The NFL is set to announce the 2020 Pro Bowl roster later this evening. And with the Baltimore Ravens sitting at 12-2 and leading several respective positions in fan voting, it got me wondering which players should actually make their way into the Pro Bowl this season?
Of course, the ultimate hope is Baltimore has to have all their players turn down the event as they prepare for Super Bowl LIV. But regardless, this is a golden opportunity for many players to get their very first Pro Bowl nod and for some others to continue their streak. So let’s take a look at the 13 Ravens players I believe should be selected to the 2020 Pro Bowl.
QB Lamar Jackson
A Pro Bowl appears to be nothing more than a formality at this stage. Jackson led every NFL player in fan votes by a wide margin. And given his MVP-caliber season on top of it, Jackson not making the cut would be worthy of a headline all its own.
But just in case anyone is unsure why Jackson should get a Pro Bowl nod, Neil Dutton went through all the Ravens franchise records Jackson has already set. Add to it breaking Michael Vick’s single-season rushing record, leading the league in touchdown passes, TD% and QBR seems like good enough reasons by themselves for Jackson to get his first Pro Bowl nomination.
FB Patrick Ricard
Fullbacks don’t get a lot of love but Ricard is something special. Not only has he been an amazing lead blocker for the NFL’s top rushing attack, he’s an impressive asset on defense as well. It’s likely why he led the AFC in fan voting for the Pro Bowl already. But with the rest of the league not really favoring fullbacks as much as a decade ago, Ricard is one of a handful of players at the position to earn national recognition.
T Ronnie Stanley
Stanley was mysteriously missing from the fan voting but I’m willing to bet NFL coaches and fellow players don’t forget Stanley this season.
While offensive lineman typically don’t get a lot of recognition unless something goes wrong, it can be difficult for really good ones to overcome the name factor of someone else in spite of playing better. But I don’t think that happens this season for Stanley, who has been having a stellar year on all fronts.
For one, he’s a lead blocker on Baltimore’s top-ranked rushing offense. The rate at which the Ravens have bullied opponents physically should have Stanley in the Pro Bowl already. But on top of that, Stanley has been prolific as a pass blocker, allowing just six pressures all season and absolutely no sacks.
You better believe defensive linemen and coordinators are going to be putting his name down on their lists — and rightfully so.
G Marshal Yanda
Like I mentioned with Stanley, sometimes name recognition gets a player over the hump. Fortunately for Yanda, he’s continuing to build on his Hall of Fame career with another amazing season. It’s no wonder the Ravens love running behind Yanda most often as the gentle giant off the field plays enforcer and downright bully when he puts a helmet on.
But, Yanda has also made the Pro Bowl in seven of the last eight seasons (his lone absence was due to missing 14 games that year). If there’s a default option at guard, Yanda is the guy automatically filled in on plenty of votes.
T Orlando Brown Jr.
Brown might not be having the best season of all tackles in the league but his name recognition carries quite a bit of weight. That’s not to say Brown isn’t still having a great season by all measures but the player many expected to have work ethic problems and falter in the NFL has turned into a stout and capable right tackle for Baltimore. It’s likely why he was the only Ravens tackle to sit at the top of fan voting, oddly enough.
Much like is the case with Yanda, the Ravens love running to the right side because of Brown’s power and tenacity. Look through enough film and you’ll see holes so wide open Joe Flacco could have sprinted through for a first down. That deserves special recognition and Brown should see it in his second season.
RB Mark Ingram
Ingram is having a banner year, which is impressive considering he’s sharing carries with Gus Edwards, Jackson and even Justice Hill. Yet, Ingram should top 1,000 rushing yards (he’s 37 yards away entering Week 16) for just the third time in his career. But it’s his 10 rushing touchdowns and 5.0 yard-per-carry average that likely puts him in his third Pro Bowl. If he saw as many touches as the other top backs in the league, there’s little question he’d be a Pro Bowl nominee this season.
Ingram has found a renewed vigor in Baltimore. Signed this offseason, Ingram was known for being a bruising back but one that had injury concerns and questions about losing a step. That definitely hasn’t been the case with the Ravens as he’s run over and around defenders every week while staying upright all season long thus far.
Add a fun and entertaining energy to his stat sheet and you have the perfect recipe for a Pro Bowl season for Ingram.
TE Mark Andrews
Everyone in Baltimore expected Andrews to break out this season and sure enough, that’s exactly what happened. Among all tight ends with at least 30 receptions, Andrews is fifth in receiving yards, fifth in yards-per-reception, and tops in receiving touchdowns.
