It’s difficult to pinpoint one or even two reasons to why the Ravens offense hasn’t clicked so far. Many Ravens fans have called out offensive coordinator Greg Roman for his play calling and his willingness to abandon the run, especially when the team falls behind and breaks game script. One reason for the uptick in passing this season is due to the run game not being as efficient as it was last year. In 2019, the Ravens led the league in rushing EPA per play and it would’ve been 7th in passing which is just absurd efficiency. This year, the Ravens only rank 3rd in the league, which is still well above average but not where it was last year, which is forcing longer down and distance situations where the Ravens are forced to pass more traditionally. Fans and the media also point to the run game regression stemming from the loss of future Hall of Fame guard Marshall Yanda, who has been replaced by 3rd round pick Tyre Phillips who has struggled mightily with run blocking so far. They also point to opposing teams game planning better with the d line keeping gap assignments and linebackers forcing Lamar out to the boundary before he can turn the corner. While those reasons might be true, Lamar Jackson has received a large amount of blame. The Ravens pass offense is currently last in the league in terms of total yardage, and many people around the league attribute that to Jackson’s lack of ability to execute traditional passing schemes. Despite the feeling that Lamar Jackson has not played at the level he did last year, through the first 6 weeks of both seasons, Lamar Jackson has a higher passer rating, better TD:INT ratio, higher pass TD%, more yards per carry, and a better record in 2020 compared to 2019.

The last factor brought up for the offensive struggles, is the lack of play makers in the offense. The Ravens first off, do not have that truly elite weapon like a Julio Jones or George Kittle, but do have two excellent receivers in Mark Andrews and Marquise Brown.However, the drop off after those two is huge, and the Ravens desperately need another guy to step up. GM Eric Decosta in order to address this, signed Dez Bryant to the Ravens practice squad, and will likely activate him to the active roster following the cut of safety Marcus Gilchrist. Bryant figures to be the Ravens big possession receiver on the outside, a role that Miles Boykin has not been able to fully fill this season with his inconsistencies as a route runner. The Ravens hope Dez brings a veteran presence to the offense and can be a third option in the passing game that defenses somewhat fear and a reliable outlet for Lamar Jackson. While all the factors listed have all been issues for the Ravens offense, they have still been productive enough to get this team to 5-1, and there are reasons for optimism that they can improve and return to a dominant offense down the stretch that can challenge any team in the league.

On the other side of the ball, you can hardly find anything to criticize. The Ravens have easily been a top 3 defense in the NFL and a huge reason this team is 5-1 heading into Pittsburgh. Coordinated by Wink Martindale, the Ravens extremely aggressive style of defense which features a heavy amount of blitzes, leaning on the extremely talented secondary and forcing turnovers, currently are allowing the least amount of points in the NFL. However, the one game that everyone points to, is the week 3 game against the Kansas City, where Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid picked apart the Ravens blitz and the defensive backs were exploited against a lightning quick group of receivers. Blitzing takes away help in coverage as everyone knows, which is why teams do not blitz most of the time and rely on 4 or less rushers to get to the quarterback, but the Ravens really struggle to generate pressure when not blitzing. With the highly dissapointing play of Matthew Judon, lack of talent, and inconsistent play from the edge group as a whole, the Ravens went out and acquired Yannick Ngakoue from the Vikings in exchange for draft capital. Ngakoue plans to provide a pass rusher with the ability to defeat blocks and get to the quarterback on more traditional pass rush sets, while also being a weapon on stunts and blitzes. Ngakoue now reuinites with Calais Campbell, where in Jacksonville they were terrific on stunts. The Ravens who love stunts and scheming up pressure through matchups, will be vary happy if the duo can replicate that here in Baltimore. This team is 5-1, and still has a lot of room to get even better coming off the bye, where John Harbaugh has consistently been dominant. Get ready NFL, because the Ravens aren’t going anywhere.

Prior to the NFL draft, DeCosta traded tight end Hayden Hurst and a 4th round pick to the Atlanta Falcons in return for a 2nd round pick and a 5th round pick in the 2020 draft. The Ravens selected Ohio State RB JK Dobbins to add explosiveness and have a potential superstar running back long term. This left the Ravens with just two tight ends, Mark Andrews and Nick Boyle. The Ravens also looked to improve in the receiving core, with potential breakouts from Marquise Brown, Willie Snead and Miles Boykin; and through the addition of Devin Duvernay as a run after catch slot presence. It was evident that heading into the season, that the Ravens, who used more tight ends than anyone in the league, planned to shit to a more traditional set of personnel with more receivers in 2020.

