It is officially the halfway point of the season and the Ravens are currently sitting at 6-3 with the easiest remaining schedule left in the NFL. But before we look forward, let’s take a look at how the players have performed thus far amongst their peers. Below I will highlight each Ravens’ player and their respective grade according to Pro Football Focus.
Quarterbacks:
Lamar Jackson – 79.4
Tyler Huntley – N/A
Jackson is currently PFF’s 8th graded QB. He holds the second highest rushing grade amongst QB’s with a 92.2, only Josh Allen is ahead. Lamar came out of the gates on fire but cooled down after the first 3 games, but has recently turned it back up during their 3-game winning streak. His best game of the season was in Week 3 when he had a PFF grade of 85.6, but he followed that up with his worst performance of the season against the Bills when he held a PFF grade of 58. This is Jackson’s highest graded season since his MVP year. He has a real chance to even eclipse that mark due to their soft remaining schedule. Impressively, he has been having a solid season despite not having his top running backs, Dobbins and Edwards for most of the season. Also, he will be without top wideout Rashod Bateman for the rest of the year and Mark Andrews has been banged up but he looks like he will be back in the fold. In an infamous contract year, Jackson has been carrying this team unlike any other player in the league. Expect him to continue the stellar play in the second half of the season.
Half Backs:
Gus Edwards – 85*
Kenyan Drake – 65.7
J.K. Dobbins – 63.5*
Justice Hill – 63.3
Mike Davis – 41.4*
(* indicates did not have snap minimum to qualify amongst players)
In what seems like a revolving door at the half back position, the Ravens have still managed to find quality play from their players. Edwards is the highest graded player at the position but only has 39 snaps on the season. Drake has been a solid contributor when called upon and is averaging an impressive 4.7 yards per carry, but it is worth noting that one of the games saw him have an 11 yard per carry average. Dobbins is coming off of major knee surgery and was eased back into the lineup before having another setback and is expected to be out until December or maybe further. Justice Hill is enjoying a good season as well, even though he has not scored a TD, he is averaging 5.9 yards per attempt, but he had a crucial fumble that almost cost them the game against the Browns. Mike Davis has not been good this season, he has 8 carries for 18 yards and a fumble on the season. But Davis would provide a solid veteran depth option if the guys ahead of him were to get injured. This group has been steadily improving week to week, with Edwards expected to come back next week which should provide a boost to the running attack, and the way Drake and Hill have been running it, Ravens fans need not worry about the strength of the running game moving forward towards the end of the season.
Full Back:
Patrick Ricard – 66.4
A fan favorite, “Project Pat” or “Pancake Pat” is PFF’s highest graded Full Back. A 66 grade is not considered particularly good but he is first amongst only 9 qualified Full Backs. It is mostly a dying position in the NFL, but not for the Ravens. Ricard is one of the most integral parts of the successful running game the Ravens have. Even though the grade is somewhat low, he holds an 84.2 run blocking grade which is at least 20 grading points ahead of the next closest Full Back. Ricard has enjoyed a successful NFL career given his role, a throwback, tough player who literally will do anything the team asks of him. In 2019 he played defensive line and even recorded a few sacks. He is one of the most valuable players the Ravens have and is one of the main reasons the team has one of the top rushing attacks in the league.
Wide Receivers:
DeSean Jackson – 91.1*
Devin Duvernay – 74
Rashod Bateman – 61.6
Demarcus Robinson – 61.4
Binjimen Victor – 60.4*
Tylan Wallace – 55.7*
James Proche – 51.6*
(* indicates did not have snap minimum to qualify amongst players)
Duvernay easily leads this group as their most efficient wide receiver. He has 3 receiving touchdowns, one rushing touchdown and a kick return touchdown. He has been doing everything for the Ravens and the grade reflects it, he is 28th among all wide receivers in overall PFF grade out of 117 qualified players. The same can’t be said for the rest of the wideouts. Bateman, even when healthy had only one game above a 70 PFF grade, the rest were all under 63. He has been placed on season ending IR but you wonder if he is the answer at wideout, through two seasons he will have played a grand total of 18 games out of a possible 32. You hope has a fan he can come back and earn the first-round pick aspirations the team has for him. Robinson has played well at times but has completely nonexistent in some games. He only has 29 targets on the season. Victor, Wallace and Proche all have less than 70 snaps on the season and have not impressed thus far. Jackson is technically the Ravens’ highest graded wideout on a measly 4 snaps. For what it’s worth, he looked impressive on the 4 snaps he got vs the Saints. You can only hope he can provide a spark to a low volume passing game. I fully expect DeSean to have a patented 50+ yard TD in the coming future.
