Technically, the official midpoint of the 2021 regular season won’t come for another couple of weeks. However, the Ravens are in the middle of their bye week, so what better time to take stock of their roster?
In winning five of their first seven games, the Ravens overachieved in some areas and underachieved in others. A plethora of injuries forced certain players into more significant roles than the team envisioned. There have been some revelations and some disappointments.
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Let’s do a player-by-player analysis of the roster and offer an opinion of how each position has graded out:
Quarterbacks
Grade: A-
You can nitpick if you’re so inclined. Lamar Jackson has turned the ball over eight times. He’s been sacked 21 times, some of them resulting from holding onto the ball too long. The Ravens’ offense has been plagued by slow starts. However, Jackson has given his team a chance to win every week and is the primary reason the injury-weakened Ravens have five victories. He’s been a much more consistent downfield and outside-the-numbers thrower. He’s led comebacks. He beat his team’s nemesis, the Kansas City Chiefs, by making play-after-play down the stretch. Jackson has been one of the NFL’s best players by just about every measure. If he stays healthy and keeps playing as he has to this point, the Ravens have a good chance to get where they want to be in January.
Lamar Jackson: He’s on pace to throw for over 4,700 yards and run for just under 1,200 yards. Jackson has in many ways been better than he was during his unanimous MVP season in 2019 despite the fact that the Ravens are weaker up front and in the backfield. There’s plenty of season to go and Jackson will probably be judged by how he performs if the Ravens make the playoffs. However, he’s answered every question so far.
Tyler Huntley: Huntley has been called on for mop-up duty the past two games. He’s completed 5-of-11 passes for 39 yards and has three rushing attempts for 10 yards.
Running backs
Grade: C-
Nobody expected Latavius Murray, Ty’Son Williams, Devonta Freeman and Le’Veon Bell to make everybody forget that the Ravens lost J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill to season-ending injuries. However, the lack of explosiveness and big-play ability from the team’s running back corps has been glaring and it’s clear that defenses are keying on Jackson in the run game more than ever because they’re not concerned about anybody else. It’s tough to be too critical of Murray, Freeman and Bell, given where they are in their careers. Williams, a second-year undrafted free agent, wasn’t ready for a front-line role, either. Still, the Ravens need more consistent play from this group which could look different by next week.
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Latavius Murray: Murray has been the most effective of the three veteran backs picked up on the eve of the regular season with 212 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Now dealing with an ankle injury, the veteran gets downhill. He’s just not a big-play threat.
Ty’Son Williams: He’s not been able to keep the momentum from a standout preseason. Williams is the team’s most explosive back, but he’s run tentatively at times, had issues with ball security and in pass protection and has not always been on the same page with Jackson.
Devonta Freeman: Freeman has done some positive things and looks more equipped to help the Ravens than Bell. He’s miscast as a No. 1 back, but he’s shown enough to suggest that he could help down the stretch in a supporting role.
Le’Veon Bell: It certainly would be a unique story if the former Steeler resurrected his career in Baltimore of all places. There just haven’t been any signs that’s going to happen. He’s shown little juice with 18 touches for 33 yards and it’s fair to question how many more opportunities he’ll get.
Wide receivers
Grade: B+
This is easily the team’s most-improved position group and it should be given the organization’s offseason investment in it. It’s helped that Jackson has improved as a passer and new wide receivers coach Tee Martin and pass game specialist Keith Williams have put a renewed focus on route running. However, the Ravens’ receivers have done the work and embraced their roles. Marquise Brown has taken a huge step in Year 3, Sammy Watkins was as advertised when healthy, Rashod Bateman has returned from an injury and made an impact and Devin Duvernay and James Proche have contributed. This is a solid group that should only be getting better.
Marquise Brown: It’s time to stop focusing on his drop-filled performance against Detroit and look at his body of work for the rest of the season. Brown ranks seventh in the NFL In receiving yards (566), 18th in receptions (37) and fourth in touchdown catches (six). If this continues, he’ll become the first homegrown Raven to be named to the Pro Bowl as a receiver.
