Ravens roundtable: Predicting 2023 stat leaders

Following a long and tumultuous offseason for the Baltimore Ravens, the time has finally come to return to the field of play with real stakes on the line for another season. With multiple new additions to the team, the Ravens have the possibility for several new leaders in various stat categories compared to recent years.

The Baltimore Beatdown staff shares their predictions for which player will lead the team in each major statistical category and what that will look like.

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Lamar Jackson’s passing stats

4,100 passing yards, 38 passing touchdowns with 8 interceptions

With Todd Monken calling plays yet allowing him the freedom to call his own shots and make pre-snap adjustments, the empowered two-time Pro Bowler is destined to put up career-best numbers through the air with all the playmakers he has at his disposal.

— Joshua Reed

4,060 passing yards, 31 passing touchdowns with 11 interceptions

Jackson enjoys his best season since his untouchable 2019 MVP campaign. With more volume in the passing attack, Jackson finally eclipses the 4,000-yard passing mark while throwing for the second-most touchdowns in a season in his career.

— Dustin Cox

3,800 passing yards, 34 touchdowns and 11 interceptions

With more attempts in a higher-volume passing attack, Jackson should easily set a career-high in passing yardage. He could come close or eclipse his 2019 total for passing touchdowns, as well, which was 36. Jackson threw 13 interceptions in 2021 and seven in 2022, both in 12 games each.

— Frank Platko

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Rushing yards

J.K. Dobbins: 1,150 yards

Now that he is over two years removed from his initial major knee injury and heading into a contract year, I anticipate the former second-round pick to have the breakout year so many fantasy football analysts and owners envisioned ahead of the 2021 season. A fully healthy Dobbins will likely be more featured in a Monken offense that still believes in the importance of running the ball.

— Joshua Reed

J.K. Dobbins: 1,065 yards

The supremely talented back is poised for his best season to date as he appears likely to command a larger role in Monken’s offense than he has in the past under Greg Roman’s committee approach to the run game.

— Dustin Cox

J.K Dobbins: 1,100 yards

Dobbins is primed for a breakout season in a contract year. An expanded workload and good health should see him cross the 1,000-yard threshold. His volume could still ultimately be capped, though, especially in a higher frequency passing game this season.

— Frank Platko

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Rushing touchdowns

Lamar Jackson: 12 touchdowns

In his final season at the University of Georgia, former Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett recorded a career-high 10 rushing touchdowns, taking advantage of all the open lanes to pick from when defenses were spread out by their formations under Monken. Jackson is the most dynamic dual-threat quarterback in league history so predicting a dozen rushing scores might actually be lowballing it.

— Joshua Reed

J.K. Dobbins: 9 touchdowns

I still predict that Gus Edwards and Jackson will vulture some red zone carries away from Dobbins, but I do believe that he will be the primary runner in Monken’s offense and should lead the team in both rushing categories.

— Dustin Cox

J.K. Dobbins: 9 touchdowns

Dobbins been an efficient red zone performer in his career thus far. He had nine touchdowns as a rookie and could easily match that figure in 2023. The Ravens could get creative in scoring chances this season but giving the ball to Dobbins offers a high chance of success.

— Frank Platko

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Receiving yards

Odell Beckham Jr.: 1,075 yards

The last time that the three-time Pro Bowler recorded 1,000 or more yards receiving was in 2019 under Monken with the Cleveland Browns. Now that they’ve been reunited in Baltimore, Beckham is fully healthy and paired with the best quarterback that he’s ever played with, this projection seems very attainable.

— Joshua Reed

Mark Andrews: 950 yards

Even with all of the fancy new toys Jackson has to throw to at the wide receiver position, I still believe it will be the old reliable tight end that he continues to favor through the air. With so many quality options in the passing game now, defenses will be unable to key in on stopping Andrews as heavily as they have in recent years which could lead to many more big plays from the All-Pro. That being said, with said options for Jackson, I do not think a single player will eclipse 1,000 receiving yards.

— Dustin Cox

Rashod Bateman: 960 yards

The spotlight will be off Bateman this year and the pressure of being the team’s No. 1 wideout is alleviated. He’s due for good health and can now take advantage of less attention from defense’s top cornerbacks. No one receiver may crack 1,000 yards with the ball being spread out.

— Frank Platko

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Receptions

Mark Andrews: 70 catches

The three-time Pro Bowler has led the team in this statistical category for the past four years and despite the influx of new pass-catching talent at the receiver position, I don’t foresee that changing barring injury. He’s one of Jackson’s most trusted targets and will likely benefit from less attention that will inevitably be paid to him because of the other weapons in the offense.

— Joshua Reed

Mark Andrews: 85 catches

As I said earlier, I still predict Jackson to favor Andrews in the passing attack. I believe the ball will be spread around much more than in previous seasons under Jackson, however.

— Dustin Cox

Mark Andrews: 68 catches

Andrews will still be the primary focal point of the passing attack and Jackson’s safety valve. More three-wideout sets should open up the field more for Andrews to see open looks in soft spots. A pace of four catches per game, on average, would bring him right around a total of 68 for the year.

— Frank Platko

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Receiving touchdowns

Mark Andrews: 11 touchdowns

For the same reasons I previously stated, the sixth-year veteran is the most obvious and likely candidate because he can be a red zone monster against spread-out defenses even if he still gets double-covered.

— Joshua Reed

Mark Andrews: 8 touchdowns

Andrews will remain the best red zone target at Jackson’s disposal. I do think that Odell Beckham Jr. could give him a run for his money in this category though.

— Dustin Cox

Mark Andrews: 9 touchdowns

Jackson will still look Andrews’ way when the chips are down, and that’s likely to be especially true in the red zone. He could easily score a few more times than last season, when he had five touchdowns, especially with less attention from defenses and more space available.

— Frank Platko

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Sacks

Odafe Oweh: 12 sacks

After his sophomore season fell short of expectations, the former first-rounder might bounce back in a big way in a pivotal third season and become the first Ravens defender to record double-digit sacks in a season since Terrell Suggs in 2017.

— Joshua Reed

Odafe Oweh: 6 sacks

I don’t expect any single player to have a monster year in this category for Baltimore. Oweh appears ready to take a step in his development under pass-rush guru Chuck Smith this season, but Mike Macdonald will likely have to continue to manufacture an effective pass rush with heavy amounts of blitzing and deception this season.

— Dustin Cox

Justin Madubuike: 8 sacks

Madubuike’s sack total jumped from 2.2 to five last season. A similar increase might be in the cards as he ascends into Year 4. He’s the team’s best interior pass-rusher and is likely to play even more snaps with Calais Campbell gone now. In a contract year, every sack counts towards Madubuike earning a pay day in the offseason.

— Frank Platko

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Interceptions

Marcus Williams: 9 interceptions

The seventh-year veteran was on a league-leading pace through the first four games of the season last year before suffering a dislocated wrist. As long as he stays healthy, Williams’ ballhawk skills will be on full display this season.

— Joshua Reed

Marcus Williams: 6 interceptions

The Ravens' big free agent acquisition from a year ago was playing at a phenomenal level last year before suffering a wrist injury. Williams is pivotal to Baltimore’s secondary this season with so many unknowns at the cornerback position, even when Marlon Humphrey returns. I expect him to have a big season and to make his first Pro Bowl.

— Dustin Cox

Marcus Williams: 6 interceptions

Williams matched his career-high with four interceptions last season in just 10 appearances. His seamless fit in Mike Macdonald’s defense affords him plenty of ball-hawking opportunities in the secondary. An increase upon last year’s total is in the cards, which should make him one of the league-leaders in interceptions as well.

— Frank Platko