3 Ravens tight ends saw over 40% of snaps in 2019, which was the same amount of receivers that did. Marquise Brown and Miles Boykin are seeing significantly more snaps per game, and the Ravens lost a big role in the TE group with the Hayden Hurst departure. Tight end usage in the offense decreased from 13.84% to 20.64%, while receiver usage jumped from 19.73% to 20.64%. Another thing to note is that defenses are giving much more attention towards Mark Andrews in order to decrease his effectiveness, and without Hayden Hurst, the Ravens lack some of the vertical explosiveness that they got from the tight end position in 2019. To adjust, the Ravens have begun to lean on the receivers more. Marquise Brown is emerging as one of the leagues best deep threats, and keeps defenses honest with his threat to score on every play. Willie Snead and Miles Boykin are starting to receive very little attention, and as a result have been able to be schemed open in Greg Romans new offense and have contributed to the evolution of the passing game, which requires Lamar Jackson to sit in the pocket and go through progressions more and get the ball out of his hands quickly on blitzes. The Ravens have also managed to get Devin Duvernay involved a little bit as a threat on screen passes and as another headache for defenses to worry about. Roman said that Duvernay has earned more reps in games and I expect his role to only grow in this offense.

There are still many elements from the pistol read option offense that was so dominant in 2019, and even if there is a counter for it that teams are implementing, Lamar Jackson’s elusiveness still makes it incredibly dangerous. But now with Lamar Jacksons growth as a pure quarterback from the pocket, and the Ravens increased usage in wide receivers and advanced passing concepts, the Ravens offense looks to be as scary as ever in 2020.

Marquise Brown, WR Marquise “Hollywood” Brown has already stepped up and begun to emerge as the Ravens WR1 for Lamar Jackson. Hollywood leads the Ravens in receiving yards through week 2 with 143. Coming off a somewhat successful rookie season, going for 584 yards and 7 touchdowns, Hollywood is looking to make a big leap and get into the conversation as one of the leagues best receivers. In 2019, he played all season with screws in his foot which affected his ability to play at top speed and run routes off of that foot. This year, Marquise looks to play at full speed, even after putting on 20 pounds to bulk up to around 180 pounds. Trough the first two weeks, Hollywood looks like he is poised for a big season, and I’ve been advocating for a breakout throughout the entire off season. I wouldn’t be surprised if Hollywood emerges as a top 20 receiver and one of the leagues best deep threat after the 2020 season is done.

Tyus Bowser, Edge Since the departure of Terell Suggs and Za’darius Smith, the Ravens have been in search of productive edge rushers. Matthew Judon has emerged as a fan favorite and the Ravens best edge rushers, however he has not been as productive as the numbers would suggest. Judon recorded 10 sacks and over 60 pressures, however 56% of his pressures were cleanups or unblocked, which means he generated about 30 pressures on his own, which is not the production you want out of your best edge rusher. Tyus Bowser, contrary to the many of the Ravens power rushers, offers speed off the edge and also the athleticism to be effective in coverage. With Bowser continuing to inprove his pass rush arsenal, he’s been the Ravens best edge rusher so far in 2020, with Judon struggling, and looks to make his case for a pay day as his contract is up after this season.

Jaylon Ferguson, Edge Another edge rusher looking to take a step up in 2020 is Jaylon Ferguson. Ferguson was selected late in the 3rd round by the Ravens in 2019 out of Louisiana Tech, where he broke the record for the most sacks in FBS history, previously owned by Terell Suggs. While you like the production he showed, scouts criticized his lack of burst, bend and athleticism off the edge, which caused him to slip towards the end of the 3rd round. In his rookie year, Ferguson saw little playing time at the beginning of the year, but saw his workload increase as the season went on as a rotational rusher. In year two, similar to Bowser, is looking to become a productive pass rusher for the Ravens.

Chuck Clark, Safety Chuck Clark received a 3 year extension during the offseason to start at safety for the Ravens alongside Earl Thomas. Ironically enough, an altercation between Thomas and Clark prompted the Ravens to release Thomas, slating Chuck Clark to be the Ravens #1 safety. Clark is very well respected within the Ravens organization for being an extremely smart player in the secondary that communicates very well and puts himself in a good position to make plays for the Ravens defense. Clark receives the playcalls on defense and looks for the first time to have an established starting role going into the season. In a season where continuity matters, Chuck Clark’s football intelligence and ability to make sure the defense knows what they’re doing, Chuck Clark could emerge as a very quality safety in 2020.

