Ravens rank No. 8 on CBS Sports’ offensive ‘triplets’ list

In today’s NFL, there’s perhaps more high-powered, explosive offensive talent than ever before in league history — or at least in recent memory. Many teams across the league boast top-tier quarterbacks and playmakers at wide receiver, running back, and tight end.

With such a high degree of talent across both conferences, it can be difficult to decifer which teams have the best collection of playmakers on the offensive side of the ball. CBS Sports’ Jared Dubin broke down the best “triplets” in the NFL, meaning the top trios of offensive skill position players.

On Dubin’s list, which was broken down into tiers, the Ravens’ trio of Lamar Jackson, J.K. Dobbins and Mark Andrews landed No. 8 overall. They fell just two spots out of the first tier and were one of eight other teams in the second tier on the list, labeled “good, maybe not great.”

“The Ravens are the lowest-ranked of our eight teams that received at least one top-five vote,” Dubin wrote. “This ranking reflects a confidence that Jackson’s inconsistency last season was likely the result of injuries to both himself and the offensive line, and that Andrews’ monster season was just the beginning of him solidifying himself as one of the NFL’s best tight ends.”

“Dobbins and Gus Edwards are each coming off torn ACLs, but Dobbins was expected to be the lead ball-carrier last season, so we expect that to be the case in 2022,” Dubin continued.

As Dubin alludes to, Andrews is the only player from this Ravens’ trio who was healthy for the entirety of the 2021 season. Jackson missed nearly the final five games of the year with an ankle injury, while a torn ACL sidelined Dobbins for his entire sophomore campaign.

Rankings like Dubin’s serve as a reminder that despite this, the Ravens are still viewed by many as having some of the league’s best offensive talent — and for good reason.

Andrews’ dominant 2021 campaign solidified his status as one of the three best tight ends in football. The last time we saw him on the field, Dobbins was in-line for a potential breakout sophomore season after a promising rookie go-around. He was one of the more productive offensive rookies in 2020.

Jackson’s shortened 2021 season was up-and-down, and subpar for his standards. However, his talent and abilities speak for themself, and he’s proven himself to be an MVP-caliber quarterback. With Jackson and Dobbins back in the fold, and Andrews fresh off an All-Pro season, it’s possible this trio could push towards elite status.

The seven teams ranked above the Ravens on Dubin’s list, and their respective set of “triplets”, are as follows —

1. Los Angeles Chargers (QB Justin Herbert, RB Austin Ekeler, WR Keenan Allen)
2. Cincinnati Bengals (QB Joe Burrow, RB Joe Mixon, WR Ja’Marr Chase)
3. Buffalo Bills (QB Josh Allen, RB Devin Singletary, WR Stefon Diggs)
4. Kansas City Chiefs (QB Patrick Mahomes, RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, TE Travis Kelce)
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (QB Tom Brady, RB Leonard Fournette, WR Mike Evans)
6. Los Angeles Rams (QB Matthew Stafford, RB Cam Akers, WR Cooper Kupp)
7. Dallas Cowboys (QB Dak Prescott, RB Ezekiel Elliott, WR CeeDee Lamb)

The top four trios all reside in the AFC, and the three teams directly trailing the Ravens are also in the AFC. The Cleveland Browns, a divisional rival, earned the No. 11 spot from Dubin for their projected trio of Deshaun Watson, Nick Chubb, and Amari Cooper.

You can view the entire rankings here. Be sure to share your thoughts below and join in on the conversation!