In the third of a 32-part series, we are featuring all National Football League teams with a prediction of where each team will finish within their division, key off-season acquisitions and their top fantasy stars. Here are the Baltimore Ravens.
Key Off Season Acquisitions
The Ravens acquired three key free agents for the 2023 NFL regular season. They were wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. of Baton Rouge, Louisiana (one year, $15 million from the Los Angeles Rams), and Nelson Agholor of Lagos, Nigeria (one year, $3.25 million from the New England Patriots), and cornerback Rock-Ya Sin of Decatur, Georgia (one year, $6 million from the Las Vegas Raiders).
The notable player among three is Beckham Jr. When healthy, he can literally be one of the most electrifying wideouts in the entire league. How Beckham Jr. will perform after his most recent injury is a huge question. The three-time Pro Bowler tore his ACL in Super Bowl LVI with the Rams, and missed the whole 2022 NFL season as a result.
Top Fantasy Stars
The Ravens have the top kicker in the NFL. Justin Tucker of Houston, Texas completed 37 of 43 attempts last season, and 31 of 32 converts in 2022. The football world is still buzzing after his NFL record 66 yard field goal on September 26, 2021 in a 19-17 Baltimore win over Detroit.
At tight end, Mark Andrews of Scottsdale, Arizona is the fifth best player in the NFL at his position. Last year he had 73 catches for 847 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
At defense, the Ravens are ranked ninth. However it will be interesting to see how they perform without star cornerback Marcus Peters.
Projected Finish
There was some concerns in the offseason that star quarterback Lamar Jackson of Pompano Beach, Florida was not going to return to Baltimore in the offseason. However, those rumours subsided when Baltimore signed OBJ. The Bengals appear to be the best team in the AFC North still, while the Ravens and Cleveland Browns will battle for second place. Due to the fact Lamar Jackson is more reliable than Deshaun Watson at quarterback, I will give the edge to the Ravens.