Deshon Elliott, Safety With Earl Thomas gone, a hole opened up in the Ravens secondary at free safety. There was some uncertainty around who would start. Possible options included Iman Marshall, Tavon Young and Jimmy Smith, but with Marshall and Young missing the season, Deshon Elliott is the Ravens guy at safety. Though he lacks great athleticism and range, Elliott is a hard hitter who made a lot of plays at Texas in his college years. Even though he’s missed much of his first 2 seasons due to injury, Elliott has managed to stick around and impress coaches enough to stay on the team, and is trusted enough to be slated in as the teams starter at safety.

Thomas signed with the Ravens on a 4 year 55 million dollar contract last offseason and was one of the leagues highest priority free agents. Thomas said that he was ready to sign with the Kansas City Chiefs before receiving a last minute offer by the Baltimore Ravens, in which he accepted. The Ravens have been known as for a while, one of the best cultures and defensive development organizations in the league, and were more than happy to welcome in Earl Thomas, who has unarguably been the best safety in the NFL since Ed Reed. With an emerging star corner in Marlon Humphrey, a fellow first team all pro on the opposite side with Marcus Peters, and a young smart heady player in Chuck Clark, the Ravens looked to have potentially the best secondary in the NFL going into the 2020 NFL season.

Thomas played a big role in Seattle during the times of the legion of boom, the center field free safety looking to eliminate all big plays deep down the field. He was excellent, earning 3 all pro selections and PFFs highest coverage grade as a safety during his time in Seattle. The original contract looked like a bargain for what Earl would bring to the table for the Ravens, giving them more flexibility then they had previously with Eric Weddle, even coming off a major leg injury that caused him to miss most of the 2018 season. Many analysts praised Ravens GM Eric Decosta for the move, which was one of his first moves ever after taking over Ozzie Newsome.

The 2019 season certainly didn’t look like the contract hurt the Ravens. As we all know the Ravens went 14-2, and bolstered one of the leagues best defenses in the league, helped greatly by Earl, who earned his 7th pro bowl selection. Earl stepped into a completely different system from what he played in with the Seattle cover 3, moving to more of a box safety who helped in run support and manned up on tight ends and running backs. He in fact, notched his first sack in his entire career this season, getting to Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Also, though I don’t like looking at coverage box score stats, Earl put up incredible numbers, allowing a 4.4 passer rating, 6 receptions, 81 yards and 0 touchdowns when targeted as the nearest defender according to next gen stats. While those numbers look very impressive, Earls play wasn’t quite at the top tier level it once was back in Seattle. His PFF grade was 76.7 this past season, which isn’t bad, as it only slightly trails Minkah Fitzpatrick, who has emerged as one of the leagues best safeties according to many fans. However, it is a step down from his previous years which usually graded out in the 90’s, which is understandable coming off of a major leg injury and coming into a completely different system.

There seemed to be no issue with Thomas going into 2020, until a hiccup in early May. TMZ leaked a story of Earl Thomas allegedly cheating on his wife with another woman with his brother, where he was later confronted and held at gun point by his wife. Earl did not intend for this story to be leaked, but it did, and that’s when rumors of him being cut began. After the story was released, there were rumors swirling around that the Ravens were unhappy with Thomas’ inability to learn and thrive in the Raven’s system and that the coaching staff was unhappy with him. However, this all seemed to blow over within the next couple of months and all parties seemed to move on from the story and the rumors were never confirmed.

Training camp then begun in August, in a weird covid-affected season. Defensive coordinator spoke to reporters about Earl Thomas, saying that he will be playing in 2020 closer to full speed after more recovery time from his leg injury. However this camp was a nightmare for Thomas and pretty much anything that could go wrong, did go wrong. Thomas reportedly was late to meetings, and one time missed a meeting entirely without a valid excuse, which was the need to get his car washed. John Harbaugh and the Ravens coaching staff, who wants to establish a strong culture, was unhappy with Earl and frustrated with his behavior throughout camp. The tipping point was in a 11 on 11 practice, when Thomas blew a coverage, allowing a touchdown, which followed with Chuck Clark slamming his helmet on the ground and confronting Thomas, which then escalated into a fight with Thomas punching Clark. After this, the Ravens leadership council decided that they would rather not have Thomas on the team, which led to the Ravens sending home Thomas from camp the previous day. After a day had passed, the Ravens decided that they were going to move on from Thomas, and will now begin a battle for the money that is owed to Thomas and weather or not they are able to void the contract due to language involving personal conduct that has adversely affected the team.

