Jones is in there. He's also a real problem against the run. pic.twitter.com/kBvK1UMzjb

— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) July 1, 2025​

“Travis Jones is fantastic,” Ravens pass rush coach Chuck Smith said in mid-June. “Travis Jones is a pass rusher that I’ll put out there one-on-one with 95% of the offensive guards in the league, and they can’t block him. Last year, when he was healthy, he was one of the best interior rushers in the game. The film doesn’t lie, nor does the respect he has from the other teams. Travis Jones is skilled-up. One of the things, when I first got here, we talked about some of the people that were here, we talked about [how] we want everybody to have a skill. Whether you’re big, you’re small, you’re a cornerback, a linebacker, we want everybody to have a skill.

“Travis Jones has multiple moves. He does a chop drive. He can do a hump [move], he can do long arms, he can do everything. If things go the way I see it for Travis Jones, and the way I think the overview of our team goes, Travis Jones has a chance to be a Pro Bowler. He’s as good as any defensive lineman [or] nose guard in the National Football League, and I think this year – when he stays healthy the entire season – I think he’ll prove it and put it on tape.”

2025 marks the final year of Jones’ rookie contract, and while there have been talks about a new deal, it may have been to Jones’ advantage to wait it out. As Coach Smith said, a fully healthy Travis Jones could be a major force, and the money would obviously reflect that down the road.

Underrated Free-Agent Signing: WR DeAndre Hopkins​

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The last time the Ravens won a Super Bowl, it was at the end of the 2012 season, and one of the prominent veterans who helped everyone (especially Joe Flacco) out was receiver Anquan Boldin. At age 32, Boldin was no longer one of the NFL’s best receivers as he had been at his peak with the Arizona Cardinals, but he still had one alpha skill that he was more than happy to feature: If you threw the ball Boldin’s way, and Boldin was covered, he really wasn’t covered. Boldin would use his acumen for the position, and his 6’1, 220-pound frame to just Godzilla any cornerback who had to deal with him.

Perhaps the addition of another receiver on a similar career track could provide equivalent dividends. That’s what the Ravens are hoping with the one-year, $5 million contract given to DeAndre Hopkins.

Like Boldin, the 6’1, 212-pound Hopkins was once one of the best in the business. And like Boldin, Hopkins (who turned 33 on June 6) still can beat the daylights out of anybody covering him with his smarts and skills, and his sheer desire to be physical enough to prevent enveloping coverage as a consistent conceit.

‘That guy is dope,” Lamar Jackson said of Hopkins after a minicamp practice on June 17. “He is different. I threw him a shallow [cross] today, [and] he caught the ball so smoothly and got up [easily]. I don’t even think he put his other hand on the ground to get up; he just caught the ball and just started [running]. That’s some veteran type of stuff, like some super vet type of stuff. It’s just dope to have him [here], and I am looking forward to throwing a lot of touchdowns to him this year.”

Yes, Hopkins can come into any system and pick it up quickly. That theory was tested last season. Hopkins started off his year with the Tennessee Titans; he was then traded to the Kansas City Chiefs and their island of misfit receivers on Oct. 24. In his second game with the Chiefs, he caught eight passes on nine targets for 86 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-24 overtime win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

This is not a guy who needs months to get the hang of a new playbook — he’s seen the entire elephant. And it’s good that Hopkins doesn’t need to be the primary target as he once was in Houston and Arizona. Now, he can be the ideal complementary piece in an offense that just keeps growing.

Last time the @Ravens won a Super Bowl, they had Anquan Boldin beating up on enemy cornerbacks as the contested-catch wizard well into his thirties.

Maybe DeAndre Hopkins can provide a similar effect. pic.twitter.com/RB3bKd8f6b

— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) July 1, 2025​

Underrated Draft Pick: LB Teddye Buchanan​

Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

I don’t need to tell any Ravens fan that Kyle Van Noy is one of the most unique players of his era. At 6’3 and 250 pounds, the 11-year veteran has excelled everywhere from off-ball linebacker to blitzer to pure edge-rusher, and the 14 sacks and 56 total pressures in the 2024 season show that the old guy’s still got it.

Not that the selection of Cal linebacker Teddye Buchanan with the 129th overall pick in the fourth round of the draft is meant to be a like-as-like replacement over time, but when I watched Buchanan’s tape this spring, I got kind of a Van Noy hit in both Buchanan’s versatility, and his overall effectiveness.

The 2024 season was Buchanan’s first with the Golden Bears; he spent four seasons before that at UC Davis. The transition to a major program from the Big Sky conference proved to be no problem at all. In 2024, Buchanan totaled six sacks, 25 total pressures, 75 solo tackles, 48 stops, and he allowed 18 catches on 32 targets for 231 yards, 121 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, no interceptions, two pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 79.0. He also forced three fumbles.

