Where Does Ravens' Roster Rank?

The Baltimore Ravens expect their roster to be good enough to contend for a Super Bowl once again.

Nov 12, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton (14) celebrates with linebacker Roquan Smith (0) after scoring a touchdown against the Cleveland Browns during the first quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jessica Rapfogel-USA TODAY Sports / Jessica Rapfogel-USA TODAY Sports

Every team with Super Bowl aspirations needs a roster capable of getting there, and the Baltimore Ravens are no exception.

Over the course of several years, Baltimore has carefully put together a great roster in all phases of the game. Lamar Jackson and newcomer Derrick Henry headline the league's best rushing offense, while the defense features elite playmakers at at all three levels. Even the Ravens' special teams unit is one of the league's best, headlined by arguably the best kicker to ever lace them up in Justin Tucker.

There's little doubt that the Ravens' roster is one of the best in the league, the question is how high they rank. According to a recent ranking of every team's roster by ESPN's Mike Clay, Aaron Schatz and Seth Walder, Baltimore comes in at No. 3 behind the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, the two Super Bowl teams from last season.

In what may be a surprise to some, ESPN's analysts determined the Ravens' safety group to be the roster's biggest strength, over quarterback, running back or tight end.

"I could've easily gone with quarterback or tight end here, but safety gets the nod after Kyle Hamilton emerged as a superstar last season," Clay writes. "The 2022 first-round pick was the only player in the league to reach 80 tackles, 4 INTs and 3.0 sacks (one of only seven to do it over the past decade), which landed him first-team All-Pro honors. He's joined in the defensive backfield by Marcus Williams, who sits eighth among safeties in INTs (20) and seventh in passes defended (54) since entering the league in 2017."

Of course, no roster is perfect. For the Ravens, their biggest weakness currently lies in the offensive line, a concern many pundits have pointed out already.

"John Simpson and Kevin Zeitler departed during the offseason after handling 93.4% of Baltimore's guard snaps in 2023. The team did very little to replace the duo, with the likes of 2023 backup Ben Cleveland, journeyman newcomer Josh Jones and 2023-24 late-round draft picks Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu and Andrew Vorhees the top candidates to start. This is arguably the league's shakiest guard situation," Clay writes.

For as strong as the Ravens' roster is, they are incorporating several new pieces this season, which will inevitably lead to some growing pains. Nonetheless, this roster seems very capable of competing for a championship once again.

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