The Ravens now have a hole at the free safety position. 6th round 2018 draft pick Deshon Elliott is slated to start at free safety, and likely take rotations with Chuck Clark and 7th round rookie Geno Stone. Elliott missed 2018 and most of 2019 with significant injuries, but the coaches and many fans have hope that he will have a breakout season in 2020. There was unfortunate news that Iman Marshall will miss the 2020 season with season ending surgery, who could’ve moved to safety and is the most athletic option. All of the Ravens current options, all have athletic limitations and could be exposed in the back end due to a lack of range. The Ravens could also experiment with corners Tavon Young and Jimmy Smith in the back end who add more athleticism, but the Ravens system doesn’t entirely demand the position to have a ton of range. Whichever way the Ravens go, Wink Martindale, John Harbaugh and the rest of the staff will make sure to put them in the best position to succeed, and the Ravens still look to boast one of the leagues best defenses, despite the loss of Thomas.

Marquise “Hollywood” Brown: Hollywood is a popular breakout candidate among many and for good reason, but I’m more confident that he actually will. He’s created a lot of buzz with the offseason workouts he’s been posting on social media and has been putting in a crazy amount of work. He’s also bulked up to 180 pounds after previously coming into the league at 160. Another reason to believe he is going to breakout is the fact that he is going to be 100% healthy after playing with multiple screws in his foot which limited his speed and explosiveness. While already showing that he is a capable deep threat while playing on a serious injury, he should be even more dangerous this season as one of the most explosive players in the league with the Ravens passing game expanding.

Chuck Clark: After Tony Jefferson suffered a torn ACL against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Clark was thrown into the starting strong safety role next to Earl Thomas. Clark was steady, and was even more than just a band aid while also assuming the defensive play calling role. The former 6th round pick out of Virginia Tech will go into the season as the starting strong safety after receiving a 3 year extension this offseason, while still going under the radar of many NFL fans. I predict we see Clark show an improvement and look very comfortable in Wink Martindale’s defense as a versatile player that will play one high center field and as a sub package linebacker. Clark is one of the smartest players on the Ravens defense, and looks to have everyone where they’re supposed to be while making plays.

Tyus Bowser It’s almost becoming a meme at this point with Ravens edge rushers breaking out in their contract years. Pernell Mcphee, Za’darius Smith and Matthew Judon all had career seasons in years where their contracts expired, and went on to get paid good money the next year. This year is Tyus Bowser’s final year until his rookie contract expires, and has yet to break out after being a second round pick in 2017. He’s shown flashes here and there as an athletic versatile edge rusher but has to prove this year that he can be a legitimate starting caliber edge rusher. Theres a good opportunity to get playing time at the edge spot opposite of Matthew Judon, and if Bowser can develop his explosiveness off the edge, there’s no reason he can’t win it and break out as a very good edge rusher.

Jaylon Ferguson: If Bowser isn’t the one to break out, I think Ferguson is. Ferguson is also battling with Bowser and Pernell Mcphee for that #2 edge on the Ravens. Ferguson is a very different player from Bowser, in fact he has the complete opposite skill set. Ferguson lacks burst and bend off the edge, but is a powerful rusher with heavy hands that gets good pocket push. He showed consistent improvement all season throughout his rookie season and consistently saw more playing time with it. There’s a decent chance that he is called upon into a bigger role this year, and with Martindale scheming up pressure, I think there’s a chance we could see a Ferguson breakout in year 2.

Tavon Young: Tavon Young’s career has been hit hard by injuries up to this point. Young suffered a neck injury in the 2019 preseason that would sideline him for the entire season. However, he will be back in 2020, with Harbaugh saying “What I was told yesterday is that Tavon will be back for the first day of the offseason program and he’ll be rolling,” Young received a 3 year 25 million dollar extension last offseason, making him one of the highest paid slot corners in the league after a successful 2018 season. With great talent around him in the Ravens secondary with players like Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters and Earl Thomas, I expect Tavon to have a breakout year. Humphrey was asked to play a lot of slot corner last season to match up with certain receivers like Tyler Lockett who operates well from the slot, but Tavons quickness is more well suited for that role, while Humphrey will be able to use his length and physicality better on the outside. I believe Young will be a very good playmaker and have a great season as one of the top slot corners in the NFL in 2020.