Basically, whatever Buchanan was asked to do with his new team, he aced it. While he did spend 23% of his snaps on the left edge, all of his sacks came either as an off-ball linebacker or as a spy at the line of scrimmage. But like Van Noy, Buchanan also shows some really nice speed off the edge when he’s there. He’s still under development to a degree, but given what he showed last season, I’m fascinated to see how the Ravens work to make the most of his abilities.

I might want Cal LB Teddye Buchanan (10) on my depth chart just for his ability to defend screens and force fumbles, but the blitzing is pretty nice, too. pic.twitter.com/V5JNoANfll

— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) April 24, 2025​

“Teddye plays like a Raven,” defensive coordinator Zach Orr said on June 5. “[On] his college film, he flies around, and he seeks contact. He can play in space, and he’s a smart player. Talk about a guy who came from a smaller school, dominated that, then made a one-year jump. [He] got there during the middle of the summer, and dominated in the ACC at a big school, so I’m excited about Teddye.

“We’re throwing a lot on his plate. He’s playing [three] positions for us – Mike [linebacker], Will [linebacker] and dime – and he’s done a good job going out there so far.”

That’s where it begins, but don’t be surprised if Buchanan’s palette gains more colors over time.

(All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus and Sports Info Solutions).

Source: https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2...-travis-jones-deandre-hopkins-teddye-buchanan

 

[Baltimore Ravens]

Baltimore Ravens All Quarter Century Team: Quarterback

Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images

Will it be Lamar Jackson or Joe Flacco who ends up winning the honor of being the quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens All Quarter Century Team?

No kind of football team is complete without a quarterback, so let’s go ahead and find out who will be slinging passes for the Ravens All Quarter Century Team.

We’ve got two obvious choices in Lamar Jackson and Joe Flacco.

On one hand, you have an uber-decorated player who hasn’t quite been able to win the big one yet. On the other, you have a player who’s only accolade of any kind in the NFL was taking home the Lombardi Trophy and earning Super Bowl MVP honors.

Two successful quarterbacks, but by totally different standards. Which one will the fans vote to represent their team?

Let’s go ahead and dive in!

Lamar Jackson (2018-present)​

The Ravens traded back up to the final pick of the first round in 2018 to draft Lamar Jackson as the heir apparent to Joe Flacco. While he hasn’t delivered a Super Bowl the way his predecessor did, Jackson has essentially done just about everything else Flacco failed to achieve as far as accolades go.

Jackson is a two-time NFL MVP (2021, 2023) and a three-time First-Team All-Pro (2019, 2023-2024) to go with four Pro Bowls (2019, 2021, 2023-2024) and an NFL passing touchdowns title (2019) and passer ratings leader (2024).

It’s tough to get more decorated than that in your first seven seasons outside of winning a Lombardi Trophy.

Joe Flacco (2008-2018)​

Flacco was drafted by the Ravens in the first round of the 2008 draft out of FCS Delaware. From humble beginnings by NFL standards, Flacco worked and worked to become not only the team’s all-time leader in passing yards, but the team’s most recent Super Bowl-winning quarterback.

In Flacco’s 11 seasons, he threw for 38,245 yards and 212 touchdowns. He was named the MVP of Super Bowl XLVII and currently sits tied for the record of most passing touchdowns thrown during the postseason with 11.

Source: https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2...quarter-century-team-lamar-jackson-joe-flacco

 

[Baltimore Ravens]

Kyle Hamilton named as candidate to win DPOY in 2025

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The NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award is the highest possible individual honor for a defensive player to achieve, aside from winning Most Valuable Player — which rarely has happened in recent history. Even more rare is a player winning the DPOY in consecutive seasons. That has happened only three times ever.

Looking ahead to the upcoming 2025 season, there a number of potential candidates to win DPOY and upseat the incumbent winner, CB Patrick Surtain of the Denver Broncos.

According to Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski, Baltimore Ravens’ safety Kyle Hamilton might be able to do just that. In his list of “elite defenders” ready to emerge as possible DPOY winners, Hamilton earned a spot amongst four others.

“An interesting possibility is a defensive back dethroning another defensive back for the honor, considering only eight have ever won the award since it debuted for the 1969 season,” Sobleski wrote. “[Hamilton] isn’t a typical safety, though. He’s a . . . tone-setter, capable of being highly effective in the box, covering the slot or playing the deep third.”

