“It all starts up front.”
Baltimore’s defensive line will have a lot of work to do this season, but they will be up to the task. For my money, the Ravens’ d-line has long been the most consistent position group on the entire team. Since the days of the late, great Clarence Brooks, defensive linemen in this town may not have been household names but have routinely been a force in this league.
Run defense starts with the defensive line. If they get blown off the ball, forget it. But if they are able to knock the offensive line back often enough, there’s virtually no limit to how great the defense as a whole can be.
Since 2000, the Ravens have had the best rush defense in football, and it’s not close. In that span, Baltimore has ranked Top 3 in scoring defense 10 times and has averaged an Adjusted Line Yardage rate of 3.78 yards per carry. As a reference, San Francisco was 2nd in ALY last season with that same number.
As you can imagine, a good run defense begins a ripple effect toward turnovers and defensive scores. Not only does a suffocating run defense get offenses off schedule with their play calling, but it emboldens the rest of their defense to rush the passer with fervor.
That brings us to this year’s squad. Led by Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Line Coach Anthony Weaver, the Ravens run defense is almost as good now as it was 20 years ago. “Under Weaver’s tutelage (2021-22), Baltimore’s defensive front has contributed to the NFL’s second-best run defense (88.3 ypg), No. 2-ranked third-down defense (34.9%) and fourth-overall red zone defense (50.0%).” – BaltimoreRavens.com
Losing Calais Campbell to the Falcons in free agency will be a miss, but it wasn’t a complete surprise. In fact, the Ravens are looking good in multiple aspects:
- Youth: the average age of Ravens defensive linemen is now 26 years and 5 months.
- Salary: the highest cap figure belongs to Michael Pierce ($3.2 million).
- Depth: six of the nine players on the depth chart were with the team last year, and six was the number of defensive linemen kept on the opening day roster last year.
Pierce or Travis Jones should start as nose tackle, just like last year, and Justin Madubuike should be the starting defensive end. That gives an opportunity to Broderick Washington to get 1st-team reps as 3-technique (defensive tackle), where he’s more than capable of succeeding as a starter.
Playing on the line (offensive or defensive) in the NFL is very humbling. If you’re not talked about, you’re likely doing your job well. If you are talked about, it’s probably not often enough and not always for the best reasons. To play defensive line the Raven way, a player must be physically and mentally unbreakable. They must be versatile. They should be ready to play in wild weather and durable enough to last 20+ games. I think the Ravens defensive line has that, top to bottom, and will be made to look even better with a full season of the Roquan Smith/Patrick Queen duo playing behind them.
Success, though, comes in two parts. You have to be willing and able yourself, but your true value is also impacted by your adversary. Most will look at Baltimore’s schedule and the great running backs they’re slated to face with a bit of apprehension. With regards to the players and coaches in that defensive meeting room, I’m sure they think the opposite.
The Ravens will face an absolute onslaught of elite rushing talent to begin the season. Think about these names and how quickly they can change a game:
- Dameon Pierce, Texans (Week 1)
- Joe Mixon, Bengals (Week 2 and 11)
- Jonathan Taylor, Colts (Week 3)
- Nick Chubb, Browns (Weeks 4 and 10)
- Najee Harris, Steelers (Weeks 5 and 18)
- Derrick Henry, Titans (Week 6)
They also have to face elite dual-threat running backs such as the Chargers’ Austin Ekeler (Week 12) and the 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey (Week 16)—both on the road.
The effect of a particular rushing attack can be lessened if the defense forces the offense to get behind in down and distance. More yards to go for a 1st down virtually guarantees an increase in passing attempts. More passes usually means those stud running backs are, at worst, a checkdown option, if not “kept in” to pass protect.
In some of these positional previews, we’ve identified an x-factor to the group’s success. My pick for this position is Travis Jones. He’s 6’5” and 333 pounds of strength and motor. He’s the Isaiah Likely of the defense. Even with a veteran in front of him, I think this will be his breakout season.
Jones’ value will be largely dependent on how much (and how quickly) he can collapse the pocket from the middle. While an interior defensive lineman isn’t known for sacks, they are the point men for disrupting blocking schemes and play action pass drop backs and progressions.
Facing so many great running backs is a tall task, not only because of their talent but what offensive coordinators will call off of those run looks. If Jones can push the center back on a consistent basis, those contingencies are far less likely to work.
My expectation for this group is to give them a B grade. I think they will be solid and help the team as a whole make a deep playoff run.
Again, it all starts up front.
Born in Baltimore, Mike had long been drawn to sports of all kinds. Growing up watching Cal Ripken play ever day gave him a great example for which to attack every endeavor he undertakes.
When the Ravens came to town, though, that’s when Mike found his passion. Since that time, he’s tried to gain every bit of knowledge he could. Now as a high school coach, Mike is able to take his film study and appreciation of the game to a new level.
To engage with Mike on social media, follow him on Twitter @MikeFastNFL.