Lamar Jackson struggled heavily against the Chargers, who he previously beat 2 weeks earlier. He missed throws, couldn’t get much going on the ground with the Chargers deploying 7 defensive backs, as the Ravens were completely shut down offensively. Fans started booing Jackson and asked for Flacco, who had shown tons of playoff success during his time in Baltimore, but the Ravens stuck with Lamar.

When the off season hit, the Ravens unsurprisingly traded Flacco, committing to Lamar as the franchise quarterback. Analysts and fans around the world disagreed with the move and criticized Lamar and the Ravens front office all off season for the decision. Many brought up the fact that Lamar was a historically inaccurate passer his rookie season, which very rarely improves over time, while also acknowledging the fact that there was a counter for the offense and that the Chargers exploited it. Everyone had agreed that Lamar was the worst starting quarterback heading into the 2019 season or close to it, focusing on what he didn’t do well instead of what he could do in the future, and that’s where everyone went wrong.

Jackson went to work during the off season. He put on weight, improved his trowing mechanics and weaknesses in his base causing accuracy issues, and studying football to become more advanced mentally. He didn’t pay much attention to the doubters, but when he did he used it as fuel to prove them wrong. When the team got together during offseason camp, he stood out as coaches kept talking about. His mechanics improved and he looked like a much better quarterback heading into the next season. He played pretty well during the preseason but didn’t blow anyone out the water, as the Ravens ran a simplified offense to get his feet wet. It wasn’t until the first week that we were going to see the new Lamar Jackson.

September 8th 2019, the Ravens open up their season in Miami against the Dolphins. No one really knew what to expect from the new look Ravens offense under newly hired offensive coordinator Greg Roman. Lamar exploded, completing 17 out of 20 passes for 324 yards and 5 touchdowns, while blowing out the Dolphins 59-10. This got many people talking as it shocked NFL fans around the league. People began to question weather or not he had improved, but we needed to see it more against better opponents. Baltimore dropped 2 straight against Kansas City and Cleveland and sat at 2-2 going into week 5 against Pittsburgh, where the Ravens won in overtime, but with Lamar throwing 3 picks and having maybe his worst game of the season up to that point. It seemed like Lamar was better than everyone expected but not quite an elite quarterback.

The Ravens would face off against the Seahawks, against the MVP front runner at the time, Russell Wilson. Thats when Lamar really caught peoples attention, winning 30-16, and improving to 6-2 on the season. He would build off that with a 37-20 victory against the undefeated Patriots in prime time. He started to run away with the MVP against the Rams in week 12, in a 15/20 5 td game on Monday Night Football. Lamar would continue his dominance over the rest of the season, walking away winning the MVP award unanimously at 22 years old.

The Ravens sat at 14-2 heading into the divisional round of the playoffs against the 9-7 underdog Tennessee Titans. The Ravens went on to lose the game, and Lamar didn’t have his typical MVP performance as the Ravens fell in their first playoff game for the second consecutive season 28-12. Later, Lamar would admit that they underestimated the Titans. Lamar began to receive criticism again for not being able to deliver in the playoffs, as people continued to question his ability as a drop back passer despite leading the league in passing touchdowns from the pocket.

Lamar Jackson in year 2 took the league by storm, not only because of his incredible rushing ability but because of his understanding of the game and ability to process defenses. At 23 years old, Lamar is way ahead of the curve in football IQ, as many young qbs take many years to develop the understanding that Lamar currently has. He’s proven to have incredible work ethic, and has already been working out with teammates, doing extensive work wit Hollywood Brown, who figures to be Lamar’s main target at wide receiver. Lamar may never be the most accurate passer, but if he continues to get better with pre snap processing, continues to take care of the football, and uses his athleticism the way he does, there’s no reason not to expect him to be an elite quarterback, and a huge problem for the rest of the NFL.

So why do I hate it? The atmosphere is so authentic and unlike the NFL in a way that brings together so many people. Well there are several reasons. The predictable outcomes are one. Every year, its Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State. Those 3 teams have won 7 of the last 9 national championships, and have been historically dominant, with those teams being heavy favorites for this upcoming season as well. LSU was a nice breath of fresh air this year, but even they are a program with a pretty good track record over time. Since the CFB playoffs have been implemented, those 3 programs, have all consistently been in it. Alabama was not in this past year, but that was mainly due to the fact their star quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa got hurt, and because LSU was so dominant. Oklahoma has found their way into the playoffs, along with Notre dame, but they have gotten blown pretty much every time, which is common for most underdog teams that do find their way into big games. Lack of variety at the top has become a huge problem and a turn off for me in college football.

