With both free agency and the draft now in the rearview mirror, the NFL offseason is progressing quickly into the summer months. As such, the anticipation for the 2024 season will continue to build in the forthcoming coming weeks.
The Baltimore Ravens have added and lost a number of players this offseason who were on their 2023 roster, as well as previous years as well. While they’ll have a different look in some areas, they’re also returning a number of key contributors from last season also.
Like with any team’s roster, the Ravens have some marquee names and high-profile talents that garner most of any outside attention. However, there’s a handful of individuals on the team who are flying under the radar ahead of 2024 and could exceed expectations and/or earn themselves more of a spotlight.
Let’s run through three of them below.
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Justice Hill
Hill is coming off the most productive season of his four-year career thus far in 2023. He saw career-high usage and turned it into career-best numbers in rushing yards (387), receiving yards (206), receptions (28), and total touchdowns (4).
The former fourth-round pick played an elevated role in Todd Monken’s offense throughout the season in the absences of other running backs on the depth chart. While Hill earned more flowers than usual, he’s still an under-the-radar player in the larger spotlight. That figures to remain true following the team’s addition of Derrick Henry this offseason, which will keep Hill in the background.
However, his valuableness to the Ravens’ offense as a complimentary player should not be overlooked. Hill’s skill set meshes well with the incoming Henry and he’s a seamless fit as a third-down back still given his receiving and pass-blocking abilities. Hill will be especially useful in the absence of Keaton Mitchell to give the Ravens’ backfield a change-of-pace and added juice behind Henry.
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Travis Jones
Through two seasons thus far, Jones has yet to make a huge impact on the box score in terms of counting stats. The 2022 fourth-round pick has recorded 60 combined tackles in 32 games with 2.5 sacks, seven quarterback hits, and five tackles-for-loss. While none of these numbers jump off the page, they don’t tell the whole story.
Jones has been impactful in his spurts when given ample opportunities. He’s shown a high degree of pass-rushing ability from the interior of the defensive line, as well as strength and athleticism defending the run.
He played 129 more snaps on defense last season than he did the year prior during his rookie campaign. While the Ravens are returning their same defensive line core from 2023, one can expect Jones’ snap count to increase again in Year 3. His impact defensively should also become even more significant along with his box score production.
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Malik Harrison
The Ravens re-signing Harrison to a one-year deal this offseason was a quiet move. It’s fitting for Harrison, who quietly has been an impact defender during his early career in Baltimore thus far.
Harrison’s role has fluctuated through four seasons since being drafted as a fourth-round pick in 2020. He’s been steady as a rotational inside linebacker while also seeing snaps as an outside linebacker as well, though never emerging as a consistent starter. His season-long snap count on defense has jumped between 171 and 264 over the past four years.
While his opportunities have not always been fruitful, Harrison has been a consistent tackler and edge setter when called upon. He’s also made some plays as a pass-rusher and in coverage as well. Where Harrison has shown even more than as a defender is as a special teams ace. He’s played well over 1,000 total defensive snaps for his career to-date.
With Patrick Queen now gone, the Ravens have a void at the linebacker spot opposite Roquan Smith in the middle of the defense. Rising sophomore Trenton Simpson is widely expected to presume this role. However, Harrison’s defensive role could still increase a bit with his versatility being a huge asset for first-year coordinator Zach Orr.