Few teams enter the 2025 NFL season with as much swagger and expectation as the Baltimore Ravens. A perennial contender under head coach John Harbaugh, the Ravens have built their reputation on hard-nosed defense, dynamic quarterback play, and a relentless rushing attack. This year, however, the narrative isn’t just about maintaining excellence. It's about making history. Baltimore certainly has the tools to dominate the AFC. The only question is whether the Ravens can take what looks great on paper and turn it into another defining season on the field.
Ravens’ 2025 season preview
The Ravens capped their 2025 preseason with an undefeated 3-0 record. It was punctuated by a dominant 30-3 win over the Washington Commanders. Their final tune-up featured big moments, including an interception return for a touchdown by Keyon Martin and a booming long field goal from Tyler Loop. More importantly, the preseason served as a proving ground for rookies and depth players. First-round safety Malaki Starks was among those who stood out and built early momentum heading into the regular season.
Now comes the true test in the AFC North, one of football’s most physical and competitive divisions. No team has ever won the North three straight years since its creation in 2002. However, the Ravens are poised to break that trend. Cincinnati and Pittsburgh remain dangerous, yet Baltimore has the division’s best quarterback in Lamar Jackson. They also have a bruising run game powered by Derrick Henry, and a defense loaded with stars. The goal isn’t simply another division crown. It's the AFC’s top seed, a collection of individual honors, and the chance to cement another era of dominance.
Here we'll try to look at and discuss the three bold predictions for the Baltimore Ravens in the 2025 NFL season.
Ravens earn the AFC's top seed
The road to the Super Bowl in the AFC usually goes through Kansas City or Buffalo. This season, though, Baltimore has a chance to flip the script. Led by Jackson and Henry, the Ravens are built to bulldoze their way through the AFC North and beyond. A back-to-back division crown feels like a safe bet. That said earning the AFC’s top seed would make a bolder, yet realistic, statement.
The case for Baltimore is straightforward. Offensively, Jackson remains the league’s most electric dual-threat quarterback. Henry, even in the later stages of his career, adds a bruising presence that softens defenses. Add in the efficiency of emerging young receivers and a strong offensive line, and this unit can sustain long drives and control the clock.
Defensively, the Ravens are even scarier. Their secondary might be the most complete in football. All-Pros Marlon Humphrey and Kyle Hamilton, two-time Pro Bowler Jaire Alexander, budding sophomore Nate Wiggins, and rookie sensation Malaki Starks form a unit that could suffocate passing attacks all season long. If they force turnovers at the rate expected, Baltimore won’t just win games. They'll dominate them. With that balance, the Ravens can surpass last year’s 12 wins and position themselves as the AFC’s top seed heading into January.
Lamar Jackson wins his third NFL MVP
Lamar Jackson’s resume already places him among the game’s elite, but 2025 could be the year he vaults into rarefied air. He enters the season motivated, particularly after many felt he was snubbed for MVP honors in 2024. This time around, Jackson has all the ingredients to make voters have no excuse to overlook him.
The Ravens’ offensive structure is tailored perfectly for Jackson’s dual-threat brilliance. With Henry pounding defenses between the tackles, Jackson should find more opportunities to exploit defenses with play-action passing and designed quarterback runs. His chemistry with receivers has only grown stronger. His ability to extend plays outside the pocket remains unmatched.
If Jackson surpasses 4,000 passing yards while maintaining his trademark rushing totals, it will be impossible to deny him his third MVP trophy. Beyond the stats, the narrative is there: redemption after a snub, leadership of a top-seeded team, and highlight-reel performances that remind everyone why he’s the most dynamic player in football. A third MVP would also push him closer to Hall of Fame inevitability, even before his 30th birthday.
Malaki Starks will make the Pro Bowl as a rookie
Ravens fans are used to the front office hitting home runs in the draft. Malaki Starks looks like the latest gem. The rookie safety couldn’t have landed in a better situation. Baltimore’s aggressive, blitz-heavy defensive scheme plays to his strengths. That would allow him to patrol the deep field with confidence and freedom. With playmakers like Humphrey, Hamilton, and Alexander around him, Starks won’t have to shoulder too much too soon. He can just focus on doing what he does best: making plays.
Expect Starks to stand out quickly with his range and instincts. His ability to read quarterbacks and track the ball in flight should translate into turnovers. He might even tally five or more interceptions in his first season. Turnovers are gold in today’s NFL. If Starks consistently provides them, his Pro Bowl case will build itself.
It’s rare for a rookie safety to earn such recognition. However, Starks is walking into a perfect storm of opportunity. Baltimore knows how to develop defensive talent, and in 2025, fans will see the payoff immediately. Starks may not be anointed a superstar just yet. Still, he will be recognized as one of the league’s rising defensive forces before his first season even ends.
Looking ahead
Bold predictions often walk the line between optimism and realism, but for the Ravens, they’re not far-fetched. A top AFC seed, a third MVP for Lamar Jackson, and a rookie Pro Bowl nod for Malaki Starks would be a dream scenario rooted in the strengths of this roster.
Baltimore is built to win now while still cultivating the stars of tomorrow. If these predictions come true, the Ravens won’t just own the AFC North. They’ll establish themselves as the conference’s standard-bearer, a team capable of finally dethroning the Chiefs and rewriting the playoff narrative.