So why is there such a lack of variety? Why do the same teams just keep winning? The answer to that is recruiting, which is corrupt in it’s own way. Just think about what happens in the recruiting process, teams and coaches travel around the country, in a competition to prove to high school kids that other programs are terrible, while pouring in millions of dollars. The teams with the highest funding and best recruiting always land the top players in the nation while putting a tremendous amount of pressure on them. The whole process is terrible to me. Georgia spent 3.7 million dollars in recruiting this past year, which is a record.

Georgia and other teams such as Tennessee spend a lot of money in recruiting but don’t enjoy the fruits of their labor, so recruiting is all just the best teams right? Well kind of but that’s not the whole story. Programs like Georgia and Tennessee spend a ton of money in current recruiting classes, they do not forward spend on future classes, so when you look at the total spectrum, the leaders are always those 3 teams that I mentioned, Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State. Those top colleges also spend a lot on coaching, and often are the first to get guys that come from the NFL. With these teams consistently getting the best players and coaches, they’re able to create a strong culture and build off of it for years, thus creating dynasties.

In the NFL, there are great underdog stories, such as the Titans this season, and as I witnessed, the 2012 Ravens, and a lot of variety in team success. The only team with truly sustained dominance recently are the New England Patriots, who even now are potentially fading away. College football however, remains the same teams at the top, even though players are coming in and out every 4 years. Hopefully, LSU is a sign of things to come, with other programs breaking out and being able to have success at the national level, but for now, the college football I watch casually when not scouting for the NFL, will be very little.

Some people believe having running backs that are valuable receivers, and also capable of moving into the slot is huge for offenses and can generate big plays out of mismatches but I dont believe this to be entirely true. The average yards per target for a running back lined up in the slot is only 8.7 yards while receivers average 13.2 and tight ends average 11.2 yards.

Outside of Darren Sproles and Reggie Bush, no running back has charted over 700 receiving yards when lined up at receiver. Christian Mccaffrey, known as the leagues best receiving back averaged 1.5 yards per reception less when lined up out wide as opposed to out of the backfield. The truth is although you can create unique mismatches out of the slot with your running back, having a running back line up at receiver is not as effective as having a tight end or receiver out there.

However, by definition, a hybrid is “a thing made by combining two different elements; a mixture.” So what about the other way around? NFL teams have experimented with using receivers as running backs and the concept has been evolving. The Chiefs were very succesful doing this early on with Tyreek Hill, and we’ve seen more teams use it with players such as Cordarrelle Patterson and Deebo Samuel, and potential rookies who can do so such as Antonio Gibson, Brandon Aiyuk and Laviska Shenault.

Obviously receivers turned running backs, are going to have better receiving skills than vice versa, so how does that make them potentially more effective? The answer is simply that they are able to be more effetive out wide, running a variety of routes and truly exploiting the mismatches given often through their blend of speed and physicality, and their ability to separate as receivers. These players are often extremely physical runners with the football and have the dynamic home run ability to take anything to the house with their explosiveness, making them extremely dangerous on the perimiter on screen passes and other plays of that nature.

The downside is that these players don’t have the experience of running between the tackles traditionally like runningbacks, however teams continue to go away from the traditional ground and pound and have developed more complex offensive schemes. 49ers coach Kyle Shannahan has adopted the modern offensive style, as he adds many wrinkles in the pass and run, while getting the ball into the hands of dangerous playmakers in space such as Deebo Samuel and George Kittle and letting them pick up chunk plays after the catch. Using these players in such a way requires your offense to cater towards getting them the ball in space, which can be difficult, but as we’ve seen with coaches like Andy Reid and Kyle Shannahan, the hybrid receiver can be used in a very valuable way.

