Baltimore Beatdown
The Ravens’ trios on offense and defense are — or among — the NFL’s elite.
The Ravens’ enter the 2025 season chock-full of talent. Their star-studded cast spans from on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.
Offensively, they take the No. 1 spot in Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame’s offensive triplets rankings.
Triplets: QB Lamar Jackson, RB Derrick Henry, WR Zay Flowers
“No team has a better trio than the Ravens. Jackson is a two-time MVP and three-time first-team All-Pro, while Henry is coming off a second-team All-Pro campaign with more than 2,000 yards from scrimmage,” Verderame wrote. “In Flowers, Baltimore has a top-end target with 1,059 receiving yards and four touchdowns last season.”
The Ravens’ offense is a juggernaut, led by the best quarterback in the NFL at his prime. Standing behind or beside him is Henry, who has demolished defenses and thus far outran Father Time. And most impressively, is a worthwhile debate on which player should be considered No. 3 in the triplets. Yes, Flowers topped the team with targets (116), receptions (74) and yards (1,059), but the likes of Mark Andrews is a fair mention. He finished the season with 673 yards and 11 touchdowns, tying him for fourth in receiving touchdowns last season.
Also a fair mention is wide receiver Rashod Bateman, who more frequently faced the opposing defenses No. 1 defender on the outside, yet finished with 756 yards and nine receiving touchdowns, tying him for ninth.
Defensively, Sports Illustrated’s Gilberto Manzano ranked the Ravens No. 2, behind the Philadelphia Eagles.
Triplets: DL Nnamdi Madubuike, ILB Roquan Smith, S Kyle Hamilton
“Smith and Hamilton remain two of the best at their respective positions. Madubuike dropped off a bit from his breakout 2023 season, but his presence in the middle of the defensive line provided favorable matchups for his teammates. All three were named to the Pro Bowl last year, with Smith and Hamilton making All-Pro teams.”
The guidelines to Manzano’s rankings featured a pass rusher, inside linebacker and defensive back. Which excluded the possibility of keeping cornerback Marlon Humphrey to possibly bolster the Ravens to the No. 1 spot.