Tight Ends:
Mark Andrews – 84.5
Josh Oliver – 70.1
Isaiah Likely – 69.4
Nick Boyle – 53.3*
Andrews spearheads this list as the highest graded skill player on offense. His 84.5 grade is good for second best amongst tight ends, only behind future hall of famer, Travis Kelce. Andrews was PFF’s highest graded tight end last season and is continuing his elite play into this season. He missed the game against the Saints but is looking to make his return against the Panthers. Josh Oliver has been a pleasant surprise this season. His 70.1 grade is 14th best in the NFL. He has been a steady contributor when called upon and has made some spectacular plays this season. Isaiah Likely’s grade of 69.4 ranked 15th best in the league, one behind the aforementioned Oliver. Likely is still trying to carve a role out on this team. He showed his pre-draft promise vs the Bucs as he had 6 catches for 77 yards and a TD in route to an 87 grade. Likely has all the talent in the world but just needs to be more consistent. Nick Boyle has only 41 snaps this season and you wonder if his time in Baltimore is nearing an end. One of the best blocking tight ends in the league, Boyle has enjoyed a great career in Baltimore, but injuries have unfortunately caught up to him and he is barely playing anymore. Charlie Kolar is expected to be activated soon and could provide more depth to a much-needed pass catching group.
Offensive Lineman:
Tyler Linderbaum – 67.2
Kevin Zeitler – 72.3
Ben Powers – 58.8
Ronnie Stanley – 75.6
Morgan Moses – 75.4
Patrick Mekari – 73.4
This unit is currently ranked as the 4th best offensive line in the league. Since Stanley has come back, he has allowed only 2 pressures on 120 snaps and no sacks. He is truly back to his pre-injury form and has propelled the Ravens as one of the best offensive lines in the league. His grade of 75.6 is currently 16th among 80 qualified tackles. Moses has been just as good as the aforementioned Stanley. Moses has been a solid pass protector but he been a force as a run blocker. He and Stanley are a perfect complement to each other and should only good better as the season progresses. Zeitler has been a model of consistency throughout his whole career and this season is no different. He contributes well both as a pass protector and run blocker though he been a considerably better pass protector this season. Ben Powers has been an elite pass protector but a below average run blocker. Powers has 5 games over a 79-pass blocking grade but not a single game grade over 64 as a run blocker. He has been steadily improving in his career and the Ravens should still be happy with his play despite his limitations as a run blocker. Last but not least, Linderbaum. The rookie is currently PFF’s 12th graded overall Center. Linderbaum is a great run blocker as evidenced by his Thursday Night Football performance when he dismantled Devin White on a few run plays which made highlights all over Twitter. His only downfall, pass-pro. He has surrendered 13 pressures this season mostly due to his smaller frame when asked to block mammoths like Dexter Lawrence or Vita Vea. Everyone should still be encouraged by his play and he should only improve as his career progresses. But overall, this group has been one the best units in the entire league and should only get better as the season moves along.
Mirzet was born in Bosnia and raised in upstate NY. Mirzet became a huge fan of the ravens when he first moved to the country and has never looked back. Mirzet is also a former base data analyst at Pro Football Focus. Using advanced metrics and stats has always been a passion of his when discussing anything football-related. Salihovic also lived in Baltimore shortly after he went to college at SUNY Cortland, he currently resides in Utica, NY.