Genrally speaking, the sample size for these players is very small and its hard to analyze the data right now and deciding weather using a wide receiver as a running back hybrid is truly efficient on a big spectrum, but as more teams begin to become more innovative, we will soon see a new wave of these new players enter the league and play significant roles, and see all the ways they can be used in NFL offenses

Heading into the 2019 NFL draft, Brown wasn’t considered a first round lock and wasn’t considered to be the best receiver by many. The Ravens asked quarterback Lamar Jackson who he wanted as his #1 receiver, to which he replied either Marquise Brown or Jerry Jeudy. The Ravens on the clock at pick 25, with no receivers yet to be taken, took Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, adding to at the time a very thin group of receivers in Baltimore. Looking at receivers that weigh what Hollywood does that have been succesful in the NFL, the list is very short, if existent at all. “I give respect to all the guys who came before, but I don’t think there’s ever been anyone like me,” Brown said, via Tyler Dunne of Bleacher Report. “Nobody’s played like me at that size. Because I’m a receiver. They look at the small guys and think I’m just a gadget player. No, I’m a receiver. I can run every route. I know every defense. Guys get to the league, and they want to uphold this image that their way is the best way. I don’t think like that.” Brown after a somewhat succesful rookie season, looks to build upon it and become a unique type of receiver that is not only an elite deep threat but a guy that can threaten defenses after the catch on screens and being an intermediate target. “I’m going to make a statement this year,” he says. “A big statement.”

Brown was diagnosed with a lisfranc injury late in his final college season, and remained a concern and limitation for him throughout his rookie season. The injury is known as potentially career ending, but Hollywood wouldn’t let that stop him. He wouldn’t even let it stop him from having a impressive rookie season, which he played with screws in his foot that hampered him all throughout the year, including in the divisional round playoff game against the Tennessee Titans where he posted 7 receptions for 126 yards anfd 6 first down, along with an incredible over the shoulder one handed catch in traffic. This offseason, Brown got the screws removed, saying “I feel like I have a new foot.” Getting closer to 100% in his sophomore season should propell him into being one of the leagues most explosive receivers with true 4.2 speed. Brown continues to work out in the offseason with Lamar Jackson and with @the_footdoctor on ig, to build more strength, and set a goal to get his weight up to 170 pounds. Last year Brown says, “I was trying to run on my toe, but since I didn’t have the power there, it just shifted.” This year he won’t have that limiting him and it should allow him to breakout.

In a league where receivers like Tyreek Hill, Desean Jackson, Amari Cooper and Will Fuller are starting to find more success and become more valuable, Brown looks to become another premiere deep threat in the NFL. When you turn on the tape, the explosiveness jumps out as well as his change of direction, ball tracking skills down the field and he scares you whenever he has the ball in his hands with the chance to score. With Lamar Jackson coming off an MVP season, Brown looks to be the best receiver at his disposal, and with his great talent and skillset, I see no reason why he won’t become one of the leagues top deep threat and develop into a great all around receiver. The future is bright in Baltimore with the most dynamic athlete at quarterback the league has possibly ever seen, and Brown who just might be one of the most dynamic receivers in the entire league.

Round 1 pick 28, Patrick Queen: A+

Going into the offseason, the Ravens clearly needed to upgrade at linebacker. After incredibly poor play from Patrick Onwuasor and Chris Board, the Ravens brought in band aids in midseason free agency with Josh Bynes and LJ Fort. The Ravens didn’t do much to address the position in free agency, but in the 1st round, they stay put and snag my 3rd ranked linebacker and 24th player on my big board. Queen offers coverage flexibility on the second level that the Ravens haven’t had since Ray Lewis. Queen brings extremely fluid athleticism and play processing, as well as being able to matchup with “mismatch” players such as Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle, making him a perfect fit in the Modern NFL. Queens biggest weakness is his experience, as he’s not seen a ton of playing time behind some great linebackers at LSU, however there might not be a better place to develop and learn than in Baltimore.

Round 2 pick 55, JK Dobbins: A

The state of runningbacks in the NFL is very interesting in the modern NFL. Teams have been leaning away from investing high capital in running backs, as analytics have shown that they aren’t valuable, and I tend to agree with that. However, the Ravens scheme might just be an exception to that. The Ravens run the ball more than anyone in football, and often times, running backs have gained 5 yards before they are contacted downfield, making the yardage they pick up after that, what they are able to do in space, and weather or not they are able to break away and take it for a big gain matters more in the read option Lamar Jackson led offense. Adding JK Dobbins to this team is essentially adding Ezekiel Elliott, which if you as ESPN is absolutely absurd, but in reality Zeke is a top 15ish running back that does one thing. You see the hole, you hit it hard, fight for yardage, try to fall forward, and if you get into the open field, go and house it, and that is exactly what Dobbins is going to bring to the table. Dobbins was my RB2 and the 57th player overall on my big board. Ingram was very good last season but is now in his 30s with injury concerns. Dobbins can offer what Ingram did, plus the explosiveness and ability to take any run to the house. Good luck stopping this offense.

