Ravens have a trio of second year players primed for breakout seasons
Last season three of the Baltimore Ravens top four selections from the 2018 draft followed up strong rookie seasons with sensational sophomore campaigns that resulted in each of them making their first Pro Bowl. Quarterback Lamar Jackson silenced doubters of his passing ability by leading the league in passing touchdowns (36) on top of breaking the single-season rushing record at his position (1,206 yards). Tight end Mark Andrews became his favorite target and led the team in receptions, yards and receiving touchdowns. And Orlando Brown Jr was a dominant force on the right side of the offensive line opposite of All-Pro Ronnie Stanley.
Jackson was selected with Baltimore’s second first-round pick after they traded back into the bottom of the round and both Andrews and Brown were taken in the third round out of Oklahoma. The Ravens didn’t have second-round picks in back to back drafts as a result of their trade with the Philadelphia Eagles to move up to get their franchise quarterback.
The Ravens top three picks from last year’s draft all contributed and flashed as rookies, were full-time starters midway through the season, and helped the Ravens to a league and franchise-best 14-2 record. Receivers Marquise Brown (first round) and Miles Boykin (third round) each made 11 starts a piece and outside linebacker Jaylon Fergusson started nine.
While some players—Baker Mayfield for example—shine bright as rookies experience sophomore slumps because they fall short of replicating or exceeding their production from the year before, most players see the biggest jump in their production going from year one into year two in the league.
They have had a whole or part of a season in the league under their belt, are more comfortable and familiar with their team’s system, the game begins to slow down for them and they have an entire offseason for training towards actual football-centric activities instead of preparing to impress teams at their Pro Days or the NFL Combine—known comically as the underwear Olympics.
All three have made their rounds in the media during this especially dry offseason bereft of any actual sporting events to watch or talk about and each of them has shared their intentions and expressed confidence in making an even great impact in their sophomore seasons. While I highly doubt any of them are going to win league MVP like Jackson in year two and year one as a full-time starter, that doesn’t mean their second season can’t be just as impactful on the team’s overall success.
Stay tuned for a series of articles detailing how the trio plan on breaking out in year two and what that could mean for the team on their respective sides of the ball.