As Sobleski notes, Surtain winning DPOY in 2024 was just the eighth time ever that a defensive back has taken home the award. So, the odds of it happening again, yet alone in back-to-back seasons, aren’t necessarily high. However, to Sobleski’s next point, Hamilton is a unique talent capable of pulling off unique feats.

Hamilton’s second-year breakout in 2023 came with him playing primarily strong safety and nickel. He thrived around the line of scrimmage and in short coverage areas, where he wreaked havoc and blew up plays regularly. Last season, however, Hamilton was forced to transition into a different role and still performed at a high level nonetheless.

With the Ravens’ defense struggling mightily through the first half of the season, Hamilton transitioned into playing deeper in the backend, taking a heavy dose of free safety snaps alongside new starter Ar’Darius Washington. He maintained his elite performance and showcased a complete all-around skill set.

Sobleski believes that Hamilton will be set up nicely for continued success in 2025, but back in more of a strong safety role, after the Ravens made a key addition in the secondary.

“The Ravens made sure they found the perfect complementary piece to keep Hamilton where he should be, with this year’s first-round selection of Georgia’s Malaki Starks,” Sobleski says. “With Starks holding up his end of the bargain, Hamilton can resume being the best safety in the game on one of the NFL’s top squads.”

On paper, Starks is an ideal fit next to Hamilton and profiles as a seamless insertion into the team’s secondary. He can take on a deep coverage role and free up Hamilton to roam and occupy more space closer to the line of scrimmage once again.

Hamilton has established himself as one of the league’s premier safeties through three career seasons. On the heels of consecutive All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods, he’s earned a strong national reputation as well. For what it’s worth, he did garner some DPOY attention last season, tying for ninth place in the voting.

For him to take a leap into true DPOY consideration, Hamilton will need to maintain his elite level of play and spearhead a top-ranked Ravens’ defense. On top of that, he’ll likely need to be on the delivering end of a few notable game-changing plays and/or memorable moments. Creating more turnovers and scoring a touchdown or two, for example, would be ideal methods for him to build up a DPOY resume.

Joining Hamilton on Sobleski’s short list is two edge rushers (Aidan Hutchinson, Micah Parsons) and two defensive lineman (Dexter Lawrence, Jalen Carter). You can view the full article here.

Source: https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2...in-dpoy-in-2025-baltimore-ravens-safety-award

 

[Baltimore Ravens]

Jaire Alexander named long-shot candidate to win Comeback Player of the Year

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NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks sees new Baltimore Ravens cornerback Jaire Alexander as a viable Comeback Player of the Year candidate.

The Baltimore Ravens added cornerback Jaire Alexander to be a mainstay of their defense in their surge for a Super Bowl, and while that is still plausible, NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks sees Alexander as a candidate for one of the NFL’s individual accolades. Brooks picked long-shots for all seven major individual awards, and for Comeback Player of the Year, selected Alexander.

“A two-time Pro Bowler in seven seasons with the Packers before being released this offseason, perhaps a change of scenery will help Alexander shake the injury bug and rediscover what once made him the highest-paid corner in the league,” Brooks wrote. “His talent meshes with a Ravens scheme that puts a lot of pressure on defensive backs to win their one-on-one matchups on the perimeter. As a versatile corner with lock-down skills utilizing bump-and-run or shadowboxing technique, the eighth-year pro could give Baltimore the CB1 needed to compete against the AFC’s high-powered offenses. Divisional battles against Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, DK Metcalf and Jerry Jeudy are on the horizon, so Alexander will have a chance to show he’s still an elite corner with a bounce-back season.”

Currently, Alexander’s odds to win CPotY from Caesar’s Sportsbook & Casino’s award odds are +8,000 to win. Alexander isn’t even on the board for Fanduel Sportsbook. So, the odds—literally—are not in his favor. Those favorited to win include Dak Prescott (+300), Aidan Hutchinson (+320) and Christian McCaffrey (+370), per Fanduel.

Brooks has a strong point, though. If after two years of playing a combined 14 games, Alexander remains healthy and wins his toe-to-toe matchups against some high-caliber receivers in the division and on their entire schedule, he could be in line for Comeback Player of the Year, along with Pro Bowl and All-Pro nominations.

Source: https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2...-candidate-to-win-comeback-player-of-the-year

 

[Baltimore Ravens]

Baltimore Ravens All Quarter Century Team: Running Back No. 2

Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images

Jamal Lewis won the RB1 job with 80 percent of the vote. Who will be the next back to join him on the Ravens All Quarter Century Team?

In our kickoff poll for this journey to find the Ravens All Quarter Century Team, you all voted emphatically to name Jamal Lewis as RB1. The one-time 2,000-yard rusher earned 80 percent of the vote and is our first player named to the team. With Lewis now eliminated from the poll, let’s go ahead and find our RB2!

