The Baltimore Ravens are one of the most interesting teams in the NFL right now. They're coming off of a disappointing campaign that saw them miss the postseason for the first time in three seasons. However, a fantastic free agency period and one of the best draft classes in the entire league could see Baltimore return to the playoffs. There's plenty of possibility with this Ravens roster. Here are two early predictions for Baltimore's fate in 2022.
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Ravens Early Predictions For The 2022 NFL Season
1. The Ravens will win the AFC North
Baltimore plays in one of the best divisions in football, but that won't prevent them from taking first place. Baltimore was absolutely hammered by injuries in 2021, especially in the preseason. Key players like Marcus Peters, JK Dobbins, and Gus Edwards all suffered season-ending injuries in training camp. Even more guys went down during the regular season, like cornerback Marlon Humphery. The Ravens should get all of those guys back at full health to begin the 2022 campaign. That will be a huge boost to their roster.
Despite having the worst injury issues in the league last season, the Ravens very nearly made the postseason. A six-game losing streak to end the year doomed them. A few of those losses came against some of the best teams in the NFL. Baltimore lost to the Green Bay Packers, the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Los Angeles Rams in that span. Luckily, the Ravens will have a much easier schedule this year. Baltimore only faces four teams that made the postseason in 2021, and one of those teams is the New England Patriots. An advantageous strength of schedule and plenty of reinforcements should lead to the Ravens winning a close divisional race in the AFC North.
2. The Ravens will have one of the most productive rookie classes in the league
It's hard to deny how strong Baltimore's draft was. In the first round, they selected safety Kyle Hamilton and center Tyler Linderbaum. Those two players were each the best at their position by a long shot. Both of them will step in and start immediately. Those players will give the Ravens a more productive draft class than a ton of teams, but it doesn't stop there. Second round selection David Ojabo won't take the field to start the year, but there's a chance he ends the year as an important rotational pass-rusher.
The fact that the Ravens were able to get Kyle Hamilton, Tyler Linderbaum, David Ojabo and Travis Jones during the first two days of the 2022 draft is still so impressive
— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) June 6, 2022
The fourth round of the draft was also incredibly productive for the Ravens. Tackle Daniel Faalele will almost certainly see snaps as a depth player at some point this season. Cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis is expected to be the primary backup at a position where both starters suffered season-ending injuries in 2021. He'll be on the field for a significant number of snaps this year too.
Tight end Charlie Kolar was one of the most underrated prospects at his position. The Ravens added him in the fourth round. Knowing Baltimore's offense, Kolar will be on the field for around half of the offensive snaps in his rookie season. Overall, the Ravens draft class includes a grand total of six players that should make an impact. Some teams didn't even have six players in their draft class. Baltimore had the best draft in the league, and that will be proven by production during the season.
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