TOUCHDOWN @Ravens! #RavensFlock
Lamar Jackson acha Marquise Brown LIVRINHO para anotar o TD em 42 jardas, tem muito jogo ainda no SNF! Chiefs 28 x 24 Ravens #NFLBrasil pic.twitter.com/EmguQ7DhHD— NFL Brasil (@NFLBrasil) September 20, 2021
Sammy Watkins: A hamstring injury cost Watkins the past two games and interrupted what had been a solid start. Watkins has made some big plays and been a good leader for a young position group. The Ravens are hopeful he’s ready shortly after the bye.
Devin Duvernay: The 2020 third-round pick has become a legitimate weapon as a return man, ranking eighth in the NFL in kick return average (25.1) and first in punt return average (16.9), while providing contributions as a receiver and runner. Good things happen when the ball is in Duvernay’s hands and the Ravens should get it to him more.
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Rashod Bateman: In two games since returning from groin surgery, the rookie first-round pick has seven catches for 109 yards and shown why the Ravens are so excited about his future. His involvement in the pass game should only increase as he gets more comfortable.
James Proche: Proche’s five-catch, 74-yard performance in Denver was affirmation of what he’s done in practices. His playing time has dipped since Bateman’s return and the Ravens may have a roster squeeze shortly, but Proche has proven that he’s a capable contributor.
Tylan Wallace: A rookie fourth-round pick, Wallace has played only nine offensive snaps and doesn’t have an NFL catch. Stll, he’s embraced the gunner role on special teams, which has kept him in the team’s game-day plans.
Miles Boykin: The former starter has played almost exclusively on special teams since returning from a hamstring injury. The Ravens say his offensive role could expand, but he’s behind quite a few receivers at the moment.
Tight ends/fullback
Grade: B+
Despite playing without Nick Boyle, this group has done its job. Mark Andrews has solidified his status as one of the game’s top pass-catching tight ends and he’s blocking better than he ever has. Patrick Ricard, arguably the top blocking fullback in the NFL, continues to be a force. Eric Tomlinson and Josh Oliver have made modest contributions. The Ravens are hopeful to get Boyle back after the bye and if he’s right, he should give them a little bit more muscle and versatility in the run game.
Mark Andrews: Andrews has five catches or more and 55 receiving yards or more in five of seven games to go along with three touchdowns. Every week, he draws one of the opponent’s top defenders and still makes big plays as Jackson’s most trusted target.
Eric Tomlinson: The well-traveled veteran has filled Boyle’s blocking role and been solid in performing those duties. Boyle’s return could make him the odd man out.
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Josh Oliver: An offseason trade acquisition, Oliver has stayed in that 12-to-20 snaps a game range, while presenting himself as an occasional target. He has a career-high seven receptions.
Patrick Ricard: A lot has been asked of Ricard, who has played more than 40 offensive snaps in five of seven games. He’s not been very active in the pass game, but his blocking is key to everything the Ravens do offensively.
Offensive line
Grade: C+
The Ravens haven’t had it easy here. All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley got through just one game. Week 1 starting left guard Tyre Phillips missed four games. Rookie third-round pick Ben Cleveland, who was rotating in at left guard, has missed two games and counting. Alejandro Villanueva, Kevin Zeitler and Bradley Bozeman have played through physical challenges. Right tackle Patrick Mekari is now out for several weeks. The Ravens have needed to rely on practice squad elevations to fill game-day reserve roles. It would be tough for the Ravens to ask a whole lot more from the offensive line than what they’ve gotten, which is mostly uneven play. The offensive line has been effective at times and then it has occasionally been overwhelmed, like in Week 1 in Las Vegas and last week against Cincinnati. Improvement is needed if the Ravens are going to make a postseason run.
Alejandro Villanueva: After a brutal Ravens’ debut at right tackle, Villanueva’s been more comfortable and effective since moving to the left side when Stanley went down. There have been some breakdowns, but he’s had a couple of strong games, too. The Ravens will continue to have to give him some help in tough matchups.