Get back in there and vote!

Ray Rice (2008-2013)​

Rice’s time with the Ravens — and his entire NFL career — may have been cut short due to off-field issues, but there’s no denying he was one of the best in the NFL during his six years in Baltimore.

After sitting his rookie season behind veteran Willis McGahee, Rice broke out in his sophomore campaign with 1,339 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. He also proved to be one of the best dual-threat backs in the league by adding another 702 yards through the air with another score. That was just the first of his two career seasons where he totaled over 2,000 yards of total offense. The second ended up being his best as he totaled 1,364 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns, 704 receiving yards, and three scoring grabs. All of those were new career highs across the board.

By the end of his career, Rice averaged 1,030 rushing yards and 505 receiving yards per season for over half a decade.

Derrick Henry (2024-present)​

I know you might be wondering how a one-year Raven makes this nomination list, but did you see what Henry did this past season?

In his first season as a Raven, Henry rushed for 1,921 yards and scored 16 touchdowns (led the NFL), both of which were good for the second most in a season during his career. He was also named a Second Team-All Pro and nominated to his fifth Pro Bowl.

One year or not, it just felt wrong not including Henry on this list.

Willis McGahee (2007-2010)​

After four years with the Buffalo Bills, McGahee joined the Ravens in 2007 where he earned the starting job right away. In his lone season as the full-time starter for Baltimore, he rushed for 1,207 yards with seven touchdowns. However, he lost the starting gig to newcomer Ray Rice but maintained a steady role as one of the top backups in the NFL.

During the 2009 season, McGahee rushed for only 544 yards but somehow managed to still find the end zone 12 times, the most since he scored 13 as a rookie in 2004. McGahee finished his time with the Ravens rushing for 2,802 yards and scoring 31 touchdowns.

Source: https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2...ry-team-derrick-henry-ray-rice-willis-mcgahee

 

[Baltimore Ravens]

Nate Wiggins named the Ravens’ most promising building block

Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Ravens have a solid young core, with several long-term foundational pieces on both sides of the ball. They have a number of players in particular still within their first few NFL seasons that profile as key focal points of the team’s present and future.

Rising sophomore cornerback Nate Wiggins fits into this category. According to Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton, the 2024 first-round pick is the Ravens’ most promising young talent and building block heading into the 2025 season.

“[The Baltimore Ravens] signed two-time Pro Bowler Jaire Alexander, though that shouldn’t impact [Nate] Wiggins’ playing time when the defense lines up in nickel alignment with three cornerbacks” Moton wrote. “Wiggins should have opportunities to make plays on the boundary as he did in his rookie campaign.”

Before the Ravens recent addition of Alexander, Wiggins as viewed as an every-down starter opposite Humphrey in the lineup — a role he gradually grew into down the stretch last season. While some may anticipate Alexander’s insertion could put a dent in Wiggins’ playing time, as Moton notes, he’ll still play a prominent role in three-cornerback alignments.

When the Ravens selected Wiggins with the No. 30 overall pick last year, the team was adamant in their belief they acquired the draft’s best cornerback prospect. Wiggins validated this confidence in him with his performance in Year 1.

“While on the field for 68 percent of the defensive snaps last season, Wiggins recorded 13 pass breakups and an interception while allowing a 50 percent completion rate and a 66.7 passer rating in coverage,” Moton notes.

As to be expected with any rookie defensive back, Wiggins had some up-and-down moments in his rookie campaign. However, he made consistent strides and improved as the year progressed, becoming a reliable man coverage corner by the postseason.

The former Clemson product will be turning 22 years old just before the start of the upcoming 2025 season and still has lots of room to grow, particularly physically. Thus, while he quickly established himself as a starter-level player, Wiggins’ untapped upside is tremendous.

Moton also proceeds to point out that with Alexander’s injury track record, having missed 10 games in each of the past two seasons, Wiggins could still end up being the team’s most reliable cornerback after Humphrey. Either way, for both this season and beyond, the sky is the limit for him.

Source: https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2...-most-promising-building-block-cornerback-nfl

 

[Baltimore Ravens]

Baltimore Ravens All Quarter Century Team: Wide Receiver No. 1

Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images

The Ravens havene’t been known for having consistent 1,000-yard receivers, but that hasn’t stopped them from having talented players like Derrick Mason and Torrey Smith.

The downside about being a franchise known for running the heck out of the football is that you’re not likely to have the most sterling of lists when it comes to wide receivers who have worn your colors over the years.

