ESPN’s Dan Graziano ranked all eight divisions, and, unsurprisingly, the AFC North was No. 1.
Graziano based his rankings in part on ESPN’s Football Power Index, which measures how many points above or below average a team is. The Ravens have the highest FPI in the AFC North and third-highest overall. They are followed in the division by the Cincinnati Bengals (seventh overall), Cleveland Browns (14th), and Pittsburgh Steelers (17th).
“Yeah, we’ll go with the division in which every team had a winning record last season and none has a negative FPI rating heading into 2024,” Graziano wrote. “I disagree a bit with the order within the division, but I do think this is the division that has the best chance of being the first ever to put all four of its teams in the postseason. (To be clear, I am not predicting that this will happen, merely saying this is the division with the best chance.)
“The FPI is higher on Baltimore than I am, mainly because I have concerns about the Ravens’ ability to seamlessly replace three offensive line starters and all of the coaches and players they’ve lost on defense. Quarterback Lamar Jackson finished the 2023 season healthy and history tells us if he can do that again the Ravens will be contenders — and he may well be MVP. But given all of the changes and the challenges of playing a first-place schedule (while the Bengals get to play a fourth-place one), I have at least some concern that the Ravens could take a step back — or at least need some time to find its footing. A big part of their FPI rating is a league-best 1.9 on defense, and I think that number assumes a lot from the young players and coaches who need to step up.”
The respect Head Coach John Harbaugh and his staff has earned was reflected in ESPN’s Ben Solak’s rankings of all 32 coaching staffs.
The Ravens’ staff (specifically Harbaugh, Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken, and Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr) came in at No. 5. The top four in order were the Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Rams, and San Francisco 49ers.
“Oh, how badly I wanted to put the Ravens above the 49ers and the Rams,” Solak wrote. “If I had certainty in the state of the defensive coaching staff, they’d easily be No. 3, maybe even No. 2. But the defensive brain drain is difficult to ignore: Coordinator Mike Macdonald, line coach Anthony Weaver, and secondary coach Dennard Wilson all left the franchise this offseason. That’s as big of a change of any team.
“Now, if there’s a head coach I trust to shepherd his team through the change, it’s Harbaugh. The Ravens flipped their offense from Greg Roman’s system to Monken’s last offseason. Those two are about as different as it gets, and the personnel wasn’t even right for Monken’s preferred approach — they didn’t have the talent at wide receiver. Yet the Ravens still ranked in the top five in expected points added per play and success rate on offense, as Lamar Jackson produced a second MVP season.”
Solak noted that the offense got better week over week last season, even as the Ravens lost key players such as tight end Mark Andrews, running back J.K. Dobbins, and left tackle Ronnie Stanley to injury.
“Monken and Harbaugh produced one of the best coaching jobs last season, and you barely hear it discussed. This is why I believe in the defense, even despite the departures,” Solak wrote. “Harbaugh has proved he can adjust his staff and philosophy successfully (see: transition from Wink Martindale to Macdonald in 2022).
“He’s also one of the league’s preeminent game managers, which minimizes the impact of those early bumps in coaching transitions. I gave the Lions the nod for the strength of the staff across the board, but if you made me pick just one ‘CEO’ coach with whom to start my franchise, I would take Harbaugh over Dan Campbell and the rest of the field.”
Competition for the Ravens’ reserve wide receiver spots is something to keep an eye on heading into Saturday’s preseason game at the Green Bay Packers, according to NFL.com’s Eric Edholm.
“With the regular season closing in, the Ravens’ top three wideouts would appear to be Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor. After that, it gets murky,” Edholm wrote. “Devontez Walker figured to be close to a roster lock after the Ravens took him in Round 4, but he’s had a frustrating, injury-marred summer. Deonte Harty’s return ability helps his chances, but what does he offer as a receiver? Fourth-year pro Tylan Wallace finally looked to be settling in, but the recently added Anthony Miller might be challenging Wallace.
“There’s also a slew of other WR candidates (like Russell Gage, Keith Kirkwood and Malik Cunningham) trying to elbow their way in. Can Wallace hang onto his spot? Is Miller poised to be a late mover? Some of these answers could be settled shortly after Saturday’s game at Lambeau.”
On a related note, NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal said on the “NFL Daily” podcast that if Washington Commanders wide receiver Jahan Dotson is on the trade block, the Ravens should consider going after him.
“Would they take a fourth for Jahan Dotson right now from the Ravens? I like that fit,” Rosenthal said. “… I think maybe the Ravens are so good at getting those compensatory picks that maybe they could send a third over for Johan Dotson and get it done.”
Dotson, who was selected 16th overall by Washington in 2022, has 84 catches for 1,041 yards and 11 touchdowns in 26 games over two seasons.
