Since the kickoff of the 2019 NFL regular season, Lamar Jackson’s individual brilliance and force of personality have come to define the Baltimore Ravens. The most exhilarating quarterback in the league today, Jackson’s peerless combination of speed and arm talent earned him Most Valuable Player honors last year, transforming the franchise from a middle-of-the-pack afterthought to a true Super Bowl contender in the process.
But while Jackson and the offense serve as the centerpiece for discussion, they alone will not author the full story of the 2020 iteration of the Ravens. Much of that responsibility will fall to a defense that includes several new faces including a new superstar: defensive lineman Calais Campbell.
On a unit boasting star talent at every level, no player stands taller literally or figuratively than Campbell, a 6-foot-8, 300-pound do-everything defensive lineman equally adept at bulldozing offensive linemen into submission and swatting down any projectile that passes through his considerable airspace. While the Ravens have featured numerous stud pass rushers in recent years, Campbell provides something they have lacked in that time: a towering presence that forces quarterbacks to work away from the middle of the field. Already, he looks like the best defender on the team.
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Typically, a player of Campbell’s caliber does not become available. A first-team All-Pro and member of the 2010s All-Decade team, Campbell offers rare ability to disrupt a play that has not diminished with age. Throughout his career with the Arizona Cardinals and Jacksonville Jaguars, he served as the primary focus for opposing offensive lines and still registered incredible production. His 204 career quarterback hits and 89 career sacks rank fifth and ninth, respectively, among active players.
However, the Jaguars decided to hit the reset button this offseason, sending away the last remnants of the core that fell just short of reaching Super Bowl LII. That made Campbell available for any team willing to take on the cap hit, and the Ravens happily obliged. Baltimore general manager Eric DeCosta sent a fifth-round pick to Jacksonville and agreed to a new two-year contract to secure Campbell’s services.
DeCosta’s decision has already paid dividends for the Ravens. In defined passing situations, defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale likes to frequently move around his defensive linemen and edge rushers like chess pieces before the snap while also scheming them into different gaps after the play begins. Doing so can frustrate offense and keep quarterbacks from full settling into a groove due to the unpredictability of the defensive alignments.
That approach wouldn’t work without versatile defenders in the trenches, and none offer more positional flexibility than Campbell. Through two weeks, Campbell has lined up at defensive tackle (37 snaps), weakside end (16), strongside end (14), and a handful of snaps along the edge and off the ball in other sub packages (17 in total). Given the focus offenses place on Campbell, the unpredictability of his whereabouts has directly contributed to the Ravens holding their first two opponents to just 20 combined points.
But Campbell’s dominance doesn’t come merely through schematic alterations. His massive frame and strong instincts allow him to make plays that few others can at his position. On the first defensive series of the season opener, Campbell demolished the Cleveland Browns’ offensive line on second-and-10, pushing back his blockers far enough to bat down a pass from third-year signal-caller Baker Mayfield intended for running back Kareem Hunt in the flat.
That play set up an even more extraordinary moment for Campbell. On the ensuing third-and-long, the Browns prepared to double team the defensive lineman in order to buy Mayfield enough time in the pocket. Rather than fight force with force, Campbell instead dropped into coverage, buzzing out into the curl zone to deflect Mayfield’s pass into the waiting arms of cornerback Marlon Humphrey for an interception. Few linemen weighing 300-plus pounds have such athletic ability in their prime. Campbell still possesses it at age 34.
No matter how many game-changing moments Campbell produces, he and the defense will nearly always play second fiddle to the reigning MVP and one of the most unique and creative offenses in the NFL today. Indeed, Jackson’s play and availability will more greatly impact the Ravens’ fortunes than any other combination of players on the roster.
Even so, for Baltimore to become more than just a playoff participant, it needs the balance of a capable defense with a field-tilting centerpiece. Though he just arrived in March, Campbell fills that role capably, providing the Ravens with legitimate hope that 2020 will prove to be their breakthrough season.
Jason B. Hirschhorn is an award-winning sports journalist and Pro Football Writers of America member. He has bylines at NFL.com, SB Nation, Sports Illustrated, and other outlets.