While the Ravens haven’t been known for churning out consistent 1,000-yard receivers, that doesn’t mean they haven’t had some talented players catching passes this century.

We’ve got three former Ravens lined up to be voted on for our quarter century team so let’s go ahead and dive in!

Derrick Mason (2005-2010)​

Mason joined the Ravens in 2005 as a free agent after eight seasons with the Oilers/Titans. In his first season with Baltimore, Mason recorded 1,073 receiving yards and five touchdowns, immediately becoming the top target on the team.

Over his six seasons with the team, Mason went over the 1,000-yard receiving threshold four times and amassed 5,777 total yards (the most in franchise history) and 29 touchdowns.

Torrey Smith (2011-2014)​

Smith was a local product out of the University of Maryland when he was drafted by the Ravens in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He made his presence felt immediately with 841 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie. In 2012, he bested his previous receiving total with 855 yards and recorded a career high eight scores. In year three, Smith notched his first 1,000-yard season with a career-best 1,128 yards to go with four more touchdowns.

In his final season with the Ravens, Smith recorded just 767 yards (his worst with the team) but balanced it out with a new career high of 11 touchdown grabs. He is also still second on the Ravens all-time receiving list among wide receivers, behind only Mason.

Mark Clayton (2005-2009)​

Clayton was drafted by the Ravens in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie team after posting 471 yards and a pair of scores in his first year. Clayton’s best season came in 2006 when he record 971 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

Over his five seasons with the Ravens, Clayton was a steady contributor as the team’s secondary receiver to Mason with whom he spent his entire tenure with in Baltimore. He ended his time with the Ravens having collected 3,116 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns.

Despite never recording a 1,000-yard season, Clayton is still fifth all-time in Ravens history for receiving yards and the third wideout in the top five behind both the aforementioned Mason and Smith.

Source: https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2...-team-derrick-mason-torrey-smith-mark-clayton

 

[Baltimore Ravens]

Which Ravens’ players could contend for NFL awards in 2025?

Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

The Baltimore Ravens possess star talent throughout their roster heading into 2025, headlined by multiple returning All-Pro and Pro Bowl players on both sides of the ball. However, teams rarely have contenders for more than one of the NFL’s several prestigious award honors.

Which Ravens’ players profile as candidates for national awards this upcoming season? Let’s run through and break down some options.

---

Most Valuable Player (MVP) ​

Candidates: QB Lamar Jackson

Jackson is already a two-time league MVP winner and fell just short of earning a third trophy last season, finishing only a few votes behind Josh Allen. Based on his historical statistical campaign and first-team All-Pro status, there’s a good argument to be made that Jackson should have in fact won.

Regardless, Jackson has been in serious MVP contention pretty much every season in which he’s been fully healthy. He ascended to a new performance level last year and should once again thrive in 2025.

Offensive Player of the Year (OPOY) ​

Candidates: QB Lamar Jackson, RB Derrick Henry

Often times, OPOY is awarded to the quarterback that comes up short of winning MVP but has a great statistical season — or a skill position player that has a standout year. Last season, Jackson finished a distant second in OPOY voting behind RB Saquon Barkley. He could similarly be in the discussion again next year.

So too could Henry, who received one first place vote and 18 third place votes for OPOY in 2024, placing him fourth overall. Henry may have a hard time matching last year’s statistical dominance but should have another strong season nonetheless.

Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) ​

Candidate: S Kyle Hamilton

The Ravens project to have one of the league’s best defensive units again with well-rounded position groups across the board. They have a total of four All-Pro talents on defense, but Hamilton stands out as the one who could creep into DPOY conversations. He garnered some limited attention already last year, finishing ninth overall in DPOY voting.

Entering just his fourth season, Hamilton’s earned a strong national reputation as arguably the best overall safety in the NFL. He’s on the heels of consecutive All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods. A safety has not won DPOY since 2010 and traditionally defensive backs have not been frequent winners. However, Hamilton is a unique talent and has the potential to take yet another step forward in 2025.

Defensive Rookie of the Year (DROY) ​

Candidates: S Malaki Starks, EDGE Mike Green

Despite drafting towards the end of Rounds 1-2, the Ravens added two premier defensive talents from this year’s rookie class. Both Starks and Green figure to play key roles in their first year, with the former projected to take on a full-time starting safety role right away.

Both rookie of the year awards, offensive and defensive, tend to be competitive and the favorites are rookies who were top draft picks. Starks will have a great opportunity to put together a good case as a valuable contributor on a top-ranked defense, especially if he can come up with some notable splash plays. As for Green, his role likely won’t be as fruitful, but his pass-rushing upside gives him an outside chance of emerging as a candidate as well.