Ben Powers: He didn’t start in Week 1 and there were a couple of weeks where he was rotating at left guard with Cleveland. He’s had a few issues, but it would be tough for the Ravens to expect a whole lot more from him.
Bradley Bozeman: Bozeman has made the transition from guard to center look seamless. He’s had few errant snaps and mostly held up well in both pass and run blocking.
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Kevin Zeitler: He’s delivered on what the Ravens expected when they signed him to a three-year, $22.5 million contract in March. He’s been a solid performer and leader.
Patrick Mekari: A center the past two years, he stepped in at right tackle when Stanley got hurt and Villanueva moved to the left side and he quickly became one of the team’s top-performing linemen. He hurt his ankle Sunday and is expected to miss time, a big blow to the Ravens.
Trystan Colon: As the backup to Bozeman, Colon has been used primarily when the Ravens have gone with an extra offensive lineman. The Ravens would have no problem starting him if the need arises.
Tyre Phillips: Phillips won the starting left guard job out of camp and then went down in Week 1 with a knee injury. Offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris conceded that the Ravens would prefer keeping Phillips at guard, but they need him at right tackle with Mekari sidelined.
Ronnie Stanley: The former All-Pro left tackle struggled mightily in Week 1 and that was the last game he’d play this season. Stanley’s recurring ankle issue, which led to another surgery, is arguably the Ravens’ biggest downer of the season. The Ravens hope that he’ll be healthy and ready for training camp next July, but that’s hardly a guarantee.
Ben Cleveland: Viewed as the favorite to win the starting left guard job out of training camp, Cleveland couldn’t stay on the field long enough to earn the spot. Just as he was starting to play more, he went down with a knee injury in Week 5. He’s expected to return off IR in the coming weeks, but it will almost likely be as a reserve.
Defensive line
Grade: C+
It’s not that this group has played poorly. It contained the run in most games and that’s the No. 1 objective. There just haven’t been enough splash plays and getting pressure on the quarterback has been problematic. Calais Campbell doesn’t have gaudy stats, but he’s played well. The Ravens could just use a little more production and the occasional big play from somebody else. There have been too many instances when Ravens defensive linemen have been on the ground or pushed backward. The pending return of Derek Wolfe should help. The Ravens still need more from Brandon Williams and Justin Madubuike.
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Calais Campbell: The 35-year-old has played with plenty of juice, registering a half-sack, seven quarterback hits, four tackles for loss and blocking a key kick in the comeback win against Indianapolis. He’s being leaned on for probably too many snaps, but his form has made it tough for the Ravens to take him off the field.
First the tackle then the block for Calais Campbell, can the @ravens comeback?#INDvsBAL on @ESPNAusNZ and https://t.co/sSU0MeSBbV pic.twitter.com/zvaOjD1crG
— NFL Australia (@NFLAustralia) October 12, 2021
Brandon Williams: In his ninth season, Williams is still a presence against the run. He just hasn’t been as stout as he’s been in the past and last week’s Bengals game was one of the worst games of his career.
Justin Madubuike: Madubuike makes a play or two every game that flashes his potential. The next step for the 2020 third-round pick is to play with more consistency. The Ravens believe he’s capable of more than what he’s shown.
Justin Ellis: He’s been fine as a rotational defensive lineman. What the Ravens expected from Ellis in limited snaps is pretty much what they’ve gotten.
Broderick Washington: His biggest contribution was suggesting the line stunt that led to Campbell’s crucial blocked field goal against the Colts. He’s been a healthy scratch the past two games and it might get even tougher to get in the lineup with Wolfe soon returning.
Outside linebackers
Grade: C
There was a lot of preseason excitement about this group, which had accomplished veterans like Pernell McPhee and Justin Houston and youthful newcomers Odafe Oweh and Daelin Hayes. There have been some nice moments with Oweh responsible for several of them. However, the Ravens’ struggles to get pressure with their front four falls partly on the outside linebackers. The edge setting could be a little more consistent as well. None of the outside linebackers have performed poorly. It’s just fair to expect more.
