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PFF50: The NFL’s 50 best players entering the 2020 season - Sam Monson
8. QB LAMAR JACKSON, BALTIMORE RAVENS
Though Russell Wilson had a higher PFF WAR figure than Lamar Jackson in 2019, Jackson was a very worthy NFL MVP. He is a unique talent who gives defenses nightmares as they work to contain both his passing threat and rushing ability, and he is the cornerstone that allows the Ravens to build a custom offense tailored to his talents. Jackson may well reinvent the quarterback position and, at the very minimum, will be one of the hardest players to limit as long as he continues to play at this level.
36. DI CALAIS CAMPBELL, BALTIMORE RAVENS
Calais Campbell has had four consecutive seasons with an overall PFF grade of over 90.0, and they have all come after his 30th birthday. Those seasons also span multiple different positions, teams and defensive schemes, and it shows the kind of versatility and consistency he has had. Campbell is one of the best run defenders in football, but he still more than holds his own as a pass-rushing force. He notched 71 total pressures in 2019 in what was his third season in four years with a pass-rushing grade above 80.0.
48. T RONNIE STANLEY, BALTIMORE RAVENS
Just a season ago, Ronnie Stanley posted one of the most absurd stat lines in PFF history. He surrendered just six total pressures (and no sacks) all season long. He was doubtlessly helped by Baltimore’s run-heavy system and Lamar Jackson’s unique threat at quarterback, but even in adverse pass-protecting situations, Stanley’s grade and production remained elite. He is making a hard run at David Bakhtiari’s crown as the league’s best pass-blocker.
Top 10 QBs under pressure: Ryan Tannehill, Derek Carr shine - Nick Shook
4. Lamar Jackson
UNDER PRESSURE: 93.1 passer rating, +5.5% completion rate above expectation, 49.2% completion rate.
Jackson set a new bar for dual-threat quarterbacks in 2019, setting the single-season rushing record for signal-callers — but as his numbers here show, escaping with his legs is not his only option under pressure. The most intriguing statistic was the touchdown-to-interception ratio Jackson posted while under pressure — 8:3 — which tells us nearly a quarter (22 percent) of Jackson’s 36 touchdown passes came under duress. Only one other quarterback on this list matched Jackson’s touchdown total under pressure (Daniel Jones). Interestingly, Jackson gained less than 470 passing yards under pressure while also completing 49.2 percent of his 65 attempts, which makes us think coordinator Greg Roman’s offense took advantage of its ever-present running threat to create passing windows deep in opposing territory, helping explain the eight touchdowns. Regardless, it’s just another set of numbers that illustrate how Jackson is one of the league’s most exciting players.
Remembering Baltimore Ravens draft picks as high school recruits (with rankings and videos) - Aaron Kasinitz
The details: Four stars; 37th-ranked played nationally in the Class of 2016; fifth-ranked receiver; fourth-ranked player in Texas
Skinny: Duvernay and his twin brother, Donovan, helped build a winning tradition at Sachse High School north of Dallas. Their recruitment took a turn, though. Both players were committed to Baylor and were planning to arrive on campus shortly before the school fired coach Art Briles in the wake of accusations that he covered up reported sexual assaults involving players in the program. The Duvernays steered away from Waco and wound up in Austin playing for the Longhorns.
The details: Four stars; 39th-ranked player nationally in the Class of 2016; fifth-ranked offensive tackle; top-ranked player in Wisconsin
Skinny: Bredeson, the Ravens’ fourth-round selection, was almost the opposite of Phillips. A polished prospect from a northern offensive line hotbed, Bredeson was a four-year starter at Arrowhead Head School and won Wisconsin’s Gatorade Player of the Year honors in 2015.
Ravens To Hold Training Camp Next Month In Owings Mills: Report - Jeff Arnold
But sources told The Baltimore Sun this week that training camp will remain at the team’s facility at the Under Armour Performance Center, where they have trained in the offseason since 2011. The NFL has stipulated that teams run workouts at their main facilities to help limit the spread of coronavirus as league officials work to determine what the upcoming season will look like.
Team officials have indicated that they hope to begin training camp on time beginning next month despite the uncertainty of what impact the pandemic will have on the NFL season.
The team’s training facility opened on a limited basis last week after players had been training remotely since mid-March when the pandemic forced team facilities to close over health concerns. Under NFL guidelines, the Ravens are not permitted to have more than 75 staff members or other employees in the building under once during the initial phases of reopening.