Comeback Player of the Year (CPOY)​

Candidates: CB Jaire Alexander

CPOY is traditionally given to a player who has a good season after returning from an extended injury or negative circumstances the year prior. Alexander, who had both his 2023 and 2024 seasons cut short by injury and missed a combined 20 games, fits the bill of the former.

Working against him is recent historical trends: the past seven CPOY winners have been quarterbacks and prior to that, two wide receivers won back-to-back. Only four defensive players ever have been awarded CPOY. However, longshot or not, Alexander could still have a case if he returns to All-Pro form and plays a vital role for an elite Ravens’ defense. There’s no other Raven that profiles as a legitimate CPOY candidate.

Source: https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2...025-baltimore-lamar-jackson-mvp-opoy-dpoy-roy

 

[Baltimore Ravens]

Kyle Hamilton ranked No. 1 among players under 25: ‘He’s a cheat code weapon in the secondary’

Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images

The Ravens’ third-year safety tops the NFL list of best players under 25 years of age.

In the 2022 NFL Draft, the Baltimore Ravens selected arguably the best football player in the draft at No. 14 overall, safety Kyle Hamilton. Since then, he’s not only been one of the NFL’s best young players, but among the NFL’s best, earning two Pro Bowls and two All-Pros in three seasons. Now, at 24-years-old, Hamilton was ranked the No. 1 player under 25 by The 33rd Team’s Sam Monson and Steve Palazzolo.

“The best player under the age of 25 in the NFL is Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore Ravens safety/nickel hybrid. Again, just cheat-code weapon in the secondary. We talked about him before as being the best safety in the NFL. What makes him special, I think — we’ve nit-picked all the other players on this list just having some kind of flaw. And maybe it’s not a critical flaw, [but] it’s just enough to make you rank them second or third [etc.]. Hamilton isn’t just the best safety in the NFL, I think he’s arguably the best at every specific element of being safety. He might be the best free safety in the NFL; he might be the best strong safety in the NFL; and he might be the best tight end eraser/slot weapon hybrid. And he’s the best at all those things at the same time. Nobody else is like that. There’s no other player like that where you can argue what is effectively three or four distinct positions and be the best at all of them at the same time. I can’t think of another player that really fits into that category.”

“It is really tough to come up with a comparison. You and I both love Brian Branch because of that versatility and I think Kyle Hamilton is a suped-up version of Branch — no offense to Branch, we love Branch, he’s No. 7 [on this list] for you.

“He comes into the league as an unbelievable free safety, then he starts coming down in and around the box, in the slot, and he can play free safety. Those are different skillsets... He’s just an elite football player at whatever the Ravens want him to do.”

Top 25 NFL Players Under 25 https://t.co/HXHWNdL812

— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) July 7, 2025​

Source: https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2...r-25-hes-a-cheat-code-weapon-in-the-secondary

 

[Baltimore Ravens]

Which Ravens player is most likely to be a first-time All-Pro in 2025?

Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The Ravens have several young players looking to make the jump to All-Pro status

The Baltimore Ravens have accumulated one of the most talented rosters in the NFL for the 2025 season. Several of Baltimore’s most notable players have already achieved All-Pro status in the past, including quarterback Lamar Jackson, tight end Mark Andrews, left tackle Ronnie Stanley, fullback Patrick Ricard, safety Kyle Hamilton, defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Jaire Alexander, running back Derrick Henry, and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

The Ravens have a large group of younger players looking to make the All-Pro jump this year, including center Tyler Linderbaum, tight end Isaiah Likely, wide receiver Zay Flowers, cornerback Nate Wiggins, defensive tackle Travis Jones, and outside linebacker Odafe Oweh.

Today’s Question of the Day is:

Which Ravens player is most likely to be a first-time All-Pro in 2025?​

My answer: Tyler Linderbaum

The two-time Pro Bowl center has been a linchpin in Baltimore’s offensive line since entering the lineup as a first-round rookie in 2022. Linderbaum’s status as an exceptional run blocker, due to his elite athleticism, has translated perfectly to the NFL level, earning him the reputation as one of the league’s top centers. If there is one element of Linderbaum’s game that has held him back from taking the title of best center in the NFL, it has been his pass blocking.

Linderbaum entered the NFL as a smaller center, which raised concerns about how well he would hold up against some of the league's monstrous defensive linemen every week. That fear has been a reality at times for Linderbaum through his first three seasons. Linderbaum finished with a PFF pass-blocking grade of 65.7 in 2024, which was 25th among 64 qualifying centers. While his pass blocking has not been a massive detriment to his game, taking it to the next level would secure his place in conversations as the NFL’s best center.

