The Baltimore Ravens weren’t far away from the playoffs in 2021 despite the ridiculous number of injuries that the team was constantly dealing with. As if Baltimore hadn’t lost enough when three Pro Bowlers went down before Week 2 of the season to go along with a plethora of other big-name contributors being lost as well, they also had to deal with losing their MVP quarterback late in the season when the team’s playoff hopes were on life support. Baltimore sat at 8-3 on the season before dropping its final six games and ending the season 8-9 and in last place in the AFC North.
It was an absolute gut-wrenching end to a season that had so much grit to it despite the injury bug biting. It felt a lot like 2015 when Baltimore had north of 20 players end the season on injured reserve, but worse because they were in the thick of the playoff hunt right ‘till the very end.
But how close was this 2021 Baltimore Ravens team to competing for a championship if they were 100% healthy? Were they truly one of the best teams in the league, let alone their conference or even division? Our natural response would be to say, “Well if the team were healthy…”
It’s easy for us to say that’s the only reason they underachieved behind our rose-colored glasses, but how factual is this?
We will obviously never know, but what if we peeked into 2022 instead. Are the 2022 Baltimore Ravens true contenders with a completely healthy roster? That’s what we’re here to take a look at now. It starts with what the team has entering 2022. The most important pieces to this team remain intact – an All-Pro quarterback, left tackle, and tight end on offense, plus two cornerbacks with the same accolades on defense.
Offensively, the Ravens host tons of young talent at wide receiver and running back. Youngsters like Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and Rashod Bateman headline a young and suddenly deep wide receiver corps. The return of J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards gives Baltimore a terrific backfield should they return to form, with both recovering from ACL injuries. The good news is that both can be eased back in while splitting time, so it’s hard to envision a scenario where the Ravens struggle to run the football again. The tight end spot is secured with All-Pro Mark Andrews holding it down and a solid Nick Boyle backing him up. Match that with your former MVP quarterback, Lamar Jackson, and the offense will be potent. The only thing that could set them back would be the offensive line, which definitely needs some help.
The defense is a bit more iffy, but the linebacker corps and edge rushing units have some promise. Truthfully, the team needs more reinforcements defensively than it does offensively.
Baltimore isn’t blessed with cap space, with the team projected to have less than $10 million with which to work. There are some big-name free agents who may leave Baltimore to include Calais Campbell, Bradley Bozeman, DeShon Elliott, Anthony Averett, Patrick Ricard, Justin Houston, and others who are important pieces to this team. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where even two of those players return, let alone more. Short of handing out some veteran or “prove it” one-year contracts, most of these players are likely moving on from the Ravens in 2022.
It’s not as though there are more flexible contracts to move on from, either. The only contract that makes sense to void is Alejandro Villanueva’s, but even then, the team would only recoup ~$6 million. Many have speculated that cutting Marcus Peters is an option, with ~$10 million returning to Baltimore, but in recent interviews both John Harbaugh and Eric DeCosta indicated that Peters will return. Peters remains one of the most important players on the defense even coming off a major injury.
With all that in mind it becomes hard to see the Ravens as big-time spenders in upcoming Free Agency. Players like safety Tyrann Mathieu have been heavily linked with Baltimore, but unless the Honey Badger took a discounted deal it’s incredibly difficult to see him coming to Charm City. There are all sorts of other intriguing names on the Free Agent market that the Ravens may love to entertain, although it may not be realistic. I again emphasize that the team will more than likely go the route of signing veteran players or unproven talents to short-term, cheaper deals rather than breaking the bank for a couple of players.
[Related: Countdown to Free Agency – Important Offseason NFL Dates]
Where Baltimore can rejoice for reloading this team, however, is in the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft. The Ravens possess 10 draft picks in the top-200 including the 14th overall selection. On paper, this draft class is deep at positions of need for Baltimore, including pass rushers, defensive backs, and offensive linemen. With a premium pick and an abundance of talent to choose from, the Ravens have a great opportunity to add some serious ballers to the team.
There are some absolute gems available for the Ravens, too, with blue chip talents like defensive linemen DeMarvin Leal and Jordan Davis, offensive tackle Charles Cross, edge rusher David Ojabo, center Tyler Linderbaum, and cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner possibly being potential options at 14. The team could also choose to be aggressive and move up for talents who could realistically slip due to team needs like edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, safety Kyle Hamilton, or cornerback Derek Stingley being high-end talents worth moving up for. Heck, the team could always move down, too, and get extra opportunities to swing on talent. The possibilities in round one alone are seemingly endless.
There is plenty of reason to be optimistic about the 2022 Baltimore Ravens talent headed into the year. A loaded roster combined with excellent coaching and one of the easiest schedules of any team in the league should, on paper, lead to a lot of wins in 2022.
I believe that 2022 will be the Baltimore Ravens revenge tour after a frustrating and disappointing 2021 season. The team is going to put the league on watch, book it.
