There are – or should be – big concerns regarding the 2022 Baltimore Ravens. This is a team that, as we sit here today, may be significantly over-rated. Let me make the case that the 2022 Ravens are Over-Rated.
Holes on the Roster
I’ll preface this discussion by noting the obvious. The Ravens roster as of game one is a bit of a mess. Nevertheless, taking the roster as it sits, edge rusher is a mess, interior linebacker is a mess, the offensive line is full of question marks, the wide receiver room is untested, and Lamar’s refusal to work out a deal with the Ravens hangs over him and the team.
Ravens Over-Rated Argument Number One – Abundant Health Red Flags
Everyone knows about the devastating injuries in 2021. But the flip side of last year’s injuries is the risk to performance of the affected players in 2022. None of the players listed below has set foot on the field yet, so to assume there’s no material risk of any lingering health problem is imprudent.
The most important player in this group is Ronnie Stanley. What are the Ravens going to get out of him, if anything? The contingency plan is atrocious. Ju’Wuan James? Don’t make me cry. Patrick Mekari? He can man the right side but not the left. No doubt the upside case for the 2022 Ravens is dependent on Stanley producing at a high level. And even if he manages to come back and play at a decent level, given the magnitude of his injuries, durability will always be a high concern. This is a very fragile situation.
Then there’s J.K. Dobbins, who, according to a recent report, has been seen hobbling a bit. Hard to see Dobbins returning to top form anytime soon. Gus Edwards certainly won’t. All of which forced the Ravens to sign Kenyon Drake who, when healthy, was a very good player. But Drake himself is coming off a very significant broken ankle, an injury severe enough that some doctors question his ability to produce.
Need I mention Marcus Peters. Yes, it was a disaster last year when the Ravens were forced to put anyone other than Peters on the field. Do you feel much better if Kyle Fuller has to take Peters’ place if Peters can’t go at a top level, or at all? Even the Ravens’ top corner draft pick – Jalyn Armour-Davis – has been hurt throughout much of training camp. Let’s hope he’s not the second-coming of Iman Marshall (remember him).
Then there’s Tyus Bowser coming off of his Achilles injury. When will he be back and what will he offer? Achilles’ injuries are a big deal, especially for someone who relies on burst and acceleration. Is it realistic to think that Bowser can play at a top level this season? David Ojabo with his own Achilles injury suffered in March is facing the same challenge. This is asking a lot.
There are other lingering issue concerns. I think, and still believe, that Ben Cleveland is the best left guard on this team. He dominated – when he played – in the exhibition games. But Cleveland just can’t seem to stay on the field, which is a real shame because he’s an upgrade over Ben Powers. All of which calls into question the offensive line depth. Tyler Linderbaum also has some injury red flags.
From a health perspective, I feel most comfortable with the return of Marlon Humphrey. For the Ravens, the issue with Humphrey is, which player will he be in 2022?
Ravens Over-Rated Concern Number Two – Edge Linebacker
There’s simply no way that only Justin Houston, Odafe Oweh and – who else? – can successfully defend the edge and regularly pressure NFL quarterbacks. I’ve never seen a situation for the Ravens where the edge linebacker position is so thin. And that’s true even if Oweh becomes the superstar in 2022 that so many pundits are inferring. If Oweh becomes a 10-12 sack man with a high pressure rate that will help – if he stays healthy of course. But consider the situation if he doesn’t make a giant leap or if he gets hurt. There’s nothing at all behind him. And don’t tell me about Steven Means or Jeremiah Moon because I won’t believe it.
The Ravens, at this point, are depending on both Tyus Bowser and David Ojabo not only taking the field sooner than expected, but hitting the ground running. It’s a hell of a gamble.
Ravens Over-Rated Concern Number Three – Interior Linebacker
Amazingly, the Ravens have six inside linebackers on the roster as of this writing. That makes zero sense. I can’t imagine Kristian Welch taking any defensive reps. Sure, Josh Bynes can play on first and second down, and maybe Patrick Queen too. But on passing downs I could envision situations where the Ravens have zero – that’s right zero – inside linebackers on the field. Six men at this slot? It makes no sense. And until Patrick Queen proves me wrong, the quality of the two starting inside backers is well below grade.
Ravens Over-Rated Concern Number Four – Offensive Line
I’ve touched on the concerns here emanating from Ronnie Stanley’s status. But it goes deeper than that. The Ravens’ depth here, even with nine men on the roster, is suspect. Daniel Faalele is, or should be, in a red-shirt year. He’s not ready to play meaningful downs. Trystan Colon was retained both because the Ravens view Mekari as more likely to be forced to play anywhere else on the line, and because Ben Cleveland’s injury history makes it less likely that Ben Powers would be available to play center. Hence, Colon stayed and Tyre Phillips departed.
I believe that Morgan Moses will be adequate at right tackle. The Ravens got a lot out of Kevin Zeitler at right guard last year but at his age it’s certainly a legitimate risk that his play deteriorates. How effective will the untested Linderbaum be in power schemes? Can Ben Powers pass block better than his poor performance last year? And who’s going to be at left tackle? Given all of the question marks, what’s the probability everything falls into place?
Ronnie Stanley issues linger all over the offensive line. He’d better be able to play well because, let’s be realistic, there really isn’t any backup plan at all.
By the way, the Ravens made the correct move in releasing Phillips. He really is no more than a utility infielder who can play a bunch of positions but is not that effective at any of them.
Ravens Over-Rated Concern Number Five – The Wide Receiver Room
I neglected to mention up front the injuries that have run through the wide receiver room during the pre-season. I’m a fairly big James Proche fan, as the man runs very solid routes, catches everything, and is effective with the ball in his hands even though he lacks home run speed. The soft-tissue bugaboo hit Proche, however, and we’ll see how healthy he turns out to be. But Proche in the slot should be effective.
Devin Duvernay remains the big variable in this group. Will he run enough crisp routes to keep DeMarcus Robinson on the bench as the number four? Duvernay has demonstrated an explosiveness with the ball in his hands, and he needs to contribute at a higher level.
Then there’s Rashod Bateman, who everyone is assuming will become a number one receiver. Perhaps he will, but that’s not a certainty. And can he stay healthy as well?
This room has potential to the upside but let’s face it – they are in a prove-it mode.
Probabilities
Sure, sure, all of these things might turn out, in the end, to have been benign. Let’s hope so. It’s not as if the 2022 Ravens are without talent. But an awful lot has to go right for this team to make it work this year. I look at all these concerns in a probabilistic way. Each health risk compounds with the others. Numerous players on the team – whom the 2022 Ravens will depend on – are not yet at the level they will need to reach for the Ravens to succeed. Yes, this is a function of more key players being younger than in recent years. But with unproven youth comes more risk. It’s just the nature of things. The Ravens have more players they will depend on who have not yet proven themselves than in years’ gone by. No doubt there is a lot of risk here.
In all, those who are crowning the Ravens as the team to beat in the AFC North this year are facing longer odds then they realize.
What do you think?
Postscript
I made my concerns regarding Kyle Hamilton clear in my post-draft analysis. Lack of speed. I saw nothing in the two exhibition games in which he played to allay those concerns. One prominent play sticks in my craw – a situation where Hamilton was unable to flip open his hips and run. We will see what Hamilton can offer and we’re sure rooting for him. Will we wish, three years from now, that pick number 13 went somewhere else?
But I’m very excited about Travis Jones. As readers know I loved this pick when the Ravens made it. Jones was a first-round talent on my board, and I think when he’s ready to take the field he will contribute like it.