Round 3 pick 71, Justin Madubuike: A+

The Ravens didn’t even necessarily need this player, but the value was just too good to pass up at this pick. Justin is more than a luxury than a necessity but is absolutely a 2nd round talent and the 48th player on my big board. The Ravens have beefed up the interior of the defensive line, adding Calais Campbell and Derek Wolfe. Brandon Williams will return but Michael Pierce and Wormley departed in free agency and through trade respectively. The Ravens interior D line totaled under 50 pressures last season between Williams Wormley and Pierce, but now have more pass rush versatility through the new additions, including Madubuike. Madubuike offers very good explosiveness and a low center of gravity as an undersized D lineman, which is becoming more valuable as these players are able to gain leverage easier. Madubuike should be a really nice rotational pass rusher right away and could develop into a solid all pro defensive lineman down the road. I really love the value of this pick and what Madubuike offers with his skillset.

Round 3 pick 92, Devin Duvernay: A+

I could not think of a more perfect fit for this Ravens offense than Devin Duvernay. Duvernay was one of “my guys”, the 42nd ranked player on my big board overall, and 9th ranked reveiver. With the way the Ravens offense opperates, there is much more value in slot receivers, which is exactly what Duvernay is. The Ravens passing game opperates mainley over the middle of the field, and Seth Roberts was not the scary slot prescence last year to opposing teams, Duvernay will be. Duvernay offers elite speed, running a 4.39 at the combine and displaying it on the field. He is a beast after the catch and you will be wasting your time trying to find dropped passes from him on film because he just does not drop the football. He is exceptional at adjusting to innacurate passes, which will help Lamars developement a lot and is an absolute beast after the catch. Imagining pounding the rock down teams throats, and then getting Duvernay the ball on the boundary creating more explosive plays is unbelievably exciting and adds another dimension to an already scary offense. The knock on Duvernay is his overall route running, but the Ravens don’t value the ability to scream open on double moves as much and will have him running a smaller route tree. This pick not only makes a ton of sense scheme wise, but is also terrific value and a position of need. I can’t believe the NFL let this happen and in my opinion this was one of the best picks in the entire draft.

Round 3 pick 98, Malik Harrison: A-

I am not as high on Malik Harrison as some people were, but I still like this pick a lot. I had Harrison as the 104th player on my board and my LB11. There was some 1st-2nd round hype behind this player but I think this is ultimately where he should’ve gone. In terms of fit this is another home run from Eric Decosta and the Ravens. If Queens weakness is his play strength and run defense, that is exactly what Harrison brings to the table and he’s a perfect compliment to Queen. Harrison moves pretty well for his size and is a great run defender. He’s your traditional thumper that plays with good physicality in the box and is a sure tackler. Even though I had other linebackers ahead of him at this pick such as Davion Taylor and Akeem Davis-Gaither, I personally would’ve gone with Harrison here due to the skillset he brings. He struggles in coverage and doesn’t have the cleanest processing skills, but that is where Queen excells. I like the floor Harrison brings and think him paired with Queen could quickly become one of the leagues best linebacking duos.

Round 3 pick 106, Tyre Phillips: C-

This pick was sort of a dart throw at the offensive line from Decosta. Phillips to me didn’t stand out a whole lot and was just a guy, as he was the 248th ranked player on my big board. Phillips however does bring raw power at the point of attack, which does fit well with what the Ravens look for in offensive lineman. He can play both tackle and guard, and if anything can be a swingman that can play in place of an injury on the offensive line. His technique and mobility is below average, and I didn’t love the value, but Decosta probably saw something I didn’t with him, and the Ravens needed to address the interior of the line with the departure of Yanda and I like the idea of throwing darts at the position.

I loved almost every pick that the Ravens made, addressing needs, finding value and finding scheme fits, which is exatcly what you want to be doing in the draft. This class is one of the best I’ve seen not only from the Ravens but the entire league, as Decosta did a great job in aquiring a lot of mid round picks and making great selections with them. After these aquisitions, I’m not sure how you couldn’t pick the Ravens to win the superbowl, after loading up in the front 7, which was a bit of a weakness last year, and making the offense even more dangerous after being one of the best units in the league last year, without losing many key pieces. The Ravens are in position to win now with the talent and scheme and I couldn’t be more excited to watch it this season.