Friday, May 28, 2021

Baltimore Ravens Post-Draft 2021 NFL Power Rankings Roundup

Throughout the 2021 NFL season, we will compile a consensus NFL Power Rankings that averages the rankings of all 32 NFL teams.

Here is where the Baltimore Ravens rank in terms of average, best and worst:

  • Average ranking: 5.6 (5th)
  • Best ranking: 5th (Multiple)
  • Worst ranking: 7th (CBS Sports)

Below you will find a post-draft roundup for the Ravens in our consensus 2021 NFL Power Rankings.

ESPN -- Rank: 6

Player who benefited most from draft: QB Lamar Jackson

The Ravens gave Jackson two polished route-runners and a mountainous offensive lineman in the first four rounds. Jackson received help in the passing game with wide receivers Rashod Bateman (first round) and Tylan Wallace (fourth round), who are known for getting open and catching everything in their grasp. Think Keenan Allen and Cooper Kupp. In the third round, Baltimore drafted a 6-foot-6, 357-pound interior bodyguard for Jackson. Guard Ben Cleveland allowed one sack and three quarterback pressures in 741 pass-blocking snaps across four seasons at Georgia, according to Pro Football Focus. This investment provides a boost to the NFL's 32nd-ranked passing attack. -- Jamison Hensley

NFL.com -- Rank: 5

Free agency wasn't kind to the Ravens in the realm of wide receiver, as Baltimore was repeatedly rebuffed in its attempts to find new options around Lamar Jackson. The draft provided control to the process, and the Ravens made a pair of excellent moves with the selection of Minnesota wideout Rashod Bateman (27th overall) and Tylan Wallace (131st, Round 4). Bateman is a born playmaker with star potential, while Wallace was viewed as one of the draft's steals in the middle rounds. The Ravens accumulated a league-low 1,729 yards on passes to wide receivers in 2020 -- addressing this position is absolutely vital as Baltimore attempts to get over the hump in the AFC.

CBS Sports -- Rank: 5

Adding a receiver in the first round in Rashod Bateman should help the passing game and Lamar Jackson. That's what's been holding this team back.

USA Today -- Rank: 7

WRs Hollywood Brown, Sammy Watkins and first-rounder Rashod Bateman -- plus reliable TE Mark Andrews -- form a nice quartet of passing targets. Now it's up to QB Lamar Jackson and the coaching staff to "expand our profile quite a bit," as OC Greg Roman recently put it.

The Athletic -- Rank: 5

They have a Super Bowl ceiling, but the Ravens' 2021 fortunes depend on two things:
  1. Whether their offseason maneuverings result in an improved offensive line.
  2. Whether they can find more answers in the passing game.
The Ravens had seven offensive linemen play at least 400 snaps last year. Only one of them -- Bradley Bozeman -- is expected to be a starter in 2021, and even he is switching from guard to center. The Ravens are hoping new additions like right tackle Alejandro Villanueva and right guard Kevin Zeitler can improve the overall unit. At wide receiver, the Ravens didn't make a big splash, but they added Sammy Watkins in free agency and drafted Rashod Bateman in the first round. Defensively, they have one of the best corner groups in the NFL, but the Ravens should still consider adding a veteran edge rusher before Week 1.

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