The Baltimore Ravens are a team of up-and-coming talent. As I noted before, the Ravens are entering a golden age thanks to some tough decisions in recent years to get younger. This season, we could see several young players rise up to starting roles and help carry Baltimore into their next era.
I wanted to figure out which players were the fastest rising stars on this roster. So I chose seven players I think could become household names in 2019.
Keep in mind that I chose no rookies for this list because they’ve yet to play a snap in the NFL.
1) CB Marlon Humphrey
Humphrey is already garnering quite a lot of respect around the league, finding his way onto a list of the best outside cornerbacks in the NFL.
But this season could be pivotal for Humphrey. He’ll have to fight Brandon Carr and Jimmy Smith for one of the starting jobs at cornerback but should already be penciled in after an impressive 2018 campaign.
If he can continue his ascent this season, Humphrey should be considered one of the few shutdown corners in the NFL. Once he hits that point, you’ll see a lot more of his jersey around town and he’ll be a mainstay on talk radio and television.
2) QB Lamar Jackson
Much like Humphrey, Jackson is essentially already a star, though for different reasons. Quarterbacks in this league tend to get all the face time as the leaders of their franchises. Jackson’s rare skill set puts him out there even more among the talking heads.
If Jackson can refine his mechanics and improve his accuracy this season, he’ll be the talking point. When combined with his deadly running ability, a more complete Jackson could start appearing on magazine covers and stories as the next face of the NFL. A lot will depend on how he develops as a passer this season and just how effective offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s new scheme is.
3) OLB Matthew Judon
Judon is almost there himself, with pass-rushing ability that will make him a star. Over two seasons, Judon has 15 sacks. And with the loss of linebackers Terrell Suggs and Za’Darius Smith in free agency, Judon will have a far greater opportunity to post up a gaudy stat sheet in a contract year. Of course, with little proven talent opposite him, teams could focus on Judon and limit him.
Much like Smith last year, few people except Ravens fans knew his name. But this offseason, Smith became the third-highest-paid outside linebacker in the league. If Judon plays well this season, he could have a very similar trajectory.
4) TE Mark Andrews
As a rookie, Andrews was a bit of a surprise. Fellow tight end Hayden Hurst was expected to have the bigger rookie season, but injuries derailed him. Instead, it was Andrews who impressed early while getting better as the season wore on.
Andrews finished the 2018 season with 34 receptions for 552 yards and three touchdowns. That might not seem like a lot, but it’s the seventh-most receiving yards and fourth-most yards per reception among rookie tight ends since 2000.
If Andrews can get more opportunities in his second season, it wouldn’t be shocking if he gets close to 1,000 receiving yards this year.
5) LB Patrick Onwuasor
Onwuasor stepped up in a big way last year, right as Ravens fans were beginning to doubt him. Entering his third season, Onwuasor is being tasked with filling the shoes of departed Pro Bowl linebacker C.J. Mosley.
While that is a tough job to have and it could go horribly, Onwuasor has a chance to make people forget about Mosley here in Baltimore. If that happens, Onwuasor will quickly be a household name around the league as one of the best inside linebackers in the NFL.
Even if Onwuasor never gets to the level of Mosley, he’s in a contract year and has the chance to elevate his name by next offseason, when other teams are looking at him in free agency. A solid season could be enough to put Onwuasor in the spotlight.
6) T Orlando Brown Jr.
Brown should have been starting at right tackle from Week 1 as a rookie. However, when he eventually started for an injured James Hurst in Week 7, that job was all his the rest of the way. And for good reason too.
Brown was a force to be reckoned with last year. In spite of a poor showing at the NFL combine, Brown put on a clinic on how to use aggressiveness and strength to completely shut things down. If you watch any tape from last year, you’ll see Brown flipping more pancakes than an IHOP.
Brown is the starter at right tackle entering training camp. With a year under his belt and the starting job from the beginning, Brown looks to improve over last year, which is bad news for the defenders lining up opposite him.
The son of another famous offensive lineman, Brown is a quickly rising player locally. Even though offensive linemen don’t get a lot of love nationally, offensive tackles are the rare exception. If Brown continues to put defenders on their backs this season and can stop some of the better pass rushers in the league, he has a real shot at earning a lot of national attention.
7) DT Michael Pierce
Pierce is already among the most underrated defensive linemen in the league. He’s coming off an impressive 2018 season in which he was ranked higher than every other Ravens defensive player by Pro Football Focus.
However, 2019 isn’t starting off on the right foot as Pierce was removed from minicamp practices because of poor conditioning. However, Pierce has owned up to the issue and said he’s going to work on it before training camp. If Pierce can improve his conditioning and have a similar season as last year, he’s a player Baltimore will want to lock up to a long-term contract.
Much like a number of other players on this list, Pierce is in a contract year after the Ravens placed a second-round tender on him this offseason. If Pierce can continue his dominance both as a run stopper and pass rusher, teams will be queued up at his agent’s door to sign him.
