The Baltimore Ravens are entering an offseason filled with questions after a 6-11 finish ended their season early and left the franchise in head coach uncertainty. While the team begins the process of replacing New Giants head coach John Harbaugh, there is at least one clear positive: Baltimore’s rookie class showed enough promise to be viewed as a strong foundation moving forward.
Ravens Rookie Class Earns Top-10 Ranking
The Ravens’ draft group earned a top-10 league ranking from ESPN, with only eight teams placed ahead of Baltimore: the Los Angeles Chargers, Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots, New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, and New Orleans Saints at No. 1.
Baltimore’s rookie production came largely on defense. First-round safety Malaki Starks started 15 games and finished with 84 combined tackles and two interceptions. Fourth-round inside linebacker Teddye Buchanan started 13 games before a torn ACL ended his season, and he still finished with 93 combined tackles.
Second-round edge rusher Mike Green also played a larger role than expected and ended the year with 3.5 sacks. Undrafted cornerback Keyon Martin contributed as well, recording 23 combined tackles and a sack.
The biggest offensive impact from the class came from sixth-round kicker Tyler Loop, who made 30 of 34 field goal attempts.
Malaki Starks and Defensive Rookies Deliver Early Returns
MALAKI STARKS WITH A HUGE PICK!!!!
Starks came into the season with a lot on his shoulders as Baltimore’s first-round pick, and he immediately became a starter. Like most rookies, he had some rough moments early, but his play improved as the season went on, according to the Baltimore Beatdown.
Starks played 1,065 defensive snaps and was on the field for 94% of the Ravens’ defensive plays, showing how much the team trusted him right away. He grabbed two interceptions in back-to-back games in the middle of the season and finished fourth on the team with 84 combined tackles.
Green ended up playing a bigger role than expected because of injuries and inconsistency in the edge rusher group. He logged 712 defensive snaps (63%) and finished with 3.5 sacks, 19 pressures, and 14 quarterback hits. His impact wasn’t the same every week, but he showed enough as a pass rusher to give the Ravens something to build on.
Buchanan may have been the biggest surprise of the rookie class. The fourth-round pick quickly won a starting job next to Roquan Smith, earned AFC Defensive Rookie of the Month honors in October, and finished with 93 tackles and a forced fumble. His season ended early after he tore his ACL in mid-December.
Ravens Coaching Search Continues as Steve Bisciotti Explains Criteria
While the rookie class offers optimism, Baltimore’s biggest decision remains its next head coach. The Ravens are reportedly narrowing a large candidate list, with the group expected to include former head coaches and coordinators across both sides of the ball.
Owner Steve Bisciotti addressed the evaluation process, including how the franchise plans to treat prior head coaching records.
“The one thing that I know that I will probably take it on the chin is if our final candidate is an ex-[head] coach who has a losing record,” Bisciotti said, via ESPN. “And you all are going to have to understand that we are going to be able to judge that failure with his circumstances and marry that up and not disqualify them.”
Bisciotti continued, “We are keen to their circumstances, and we won’t let their first shot at a job influence us negatively for this one.”
Ravens Rookie Class Earns Strong Ranking as Franchise Begins Post-Harbaugh Era