LeSean McCoy Says Ravens Are 'Flawless'
The Ravens have assembled perhaps the best roster in the NFL. Do they have any missing pieces at this point?
The crew at FS1’s “The Facility” addressed the question, and the consensus was that the Ravens have everything they need.
"I think this team is flawless," former NFL running back and two-time Super Bowl winner LeSean McCoy said.
Emmanuel Acho said: "I don't think there's a team roster-wise in the AFC like the Ravens. I don't think the Ravens are missing any pieces. From the offensive line perspective, they're stout. Quarterback: MVP. Running back: Future Hall of Famer. Tight ends: Next level. Defensive line: Check. Linebackers: Top two linebacker in all of football. Cornerbacks: May have the best cornerback tandem, including the nickelback, in all of football. Safeties: As long as Malaki Starks is who we expect him to be, they have the best safety tandem in football, and at a minimum, they have a top two safety in football in Kyle Hamilton."
Acho said the only possible missing piece is a No. 1 wide receiver. Will Blackmon concurred but added that "Zay [Flowers] can be that guy" and "we're nitpicking trying to find one thing."
It could be argued that Flowers is already "that guy" as he enters Year 3. The 2023 first-rounder became the first Ravens wide receiver to make the Pro Bowl last season, as he accumulated 1,059 receiving yards in a balanced offense with no shortage of weapons.
"I think when you have a guy like [Derrick] Henry, you don't need a No. 1 wide receiver," McCoy said. "Like last year, for example. Lamar [Jackson] had a phenomenal year throwing the ball, but Derrick Henry had 1,900 yards. So, they threw the ball well and they ran the ball well. As a defense, it's hard to really stop this team and defend them."
Henry Soars to No. 2 in ESPN's 2025 Running Back Rankings
ESPN began rolling out its 2025 top 10 player rankings at each position based on a survey of league executives, coaches, and scouts.
Running backs were up first, and Henry came in at No. 2, up seven spots from last year's rankings.
"Mr. Laughs-at-First-Contact still refuses to go down," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler wrote. "Henry's 830 rushing yards after contact in 2024 – his first season with the Ravens – were 191 more than the next-closest player (Josh Jacobs). His 3,634 yards after contact since 2020 is 900-plus yards more than the rest of the field. All of this is nothing new. Tackling Henry is forever an arduous task. But coming off 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns, Henry appears averse to the running back cliff to which most 30-somethings succumb.
"Somehow, Henry is proving more efficient with age. Henry's 5.9 yards per rush last season represented the highest mark by a player with 250 carries in a season since Adrian Peterson in 2012 (6.0). And his 13 career games with 150 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns ties Jim Brown for the most in NFL history."
At 31, Henry was the only player on the list over 30.
"He'll slow down at some point, but he's got elite body composition and elite work ethic," an AFC executive said. "He's a monster. No one wants to tackle him, and then when he wears you down, that's when he breaks off that big run."
Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles took the No. 1 spot.
Nate Wiggins Named Ravens' Most Promising Building Block
As Acho noted, the Ravens might have the NFL's best cornerback trio in Marlon Humphrey, Jaire Alexander, and Nate Wiggins. Humphrey and Alexander are All-Pros, while Wiggins showed why he was a first-round pick last season as a rookie.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton named each team's most promising building block, which he defined as an ascending player on a rookie contract who has yet to make an All-Pro or Pro Bowl team, and Wiggins was his choice for the Ravens.
"Marlon Humphrey and Alexander have experience in the slot. Wiggins should have opportunities to make plays on the boundary as he did in his rookie campaign," Moton wrote. "While on the field for 68 percent of the defensive snaps last season, Wiggins recorded 13 pass breakups and an interception while allowing a 50 percent completion rate and a 66.7 passer rating in coverage.
"With Alexander's recent injury history, missing 10 games in back-to-back seasons, don't be surprised if Wiggins is the Ravens' second-most reliable cornerback this year. Wiggins and Humphrey are a top-two cornerback duo."
Jackson Ranked Among Top 25 QBs of Super Bowl Era
SB Nation is counting down the top 30 quarterbacks of the Super Bowl era, as determined by a panel of experts. Jackson landed at No. 23.
"For years, the NFL was waiting for a player like Lamar Jackson to come along – a true dual-threat quarterback that could dominate both on the ground and through the air," The 33rd Team's Sam Monson wrote. "Players like Michael Vick hinted at what was possible, and Cam Newton was able to put together one elite MVP season, but Lamar Jackson is the first player to sustain it.
"Already a two-time league MVP and a three-time All-Pro, Jackson also has over 6,000 rushing yards, overtaking Vick for the most in league history for a quarterback. Special athletes have played the quarterback position before, but none have been as effective and efficient at passing the football as Jackson."
SB Nation has yet to reveal the top 10. So far, the only active quarterbacks on the list, along with Jackson, are the Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen (No. 21) and Los Angeles Rams' Matthew Stafford (No. 30).
Jackson Was 'Lethal' As a Passer When Extending Plays Last Season
One aspect of Jackson's game that is second to none is his ability to extend plays.
Pro Football Focus’ Mason Cameron noted that Jackson had a league-best 95.0 passing grade last season when having more than 2.5 seconds to throw.
"One of the contributing factors to Lamar Jackson being named PFF's most valuable player this past season is his ability to extend plays and then take advantage of coverage with lethality," Cameron wrote. "His 31 big-time throws on dropbacks with more than 2.5 seconds to throw led the NFL. He was one of just two quarterbacks to notch a big-time throw rate above 10% on those plays, cashing in with a league-leading 29 touchdowns."
Jackson was eighth in the league with under 2.5 seconds to throw.
Quick Hits
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- The 2000 Ravens were No. 8 on Bleacher Report’s rankings of the 25 Super Bowl winners of the 21st century. The 2012 Ravens were No. 22.
- CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin named the top player for each jersey number for 2025, and nine Ravens made the list: linebacker Roquan Smith (No. 0), Jackson (No. 8), Henry (No. 22), fullback Patrick Ricard (No. 42), Humphrey (No. 44), center Tyler Linderbaum (No. 64), left tackle Ronnie Stanley (No. 79), tight end Isaiah Likely (No. 80), and defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike (No. 92).
