Ranking The Baltimore Ravens Players Ahead Of Week 3

The Baltimore Ravens are off to a disappointing start to the season (0-2), raising questions throughout the team, from the offensive line to the running game to their pass defense.

However, it hasn’t all been bad, and with a few games over the two weeks, Baltimore could easily be 2-0.

Ahead of Week 3’s matchup against the Dallas Cowboys, here are our rankings of the Ravens’ top 11 players. It can be difficult to evaluate players after just two games; they can make good and bad plays in the same game. But we base our rankings on consistency and a holistic view of their game.

We will be doing these rankings every two weeks.

1. Lamar Jackson, QB — Some criticize Jackson for not being in the spotlight this season, but the reigning MVP has had a solid start to the season. Jackson seems to have control of the offense, especially in his playmaking at the line of scrimmage. John Harbaugh called Jackson the team’s most consistent player so far.

2. Odafe Oweh, LB — What a start to the season for a player who needed to have a breakout season. Oweh already has 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble and has generally been a force this season. Oweh has an incredible 89.9 grade from Pro Football Focus this season and appears to be filling the void left by Jadeveon Clowney’s departure this summer.

3. Tyler Linderbaum, C — Amid the drama and uncertainty surrounding the Ravens’ offensive line, Linderbaum has been a rock. He has yet to concede a sack and has not allowed a pressure in Week 2.

4. Zay Flowers, WR — Flowers appears ready to take the next step in his sophomore year. He’s Lamar Jackson’s favorite target, with 21 targets on the season, producing 13 receptions, 128 yards and a touchdown. He’s had quiet fourth quarters both weeks, which seems to be something he’s noticed as well.

Ravens WR Zay Flowers retweeted a message saying the team didn’t play him in the second half after a big first-half performance. pic.twitter.com/eEiOMO0XST

— Ravens Nation ???? (@LIVERavenNation) September 16, 2024

5. Travis Jones, DT — Jones hasn’t been credited with a sack yet, but he’s been an asset rushing the passer and stopping the run game. Jones has already unsettled opposing offensive linemen this season, and that’s going to lead to sacks soon.

6. Trenton Simpson, LB — It didn’t take long for Simpson to become a favorite of the coaching staff. After playing 70 percent of the snaps in Week 1, the second-year linebacker played every snap in Week 2. Simpson was solid in the run game and had a key pass deflection on Patrick Mahomes in Week 2. He appears to be a promising player in a rebuilt defense.

7. Ronnie Stanley, LT — Stanley was the Ravens’ highest-graded offensive player in Week 2, according to PFF. While he’s been pressured and had some trouble with penalties, he still seems to be returning to his peak form from when he was an All-Pro in 2019. He’s another steady force on an otherwise questionable offensive line.

8. Derrick Henry, RB — There’s been a lot of talk about Henry’s usage and his lack of explosive play, but he started to come into his own in the second half of Week 2 with some King Henry-esque runs. While the Ravens could use more of him (and need to block better), the 30-year-old RB is on pace for 1,105 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns this season — something any Ravens fan probably would have signed up for before the season.

9. Isaiah Likely, TE — After Week 1, Likely could have been the No. 1 on this list. Unfortunately, he was virtually non-descript in Week 2, catching just two of three targets for 26 yards. His snaps also declined. Still, Likely was so explosive against the Chiefs that he lands on our list. It seems likely to bounce back.

10. Kyle Van Noy, LB — Even with an orbital fracture that caused him to miss playing time in Week 1, Van Noy still has two sacks. He’s been solid in the pass rush and in the run game. He’s one of the Ravens’ steadiest, most consistent players.

11. Roquan Smith, LB — Smith has had an up-and-down start to the season. He was criticized in the passing game in Week 1, but he also had a big interception on Mahomes. Smith was highly graded by PFF in Week 2, and he leads the Ravens in tackles.