Linderbaum is entering the final year of his rookie deal after the Ravens declined to pick up his fifth-year option. Since interior offensive linemen are grouped with offensive tackles when determining the dollar amount for fifth-year options, it makes less sense to exercise the option for a position such as center compared to a top-end tackle. Linderbaum’s fifth-year option salary of $16.7 million was bumped up to $23.4 million after being selected to two Pro Bowls in his first three seasons.

Which Ravens player do you think is most likely to be a first-time All-Pro in 2025? Scroll down to the comment section and let us know!

Source: https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2...a-first-time-all-pro-in-2025-tyler-linderbaum

 

[Baltimore Ravens]

10 Ravens’ players featured in Bleacher Report’s AFC North All-Star Team

Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images

The AFC North has been considered arguably the best overall division in the NFL for the past few seasons — and for good reason. The division is loaded with talent and usually uber competitive, with a combination of high-end quarterback play, rugged defense, and a blend of All-Pro caliber talent at different position groups.

Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder recently put together an All-Star roster for each division in the league, featuring nine positions on offense and six on defense. Out of 22 possible individual spots, Ravens’ players occupied 10 of them. They are as follows:

• QB: Lamar Jackson
• RB: Derrick Henry
• WR3: Zay Flowers
• LT: Ronnie Stanley
• C: Tyler Linderbaum
• RT: Roger Rosengarten
• DT: Nnamdi Madubuike
• ILB: Roquan Smith
• NCB: Marlon Humphrey
• S: Kyle Hamilton

The Steelers and Browns were tied for the second-most players featured with five, followed by the Bengals with two. While this is only a mock exercise, the wide gap between the Ravens and the rest of the division is indicative of the team’s high-level talent at various position groups at both sides of the ball.

If an all-division team was in fact a real entity, it’s hard not to imagine the Ravens would in fact be featured heavily in this sort of manner. Some may make an argument that Joe Burrow, not Lamar Jackson, holds the title of best quarterback in the AFC North. While Burrow is elite in his own right, it’s hard to negate the combination of Jackson’s statistical progression, accumulated accolades, and team success in recent years.

“The Ravens are set up better to make a Super Bowl run than the Bengals, but Burrow can easily put up better numbers than Jackson if Cincinnati is constantly playing from behind, like last year,” Holder wrote. “Ultimately, the two-time MVP is going to be plenty productive and should have his team in contention again this season.”

The biggest notable snub for the Ravens, one could argue, is at tight end — where Mark Andrews was not listed and instead Pittsburgh’s Pat Freiermuth earned the nod.

Andrews is coming off a statistical step-back season overall but posted a career-high 11 touchdown receptions. He had four more scores and 20 more receiving yards than Freiermuth, while the latter posted 10 more receptions. Andrews has been the consensus best tight end in the division for the past few years, but Holder based his ranking more off of projection for the 2025 due to roster circumstances.

“Mark Andrews might feel like the obvious pick, but Isaiah Likely has been on the rise recently, so those two will take targets away from each other,” he wrote. “Cleveland’s quarterback situation makes it difficult to see an impressive campaign from David Njoku, and Freiermuth is higher on the pecking order in Pittsburgh than Mike Gesicki is in Cincy.”

Andrews has been the consensus best tight end in the division, as one of the elite players at his position in all the NFL as well, for the past several seasons. However, the tight end talent level and competition in the AFC North has increased recently between the likes of Freiermuth, David Njoku, Jonnu Smith, and the Ravens’ own Isaiah Likely.

What do you think of this All-Star AFC North roster? Do you think an appropriate number of Ravens’ players are featured? Chime in below with your thoughts!

Source: https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2...c-north-all-star-team-browns-bengals-steelers

 

[Baltimore Ravens]

Are the Ravens’ offensive skill position players Top 10? Top 5?

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ESPN’s Bill Barnwell’s annual rankings of offensive skill position players has the Ravens surged into the Top 10. Should they be higher?

For ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, the Baltimore Ravens’ offensive skill position players (minus quarterback) have routinely been middle-of-the-pack. And he’s been fair in ranking them as such.

Barnwell’s Ravens’ Offensive Skill Position Rankings

• 2020: 20
• 2019: 26
• 2021: 14
• 2022: 25
• 2023: 15
• 2024: 15

But in 2025, the Ravens cracked through into Barnwell’s Top 10, ranking No. 8 in the NFL. At the forefront is superstar running back Derrick Henry.