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Pernell McPhee: A team favorite because of his leadership and toughness, McPhee has been quiet since getting a sack in Week 1. He has just two quarterback hits this season and he’s played less than 20 defensive snaps in three of the past four games.
Tyus Bowser: It was a quiet start for Bowser, but he’s come on of late with 2 1/2 sacks and 16 tackles in his past four games. However, he has left some plays on the field and the Ravens sure could use more splash plays and better tackling from the fifth-year linebacker.
Justin Houston: The Ravens signed the veteran early in training camp and he’s graded out pretty highly as a pass rusher with two sacks and nine quarterback hits in six games. He’s a half-sack away from 100 for his career.
Odafe Oweh: The team’s second first-round pick, Oweh has been quiet for the past two weeks, but he’s already silenced the pre-draft talk that he was a project. With three sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery, Oweh has already made an impact and there’s so much room for him to grow.
Jaylon Ferguson: This has been a lost season so far for the third-year linebacker who has played just two games and 11 total snaps and is currently trying to get his conditioning back after a bout with COVID-19.
Daelin Hayes: The rookie fifth-round pick made his debut in Week 3 and lasted all of four plays before he sustained a high ankle sprain. Hayes remains on IR and it’s unclear if he’s in the Ravens’ plans for the rest of the year.
Inside linebackers
Grade: D
No position group has been a bigger disappointment. The Ravens were expecting second-year jumps from both Patrick Queen and Malik Harrison. Instead, Queen struggled so much that he was moved from the middle to weakside linebacker and taken off the field on passing downs. Harrison’s play led to him getting a significant reduction of snaps in recent weeks. The Ravens’ inside linebackers have been taken advantage of in coverage. The tackling, specifically with Queen, has been bad at times, too. The insertion of Josh Bynes has settled things down, but if the Ravens’ defense is going to improve the rest of the way, it will have to start with much steadier play from the inside linebackers.
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Patrick Queen: The 2020 first-round pick acknowledges that he needs to fix his tackling and play much better. The past two weeks have at least been a step forward although there’s much work to do. As long as Queen is playing with speed and physicality and not thinking so much, the Ravens will live with the results.
Malik Harrison: It wasn’t all that surprising to see Harrison struggle in coverage because that’s not his game. It was a surprise to see him playing so tentatively. Harrison has played fewer than 20 snaps defensively in three straight games although he’s maintained a significant role on special teams.
Josh Bynes: The overall grade is probably a bit unfair to Bynes who has started the past two games following a late-September promotion from the practice squad and played well, while having a positive effect on Queen. At 32, Bynes has some athletic limitations, but the Ravens need his leadership, run-stopping ability and steadiness.
Chris Board: Mostly known for his work on special teams, Board’s role defensively has increased to where he’s now being used as the middle linebacker on passing downs. His ability to cover backs and tight ends will be challenged the rest of the way.
Kristian Welch: Welch has played one defensive snap all season. Special teams is the reason he’s on the roster.
Cornerbacks
Grade: C
The Ravens have allowed more passing yards through seven games than any team in franchise history. They’ve been victimized by three 400-yard passers. That obviously reflects poorly on the team’s current back corps although it isn’t all on them. The Ravens’ linebackers and safeties have had a hand in it as well. Still, it’s been a struggle for a group that badly misses Marcus Peters’ playmaking ability and leadership. Former All-Pro Marlon Humphrey has been the face of those struggles. Pretty much all of the cornerbacks have had some costly missed tackles as well, so it’s just not been a coverage issue.
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Marlon Humphrey: The two-time Pro Bowl selection was having a disappointing year by his high standards even before he was victimized for many of Ja’Marr Chase’s 201 receiving yards last Sunday. He’s been beaten for long touchdowns, missed some tackles and been unable to create many big plays. A lot is put on him in Peters’ absence and Humphrey doesn’t back down, but the Ravens need their best defensive player to be more consistent.
Anthony Averett: Averett replaced Peters and a case could be made that he’s been the team’s best defensive back despite getting targeted more than any corner in the league. He had a nightmare outing against the Colts, but he’s risen to the challenge and mostly been good in the other six games and he has a team-leading two interceptions.
