Terry Bradshaw Among Pundits Picking Ravens to Win Super Bowl
The start of the regular season is just days away, and that means it's prediction time for pundits.
With the Ravens possessing one of the best rosters in the league, it's no surprise that prognosticators have high expectations for them.
Among those predicting the Ravens to win the Super Bowl is Pittsburgh Steelers legend and "FOX NFL Sunday" studio co-host Terry Bradshaw.
"I think Baltimore is going to get over the hump this year," Bradshaw told Newsweek. "I'm pulling for Pittsburgh, always will. I don't think they're ready yet."
Gregg Rosenthal and Daniel Jeremiah of the “Move the Sticks” podcast were in agreement that the Ravens are the most likely AFC team to win the Super Bowl.
"I just feel like it's time," Rosenthal said. "You put it all together, there's no reason to think this team is any worse than a year ago. I think they're the perfect combination of talent, youth, experience, veteran players, and then the second year under Zach Orr as defensive coordinator. Try to find the big weakness in this roster; I think it's difficult to do so."
ESPN’s Mike Clay and FOX Sports’ Chris Broussard also picked Baltimore to win the Super Bowl.
Clay, who put the Ravens at No. 1 in his power rankings, foresees the Ravens and Detroit Lions playing for the Lombardi Trophy in February.
"[Baltimore] has it all: an elite coach in John Harbaugh, perhaps the league's best QB in two-time MVP Lamar Jackson, a terrific offensive supporting cast (led by RB Derrick Henry, WR Zay Flowers, TE Mark Andrews, OT Ronnie Stanley and C Tyler Linderbaum) and a terrific defense that returns 10 of its top 11 snap-getters from 2024 (including stars in S Kyle Hamilton, CB Marlon Humphrey, LB Roquan Smith and DT Nnamdi Madubuike)," Clay wrote. "They also strengthened their secondary by signing cornerback Jaire Alexander.
"It's no secret that the Ravens have yet to register a Super Bowl appearance during the Lamar Jackson era (or since 2012), but that could change this season. Baltimore has perhaps its best roster on paper since it defeated the 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII, sitting at No. 1 in my overall positional group rankings. The Lions were the best team in the NFL last season before being derailed by a ridiculous stretch of defensive injuries. Now (mostly) healthy, they have a good shot to fend off the defending champion Eagles in the NFC playoffs, reaching their first Super Bowl in franchise history."
Broussard's Super Bowl prediction was the Ravens over the Green Bay Packers.
"The Ravens, this is the year," Broussard said. "It's got to happen for Lamar. He finally gets his Super Bowl."
NFL.com analysts projected the division winners and wild-card teams, and 26 of 29 voters picked the Ravens to win an unprecedented third consecutive AFC North title. Three analysts went with the Cincinnati Bengals to win the division and the Ravens to make the playoffs as a wild card.
"One of four teams to appear on all 29 ballots (Bills, Chiefs, Eagles), the Ravens are again considered the overwhelming favorites in the North," the analysts wrote. "But they might not be going to the dance alone. The Bengals, who garnered some support as division champs, were voted into the top wild-card slot, appearing on 76 percent of all ballots.
"The Steelers and Browns, both led by seasoned Super Bowl-winning QBs, were not viewed as optimistically, however. The majority of voters picked Pittsburgh to miss the playoffs for the seventh time during Mike Tomlin's lengthy tenure, while the Browns are expected to come up short for the fourth time in Kevin Stefanski's six seasons at the helm."
Jeff Zrebiec's Bold Prediction Has Hamilton Winning Defensive Player of the Year
Speaking of predictions, The Athletic’s NFL beat writers were tasked with making a bold one for the team they cover. Jeff Zrebiec went with Hamilton winning Defensive Player of the Year.
"This award is typically dominated by pass rushers, but Denver's Patrick Surtain II showed last year that defensive backs can win it with spectacular seasons," Zrebiec wrote. "Hamilton is certainly capable of making that type of impact. The Ravens' selection of Georgia safety Malaki Starks in the first round will allow Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr to push Hamilton back into the matchup/roving role that he flourished in during the 2023 season. It also will allow Hamilton to play closer to the line of scrimmage, which should lead to more production with sacks, tackles for loss and forced turnovers."
Meanwhile, Starks is being mentioned as a Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate. ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller put Starks at No. 3 on his list of top contenders for the award.
"Part of the criteria for making this list is being at a position that can accumulate stats (like sacks or interceptions), while being on a defense that puts you in a position to make plays," Miller wrote. "Starks and the Ravens are a perfect match in that regard. A versatile safety, Starks will line up next to Kyle Hamilton to form a duo that can take the ball away and make big hits. Starks' rookie stat line may not feature the most interceptions (he had six career picks in three collegiate seasons), but he could fill up the box score with tackles, TFLs, picks and passes defensed."
Tyler Loop Is 'Well on His Way to Becoming a Household Name'
Another rookie getting attention is Tyler Loop. NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks included the sixth-round kicker on his list of 10 non-first-round picks who can make an impact this season.
"Loop was tasked with replacing Justin Tucker, a seven-time Pro Bowler … and the rookie appears to be well on his way to becoming a household name as a long-distance scorer with unlimited range," Brooks wrote. "During the preseason, the rookie nailed 81.8 percent of his field-goal attempts, converting a 61-yarder against the Commanders.
"With a perfect mark on his eight PATs, Loop enters the regular season as a model of consistency, which is exactly what the Ravens and John Harbaugh – who cut his teeth as a special teams coach – expect in a kicker."
Four Ravens Ranked Among Top 25 Free Agents in 2026
Rosenthal ranked the top 25 free agents in 2026 and four Ravens made the list, including two in the top 10.
The rankings underscore just how successful the Ravens have been in hitting on their draft picks. The flip side, as General Manager Eric DeCosta said last week, is that "you can't keep everybody."
"We've got a lot of really good players. It's a blessing and a curse," DeCosta said. "I think we do a pretty good job drafting, and so that means we've got players that deserve to be paid well, and we're trying to keep those guys knowing that. … Unfortunately, you're going to see some good players probably in the next couple of years play for other teams."
Here are the Ravens who made Rosenthal's rankings, along with his comments:
- Linderbaum
"It's hard to imagine the Ravens letting a two-time Pro Bowl center leave after his rookie contract."
- TE Isaiah Likely
"Likely is the type of explosive matchup problem that every team is trying to find to round out their two-tight end sets."
- DT Travis Jones
"Jones is becoming an archetypal Ravens development story. He might blow up just in time to get paid elsewhere in free agency."
- OLB Odafe Oweh
"The sack production (10 last season) might be better than the down-to-down difference-making."
Quick Hits
This Weekend's Most Read: 50 Words or Less: Ravens Are Plenty Eager to Begin Their 2025 Journey
- Jackson (No. 7), Henry (No. 11), and Starks (No. 48) made Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame’s top 60 most influential people of the 2025 season. Jackson (No. 5) also was named one of the 25 most intriguing players in the NFL this season by The Athletic’s Mike Jones.
- Humphrey was named to The Athletic’s All-Second Generation Team.
