John Harbaugh has one of the deepest rosters in the NFL, and as his team sits just three days from the entire 90-man roster reporting, some preseason accolades are starting to be revealed.
The first 30 players from PFF’s top 50 NFL players have been revealed. Four Baltimore Ravens have made the list so far.
Coming in at 46 was tight end Mark Andrews.
“While injuries derailed part of his 2023 campaign, Mark Andrews featured in 10 regular-season games for the Ravens and showed the type of weapon he is in that offense,” PFF’s Sam Monson wrote. “Passes thrown his way generated a 135.7 passer rating, the highest mark of any player, at any position, with more than 50 targets to his name. Andrews is an elite-level player, and a fully healthy season in 2024 will remind people of it.”
Next up was inside linebacker Roquan Smith at 33.
“Since arriving in Baltimore, Roquan Smith has been as good as any linebacker in football, and he built on that performance in 2023,” Monson wrote. “He tallied seven pass breakups in the regular season, showing the coverage skills that made him such an enticing prospect at draft time back in 2018. Smith has also been one of the more efficient tacklers in the game, but he will have to do it in 2024 with a new defensive coach and partner beside him after Mike Macdonald left for Seattle and Patrick Queen departed in free agency.”
The Ravens’ big-ticket free agent signing, Derrick Henry, came in at 31.
“Derrick Henry’s production has declined over the past two seasons, but he has not declined,” Monson wrote. “Instead, what we witnessed was the effect the worst offensive line in football can have on even an elite running back. Last season, Henry still averaged 3.3 yards per carry after contact and broke 57 tackles, earning a 90.1 PFF grade, but Tennessee’s blocking averaged only 0.9 yards before contact, ranking 30th in the league. Prepare for Henry’s production to bounce back significantly in Baltimore.”
Safety Kyle Hamilton was next on the list at 26.
“Kyle Hamilton‘s impact now exceeds conventional statistics,” Monson wrote. “He influences how the game is actually played when he is on the field. Deployed by Baltimore as a slot defender primarily, Hamilton consistently shut down the short game to his side of the field for the Ravens all season, earning an 84.7 PFF overall grade in 2023. A versatile playmaker on defense, Hamilton is the matchup answer most teams don’t have on their roster.”
MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson is the apparent remaining player for Baltimore that will make the list as PFF continues to unveil their top 50 players ahead of the 2024 NFL season.