Tavon Young: It was hard to know what to expect from Young after he missed just about all of the previous two seasons. He struggled to deal with Hunter Renfroe in Week 1. Otherwise, Young has held up in coverage and been an effective blitzer.
Jimmy Smith: Since returning from an ankle injury in Week 3, Smith has provided depth at both the outside cornerback and safety spots. The Ravens, though, are having to monitor his snaps and his matchups carefully, given Smith’s age and injury history.
Chris Westry: After making the team following a strong training camp, Westry was having a solid Ravens’ debut in Las Vegas, but he hurt his knee late in the game and hasn’t played since. Thin at outside cornerback, the Ravens surely could find a spot for a healthy Westry.
Safeties
Grade: C+
Up until the Cincinnati game, the Ravens’ starting safety duo of Chuck Clark and DeShon Elliott had been playing reasonably well. They were getting their hands on more footballs, making some plays as blitzers or in the run game and providing energy and leadership. Like with the rest of the Ravens’ defense, things came apart against the Bengals and Clark and Elliott have to rebound. They both have their challenges in coverage and cutting down on the yards after catch opposing players are getting has to be a priority, but they do other things well and are key performers for the Ravens defensively.
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Chuck Clark: Through the first three or four games, Clark may have been the Ravens’ best defensive player. His level has dropped off a bit and the Ravens will need that to change. They rely on him heavily to keep the defense organized and locked in.
DeShon Elliott: The fourth-year safety seemed to be in good position to have a breakout year and he’s played really well at times, injecting swagger and physicality to a unit that needs it. There have been some breakdowns and a few costly missed tackles, but Elliott is an improved player and a physical presence every week.
Brandon Stephens: The Ravens were criticized in some circles for “reaching” to select Stephens in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft even though he had only two years of defensive back experience. Stephens, though, has contributed immediately on both defense and special teams. He was solid in his two starts in place of an injured Elliott, showing good game speed and aggressiveness. His biggest issue has been tackling.
Anthony Levine Sr.: Levine no longer has a role on defense, but he captains the special teams units, which have been arguably the best in the league this year.
Geno Stone: Stone’s contributions have all been on special teams with the exception of the 12 defensive snaps he played in Week 2 against the Chiefs. He’s the team’s fourth safety.
Ar’Darius Washington: The undrafted rookie out of TCU has been active for two games and played a total of two defensive snaps and 12 special teams snaps. The Ravens like his potential as a nickel back, but it will take an injury or two this year for Washington to get a bigger role.
Specialists
Grade: A
To no surprise, the Ravens again have one of the top special teams units in football. Their return game, led by Duvernay, has been dangerous. They’ve covered kicks and punts well despite injuries creating changes in special teams personnel. Their success starts with the kicking battery of Justin Tucker, Sam Koch and Nick Moore. The three combined to make history in Detroit as Moore snapped it, Koch held it and Tucker booted the game-winning and record-setting 66-yard field goal through the uprights as time expired. If the Ravens lost that game, the entire trajectory of their season could have changed.
JUSTIN. TUCKER. 66 YARDS.
HE GOOOOODDDDDD 🙌🙌
(via @Ravens) pic.twitter.com/AkmVNN9JIe
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 26, 2021
Justin Tucker: The most accurate kicker in NFL history, Tucker has made 14-of-15 field-goal attempts and all 15 of his extra-point tries. He continues to prove that he’s one of the game’s most unique weapons.
Sam Koch: The venerable punter ranks 14th in the NFL in net punting average (41.0) and he’s tied for 11th with 10 punts placed inside in the opponent’s 20. His consistency, both as a punter and as a holder, remains impressive.
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Nick Moore: Moore was in the spotlight this season as the replacement for the team’s longtime long snapper Morgan Cox, a fan favorite and Pro-Bowl performer. Moore has made it a nonstory to this point by doing his job well.
(Top photo of Lamar Jackson and Patrick Ricard: Mark Goldman / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
