Pundit Says Jesse Minter Is Under More Pressure Than Any Other New Head Coach
There are 10 head coaches who are about to lead their first training camp with new teams, and expectations vary for them and their respective squads.
For Jesse Minter, the bar couldn't be higher. The Ravens have been perennial Super Bowl contenders for much of the past decade, but they haven't been to the big game since the 2012 season.
Minter and his staff are tasked with ending the drought this season.
"Jesse Minter may be facing more pressure than any other new head coach in the league," The Ringer’s Diante Lee wrote. "Baltimore has the roster talent to be considered a Super Bowl contender; now it's up to Minter to pull it together. It's probably not enough for him to simply get the Ravens into the postseason. He was hired with the expectation that he'll be able to get Baltimore over the hump in the playoffs."
Minter is fully aware of the expectation and is embracing it.
"We don't want to shy away from the standards of this building," Minter said this week on “The Lounge” podcast. "Our main objective is that the way that we do things, how we operate, matches what we want to accomplish. The very first thing I talked about with the guys was the Super Bowl being in SoFi [Stadium in Los Angeles], the date, the time; we plan on being here.
"That's not something you talk about every day, though. … So now it's about the daily process and the daily grind of getting better to put yourself into position to compete for that."
The Ravens always have a chance to win with two-time MVP Lamar Jackson at quarterback. Lee said that Baltimore's defense getting back to the organization's high standard is crucial for a Super Bowl run.
"The Ravens likely hope that Minter, a defensive guru, will be able to immediately fix that side of the ball, which was a disappointment the past two seasons," Lee wrote. "As training camp begins, I'm looking to see whether Minter will give this team a clear defensive identity. His Chargers defenses played with clear physicality and sound coverage, things that have been missing from Baltimore in recent years."
Derrick Henry and Justice Hill Crack Top Three in Running Back Duo Rankings
Not only do the Ravens have an elite running back in Derrick Henry, but they also have one of the best backfield duos in the league.
CBS Sports’ Jared Dubin ranked the NFL's 10 best running backs duos, and Henry and Justice Hill were No. 3. Everyone knows how great the ageless Henry is, but it was nice to see the underrated Hill get some love as well.
"This isn't your typical thunder and lightning running back duo," Dubin wrote. "Sure, Henry is a hulking beast of a back who can power his way through everyone in his path and stiff-arm anyone into the ground, but he's also one of the fastest backs in the league when he hits a crease, and he can take it to the house from anywhere on the field. Even in a season where Lamar Jackson was alternately injured and ineffective (for him), Henry still ran for 1,595 yards at 5.2 yards per carry.
"And while Hill looks like he's a jitterbug back who will shake you up in space, his best skill is actually pass protection, where he is one of the best in the NFL. He's an effective receiver as well, which makes him a strong complement to Henry."
The only duos ranked ahead of Henry and Hill were (in order): the Atlanta Falcons' Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson Jr., and Detroit Lions' Jahmyr Gibbs and Isiah Pacheco.
Incidentally, the Los Angeles Chargers' Omarion Hampton and former Raven Keaton Mitchell were No. 10.
Emery Jones Jr. Could Be Another Raven Who Makes Bigger Impact in Year 2
Much has been written this offseason about safety Malaki Starks and outside linebacker Mike Green, the Ravens' 2025 first- and second-round picks, respectively, being poised for breakout seasons.
The Baltimore Sun’s Josh Tolentino said that, in addition to those two, 2025 third-round offensive lineman Emery Jones Jr. also has an opportunity to step up this season. Unlike Starks and Green, however, Jones did not make a significant impact as a rookie.
Jones started last season on the non-football-injury/illness list while rehabbing from a torn labrum. He did not make his NFL debut until the Ravens' Thanksgiving night game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Jones ended up playing just 49 snaps, all at left guard, over five games.
"[Jones] received starter reps with a couple of veteran linemen absent during organized team activities and mandatory minicamp," Tolentino wrote. "That was a considerably significant development for Jones, whose rookie season was mostly swallowed by injury rehab. His availability counted as progress."
Jones, who played at right tackle at LSU, could prove to be a valuable depth piece on the Ravens' revamped offensive line and swing sixth lineman.