“Though I was optimistic this time last year about the move to Baltimore revitalizing Derrick Henry’s career, I didn’t see a 1,921-yard season on the horizon,” Barnwell wrote. “Henry was a superstar, posting the same big plays that made him a threat during his peak. After racking up eight runs of 30 yards or more in 2020, Henry had eight more combined from 2021 through 2023. He pulled that feat off nine times in 2024.”

The ranking has to do with the best five skill position players a team can field, and No. 2 for Barnwell is wide receiver Zay Flowers.

“Though they’re different sorts of players, Zay Flowers has inherited the Hollywood Brown role of being hyper-efficient in an offense that doesn’t throw very often,” Barnwell wrote. “Flowers’ 2.5 yards per route run ranked just behind Ja’Marr Chase, but while Chase averaged 40 routes per game, Flowers had six drops and just one catch on a throw traveling more than 30 yards in the air last season, so there’s still plenty of room for him to grow.”

Barnwell mulled over who should be the No. 3 player listed, debating between tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely. Also mentioning DeAndre Hopkins’ addition, but relegated him to a “strictly situational wideout at this point of his career.” Ultimately, Barnwell landed on wide receiver Rashod Bateman.

“The likelier candidate to make the Ravens a big three could be Rashod Bateman, who finally had the sort of season he has hinted at since being drafted in the first round four years ago,” Barnwell wrote. “Healthy for the entire season, he racked up 756 receiving yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 1.9 yards per route run and finishing 18th in receiver score. The sheer lack of targets to go around in Baltimore’s passing game limits Bateman’s ability to get his numbers much higher, but if he can maintain this level of efficiency, it will be a boon to an already-explosive Ravens offense.”

This all leads to...

Today’s Question of the Day

Are the Ravens’ offensive skill position players Top 10? Top 5?

My answer: Top 10

The Ravens have some real-deal weapons for the offense. Jackson is surrounded by a near-surplus of talent. Two excellent receivers a tier below the elites, two of the NFL’s best tight ends and a top two running back. And all positions have respectable depth.

Taking a look over who Barnwell has ranked ahead of Baltimore:

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
6. Minnesota Vikings
5. Los Angeles Rams
4. San Francisco 49ers
3. Cincinnati Bengals
2. Detroit Lions
1. Philadelphia Eagles

I believe each team listed ahead of the Ravens is rather accurate — outside of the San Francisco 49ers. They traded Deebo Samuel Jr. and Brandon Aiyuk is returning from a torn ACL, but overall, they do have real stars. I’d have them at No. 6 or No. 7, as injury concerns are similar with the Buccaneers.

Source: https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2...offensive-skill-position-players-top-10-top-5

 

[Baltimore Ravens]

Baltimore Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh meets with President Trump at White House

Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images

Baltimore Ravens Head Coach Jim Harbaugh, along with Los Angeles Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh, attended a meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday

According to White House officials, Baltimore Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh — along with brother and Head Coach of the Los Angeles Chargers Jim Harbaugh — met with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.

According to The Baltimore Banner, the White House invited the Harbaugh family, along with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. However, details on the meeting between the president and NFL head coaches were not available.

The Harbaugh brothers along with Huang took a photo together with President Trump. However, details of the meeting were not available.

What a crew — the Harbaugh brothers and Nvidia CEO hanging with Trump today in the Oval Office. pic.twitter.com/i4K7p6cTSB

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) July 11, 2025​

John Harbaugh has not been publicly involved in politics outside of a comment made during August 2015 when Harbaugh called for the construction of a border wall.

“I’m going Trump here,” Harbaugh said after a preseason practice. “Build the wall. If you don’t have a border, you don’t have a country. You’re not a country without a border, right At the same time, you’ve got 12 [million] to 15 million hardworking people here. Give them a shot. Give them a chance to become a citizen, so they’re paying taxes. All of us know that it’s not that complicated, but this side doesn’t want to solve it. Neither does [the other] side. Neither one of them want to solve the problem. Solve the problem.”

In 2019, Trump called former House of Representatives member Elijah Cummings’ district a, “disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess.”

Numerous times, Trump attacked Cummings on social media after Cummings challenged him on border issues, responding with, “[Cummings] district is considered the Worst in the USA......”

....As proven last week during a Congressional tour, the Border is clean, efficient & well run, just very crowded. Cumming District is a disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess. If he spent more time in Baltimore, maybe he could help clean up this very dangerous & filthy place

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 27, 2019​

Rep, Elijah Cummings has been a brutal bully, shouting and screaming at the great men & women of Border Patrol about conditions at the Southern Border, when actually his Baltimore district is FAR WORSE and more dangerous. His district is considered the Worst in the USA......

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 27, 2019​

Source: https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2...ugh-meets-with-president-trump-at-white-house