Ravens Have 'Secret Superstars' in This Veteran and Rookie
The Ravens have an abundance of stars on their roster, but they also have players who aren't necessarily household names outside of Baltimore who are significant contributors or have the potential to become one.
SB Nation’s Doug Farrar identified defensive lineman Travis Jones and fourth-round linebacker Teddye Buchanan as two of the Ravens' "secret superstars."
"We all know the names of the stars — Nnamdi Madubuike, Kyle Van Noy, and Odafe Oweh. But the guy who has held that defensive line together, against both the run and the pass, has been Travis Jones, the 6'4, 338-pound force multiplier who was selected in the third round of the 2022 draft out of Connecticut, and has become more of a presence every season since," Farrar wrote. "In 2024, Jones totaled one sack, 35 total pressures, 28 solo tackles, 20 stops, and four tackles for loss. Jones did his thing everywhere from head-over nose tackle to occasional edge snaps, but he was at his best when he was either head over or off to the center's shoulder, and either the center or one of the guards was about to be in big trouble.
"On/off splits aren't 100% indicative of player value, but when Jones was on the field last season, the Ravens had a pressure rate of 39.0%. Without him, it dropped to 30.9%. With Jones, Baltimore's sack rate was 8.1%; without him, it was 7.0%. Especially with a team that doesn't blitz often, that value does become more apparent. Another reason for this is that Jones can soak up double-teams without losing his disruptive effect; 14 of his pressures last season came when he was doubled."
Farrar said Buchanan, who is expected to compete with Trenton Simpson for the starting inside linebacker job next to Roquan Smith, reminds him of Van Noy because of the versatility and "overall effectiveness" he showed last year at Cal after transferring from Cal-Davis.
"The transition to a major program from the Big Sky conference proved to be no problem at all," Farrar wrote. "In 2024, Buchanan totaled six sacks, 25 total pressures, 75 solo tackles, 48 stops, and he allowed 18 catches on 32 targets for 231 yards, 121 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, no interceptions, two pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 79.0. He also forced three fumbles.
"Basically, whatever Buchanan was asked to do with his new team, he aced it. While he did spend 23% of his snaps on the left edge, all of his sacks came either as an off-ball linebacker or as a spy at the line of scrimmage. But like Van Noy, Buchanan also shows some really nice speed off the edge when he's there. He's still under development to a degree, but given what he showed last season, I'm fascinated to see how the Ravens work to make the most of his abilities."
Ed Reed Beats Out Troy Polamalu for Best Safety Draft Value of the Millennium
Twenty-three players were drafted before the Ravens selected Ed Reed in 2002, but none of them, nor any of the players taken after him, made as big an impact.
Unsurprisingly, Reed took the No. 1 spot in NFL.com’s Eric Edholm’s rankings of the top five safety draft values of the millennium.
"In the running for the best safety to ever play the game, Reed absolutely was a steal as a late first-round choice," Edholm wrote. "His selection was one of the career-defining moves by former Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome. Julius Peppers, the second overall pick in 2002, might be the only player from that draft whose career achievements are even in the same ballpark as Reed's.
"Reed was named first-team All-Pro five times and was the 2004 Defensive Player of the Year. He also earned nine Pro Bowl invitations. Reed's 64 career interceptions are the most by any player who entered the NFL in the 2000s, and his 1,590 INT return yards are more than 100 yards better than anyone else in league history."
Troy Polamalu, selected 16th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2003, was No. 2 in the rankings. Former Raven Eric Weddle, selected in the second round (37th overall) by the San Diego Chargers in 2007, was No. 3.
Ravens Get Indiana CB, Clemson WR in Early Mock Drafts
ESPN’s Matt Miller and Pro Football Network recently released early mock drafts.
Miller had the Ravens selecting Indiana cornerback D'Angelo Ponds in the first round at No. 28.
"The Ravens added two short-term cornerback options in veterans Jaire Alexander and Chidobe Awuzie, but they need a long-term solution," Miller wrote. "Ponds projects as a slot corner because of his 5-foot-9, 170-pound frame, but he's a feisty cover man with ball skills (five career interceptions) and the quickness to match up with inside receivers. Having him join a pair of young safeties in 24-year-old All-Pro Kyle Hamilton and 2025 first-rounder Malaki Starks would give Baltimore a fierce group of youthful playmakers."
PFN went with Clemson wide receiver Antonio Williams at No. 28.
"When you have a roster as loaded as the Baltimore Ravens', you can have the luxury of adding depth to your already strong receiver room," PFN wrote. "Antonio Williams is a dynamic playmaker whose play style would fit nicely in Baltimore's receiving unit."
