This past weekend, ESPN’s Mike Clay released his annual NFL projections ahead of the upcoming 2024 season. This includes a wide array of projections including where each team will finish in the standings, team and player statistics, and position group rankings.
For the latter, Clay ranked a number of the Baltimore Ravens’ position units highly, including three in the Top-3 of the league: safety, quarterback, and tight end. A couple others also landed in the Top-10 while others were ranked lower.
Clay gave the Ravens’ safety group the No. 1 spot among all teams. The current depth chart consists of starters Marcus Williams and Kyle Hamilton, followed by incoming rookies Sanoussi Kane, Beau Brade, and Ryan Cooper. Kane was a seventh-round pick while Brade and Cooper were both signed as undrafted free agents.
After losing Geno Stone in free agency, the Ravens lack proven or established depth behind Williams and Hamilton. Stone started a number of games over the past few seasons and climaxed with an AFC-leading seven interceptions in 2023, so his departure is not insignificant.
As such, it’s widely expected the Ravens may sign a veteran at the position to replace Stone and add more experience into the room. Last week, they hosted former Pro Bowler Jamal Adams for a visit — a sign that they’re surveying the market. So, their top-ranked current depth chart could get even stronger prior to the start of the season.
Williams’ injury struggles over the past two seasons have limited his effectiveness, but he’s still a high-level free safety when fully healthy. Hamilton is likely the biggest reason the unit ranks No. 1 in Clay’s rankings. The rising third-year star had an elite sophomore season in 2023 that saw him earn first-team All-Pro honors.
The Ravens ranked highly at safety a year ago in the 2023 ESPN projections, landing in the No. 4 spot. A three-spot jump to the top is not surprising giving Hamilton’s ascendence and the potential of him and Williams as an elite starting duo at full strength.
At quarterback, the Ravens came in at No. 3 behind only the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills. While depth is always important, this is essentially saying that Lamar Jackson is the third-best quarterback in the league behind Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. Rounding out the Top-5 were two more AFC teams in the Cincinnati Bengals and New York Jets.
The Ravens lost their top backup of the past few seasons this offseason as Tyler Huntley departed for the Cleveland Browns. They re-signed longtime veteran Josh Johnson, who is the shoe-in favorite to replace Huntley, and also drafted Kentucky’s Devin Leary in the sixth round of this year’s draft.
In ESPN’s 2023 projections, the Ravens landed No. 6 in the quarterback unit rankings, so they jumped three spots. Despite an MVP-winning season in 2023, Jackson could be even better in 2024 as he enters the second season in Todd Monken’s offensive system.
The other position where the Ravens ranked in the top tier was tight end, where Clay listed them at No. 2 behind the Chiefs and one spot ahead of the Bills. This is the exact same placing the Ravens’ tight end unit was given in the 2023 projections a year ago.
Mark Andrews remains one of the league’s elite players at the position even coming off an injury-shortened season. A broken fibula limited him to 10 games in 2023 but he was well on-pace for another strong campaign and career-high in touchdown catches. Behind him are rising third-year tight ends Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar.
Likely recorded career-highs across the board last season and produced at a high level as a starter in-place of Andrews from November onward. Kolar has been used primarily as a blocker but has shown some receiving flashes at times.
The Ravens ranked in the Top-10 at two other position units: running back and interior defensive line. Their running back group, headlined by newcomer Derrick Henry, landed at No. 7, while the interior defensive line group ranked No. 6. Fresh off his first ever All-Pro nod and big contract extension, Justin Madubuike is anchoring the latter unit.
The other position units not mentioned previously, along with their respective ranking in the projections, are as follows:
- Wide Receiver: No. 25
- Offensive Line: No. 22
- Edge Rusher: No. 27
- Off-Ball Linebacker: No. 15
- Cornerback: No. 14
You can view the entire ESPN 2024 Projection guide here.