As if the stat sheet itself wasn’t enough to get Andrews to his first Pro Bowl, he’s been the key weapon in the Ravens’ offense. He’s the prime target for Jackson in an offense that isn’t exactly stocked full of insane pass catchers. That has seen Andrews get double-teamed regularly as opposing defenses try to take him out of the game, yet he still makes spectacular receptions regularly.
There’s no reason why Andrews wouldn’t be in the Pro Bowl this year. But like many other Ravens on this list, he also led in fan voting, which will help him out in case the players and coaches point elsewhere.
CB Marlon Humphrey
Humphrey has quietly been having a top season for a cornerback. He hasn’t drawn quite the same level of praise as top cornerbacks like Darrell Revis or Richard Sherman have in the past, but he’s having an equally impressive year.
Throughout the season, Baltimore has placed Humphrey on the best receivers each team has. And he’s shut them down. Names like Odell Beckham Jr. and Julian Edelman have crossed paths with Humphrey this season and not fared well.
Humphrey might not have the stats that jump out to many thanks to just not being targeted very often this season. But Humphrey has made key plays when the Ravens needed them. A pivotal forced fumble against the Pittsburgh Steelers helped Baltimore win in Week 5. The same happened against the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots.
For as good as the Ravens’ defense has been this season, Humphrey has been the unquestionable star on it from Week 1 until now.
CB Marcus Peters
This is kinda the opposite as Humphrey in a way. Peters hasn’t had quite the same level of success as Humphrey has, though he hasn’t been a scrub by any metric either. However, Peters has five interceptions, three returned for touchdowns and 210 interception return yards this season — all key stats that earn Pro Bowl votes regardless of how well a player plays outside of those.
But Peters has been pretty stellar in his own right, especially after joining the Ravens following a trade prior to Week 7. Peters stepped in immediately and made an impact, largely being the factor for Baltimore’s defensive turnaround at midseason.
As is the case with so many other players on this list, Peters led in fan voting as well. So even if the players and coaches aren’t as high on Peters as some other players, he’s liable to make the roster anyway.
S Earl Thomas
For what it’s worth, I don’t think Thomas has been Baltimore’s best safety this season. But as we’ve seen with aging players, the weight their name carries often can be enough to get someone a Pro Bowl nod. That might be the case for Thomas, who has played well this season with the Ravens but maybe not up to his usual standards, but has done enough to earn a Pro Bowl nomination.
Thomas has been great in coverage, helping solidify Baltimore’s secondary. And considering he broke his leg in Week 4 of the 2018 season, his return to form is pretty amazing. That factor alone might earn him a Comeback Player of the Year award this season and should get him into his seventh Pro Bowl.
S Chuck Clark
As I noted for Thomas, he hasn’t been the best safety on Baltimore’s roster. That should go to Clark, who has been outstanding in every facet of the game. He’s been great in coverage, helping take away running backs and tight ends in the passing game. He’s been great in run defense, stepping into the linebacker role in the Ravens’ defensive scheme.
Clark absolutely doesn’t get enough credit, even in Baltimore. But that shouldn’t stop him from getting a Pro Bowl nomination this season. If coaches and players have been watching film of the Ravens this year, they’ve likely been impressed with his football intelligence and how he plays.
That being said, I sadly doubt Clark makes the cut. As I’ve noted for a number of players above, a good portion of the Pro Bowl voting tends to come down to name recognition. And given how little Clark has seen this season, he’s likely to be passed over for someone not playing as well but with more star power.
K Justin Tucker
Tucker is the best kicker in football. I mean, that’s really all I need to write and there would be no argument from anyone. In a season where kickers are missing extra points and field goals with alarming regularity, when Tucker misses a kick, it earns national attention. The notion that Tucker missing a kick is big news is enough to warrant his Pro Bowl nomination.
But even without that, Tucker’s 95.8% field goal rate is second-best among kickers with at least five attempts. That only adds to his career percentage, which leads all qualified NFL kickers.
P Sam Koch
Koch hasn’t gotten many attempts this season thanks to Baltimore’s prolific offense. But that shouldn’t stop him from getting a Pro Bowl nomination.
Koch is arguably the best punter in the league with deadly accuracy and a bevy of different kicks that change the path of the ball in flight. Koch also has a huge leg, booming balls more than 46 yards per punt, ranking ninth this season.
Much like Tucker, I believe Koch should just have an open invitation to the Pro Bowl every season. No need to even vote for it, just give him the ticket and have him sit on the bench.
