There was a time when we didn’t know if Lamar Jackson would play for the Baltimore Ravens again. Jackson wasn’t happy about his contract situation and he wasn’t afraid to talk about it publicly. Thankfully, Jackson and the Ravens were able to come to an agreement on a massive 5-year contract making him the highest-paid player in NFL history. Keeping Jackson was vital for the Ravens future success in 2023 and beyond. Are the Ravens now poised for a deep playoff run? Let’s take a closer look at their roster and offer a record prediction for 2023.
The Good
For several years now the Ravens wide receiver core was mediocre at best. They tried to address this in the draft but had more misses than hits. This past offseason they decided to address this position by bringing in Odell Beckham Jr. on a one-year contract. While OBJ may not be as explosive as he once was, he still has plenty left in the tank. He will want to prove his doubters wrong and will elevate the young wide receivers on this team. One of those being of course Rashod Bateman.
Bateman has shown that if he can stay healthy he can be the weapon the Ravens desperately need. The key of course is health as Bateman has yet to play a full season. Pairing him with OBJ and rookie Zay Flowers should finally give the Ravens a formidable wide receiver group. Add to that one of the best tight ends in the NFL in Mark Andrews and this offense will be tough to stop for opposing defenses.
The Bad
While it may be tough to find a glaring hole on the Ravens, one area of concern is the running back position. The Ravens will once again rely on J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill in their backfield. Dobbins may have come back too early from ACL injury in 2022 and he really wasn’t effective until late in the year. The hope is Dobbins is now fully healthy in 2023 and ready to take on the full-time role. Still, I would’ve liked to see the Ravens bring in a veteran to shake up this unit and provide insurance in case Dobbins goes down again.
The Prediction
The bottom line for the Baltimore Ravens is they will once again compete for the AFC North title and more. Getting Lamar Jackson back was obviously huge for their future success. Jackson finally has a legitimate wide receiver group to throw to and the defense will take another step forward. Expect the Ravens to finish 1st in the division and make a deep run in the 2023 NFL Playoffs.
2023 Record: 12-5
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