Lamar Jackson on point in return to Ravens’ OTAs
Jamison Hensley, ESPN
“I mean, Lamar Jackson is Lamar Jackson,” Ravens wide receiver Nelson Agholor said after Tuesday’s practice. “He does an amazing job of just kind of going through his progression. He has unreal arm angles, but he also just knows how to see everything the way he needs to see it in the game and when the defense is giving you something.”
“I always say [that] people don’t realize how cerebral Lamar Jackson is,” Agholor said. “The conversations he has with you, one-on-one, about what he sees and what you may see … Like, even today … I’ll be honest, I had an in-cut, basic [route], and my mannerisms were the reason why I didn’t complete the [catch], because I saw something, and he saw something else.”
When they got to the sideline, Jackson showed him the film.
“He was like, ‘Yo, Nelly, the reason why I’m thinking [that you should] keep going is because I look at this nickel, and I see his body language,’ [and] I say, ‘Well, I did take a snapshot of the nickel, and I thought he was going to drop,’” Agholor said. “But he said, ‘He’s not going to get there by the time I’m going to zip it; I’m going to zip it two yards, here.’ And that was what makes a special quarterback special.”
After “year of growth,” Simpson excited to shine for Ravens
Luke Jones, Baltimore Positive
“It was the best thing that could have happened to me because I had to be patient throughout the season for my moment to come,” said Simpson about that Week 18 performance. “When it came, I was prepared. It was just that boost of confidence that I needed headed into the offseason knowing like I belong, I’m ready to play. It was a blessing. It was God’s timing. I feel like when I got my chance to go out there and display what I can do, I feel like I made the most out of it.”
Much has changed since the end of last season with Queen having signed a three-year, $41 million contract with Pittsburgh in free agency and Simpson being viewed as the likely successor at the Will linebacker spot. Simpson’s former position coach Zach Orr replaced Mike Macdonald as the defensive coordinator, prompting head coach John Harbaugh to hire Mark DeLeone as the new inside linebackers coach.
Having also coached Smith early in his career in Chicago, DeLeone, 36, will now be entrusted with helping develop Simpson, who played the Will linebacker spot for only his final year at Clemson after serving in more of a hybrid role over his first two collegiate seasons. It’s all about getting reps and gaining experience now.
“You’re seeing the game at a different level from a third-level player to a second-level player,” said Mark DeLeone about Simpson’s transition from his time at Clemson. “Every day, seeing how he sees the game, getting his run-pass reads, all those types of things, that kind of progress I think is really good. We all know how athletic Trenton is and how fast he is and those types of things. He’s great there. Just seeing that every day and that progress, I love to see him doing that.”
Under-the-radar AFC players who can be stars in 2024: Steelers, Chiefs boast young TEs; Pats WR set to shine
Tyler Sullivan, CBS Sports
Baltimore Ravens: WR Devontez Walker
Even after a season where Lamar Jackson won his second career MVP, there’s a case to be made that Baltimore’s offense could be even better in 2024. It has Zay Flowers entering Year 2, Mark Andrews healthy and Derrick Henry coming over in free agency. That trio will be the headliner at the skill positions, but don’t sleep on Walker. The fourth-round pick out of UNC put together some sensational games for the Tar Heels last year, and the Ravens could use another wideout to emerge within the offense. Given his upside, Walker will be given a chance to carve out a sizable role.
One pressing question for every new NFL defensive play caller in 2024
Mike Jones, The Athletic
Baltimore Ravens: Zach Orr
Can he pick up where Mike Macdonald left off?
The impressive, young Macdonald (he turns 37 on June 26) developed the Ravens’ defense into the league’s best. But Macdonald is now head coach of the Seahawks, and Baltimore also lost talented defensive assistants Anthony Weaver and Dennard Wilson to coordinator jobs with the Dolphins and Titans, respectively.
Orr, promoted from inside linebackers coach, must find a new impactful complement to Roquan Smith after Patrick Queen’s departure for Pittsburgh in free agency. Orr has a deeper secondary than Baltimore fielded a year ago thanks to draft picks spent on cornerbacks Nate Wiggins (first round) and T.J. Tampa (fourth round) and safety Sanoussi Kane (seventh round). He also has a promising linebacker in third-round pick Adisa Isaac. Delivering a defense that complements Lamar Jackson’s offense and positions the Ravens for a Super Bowl run is priority No. 1 for the rookie coordinator.
All-Decade NFL Mock Draft: The best picks at every slot since 2015
Trevor Sikkema, PFF
16. CB MARLON HUMPHREY, BALTIMORE RAVENS (2017)
I went back and forth between Taylor Decker and Humphrey but gave the edge to the Ravens cornerback because he has the higher career wins above replacement figure (0.33 compared to Decker’s 0.17).
We were again one year short of a player from the incredible 2014 class, which featured future Hall of Fame guard Zack Martin at this spot.
28. LB PATRICK QUEEN, BALTIMORE RAVENS (2020)
Queen’s career got off to a rough start, as he recorded 29.7 and 43.5 PFF overall grades in his first two seasons. But his past two single-season grades have been above 70.0. That high overall grade was based on much better coverage grades in 2022 and 2023. Fortunately for him, the competition at this pick number wasn’t too stiff.
32. QB LAMAR JACKSON, BALTIMORE RAVENS (2018)
Watt’s selection at No. 30 was easy, but the Ravens getting the two-time MVP Lamar Jackson at No. 32 is somehow even better.
Ryan Ramczyk deserves a shoutout, though, as he has been one of the best right tackles in the league for almost a decade now after being picked by the Saints back in 2017.