The Ravens failed to make the postseason for the fourth time in five years, but where exactly did their players stack up across the NFL in 2017?
Whether it’s discussing the Pro Bowl or picking postseason awards, media and fans spend much time debating where players rank at each position, but few put in the necessary time and effort to watch every player on every team extensively enough to develop any kind of an authoritative opinion.
Truthfully, how many times did you closely watch the offensive line of the Los Angeles Chargers this season? What about the Detroit Lions linebackers or the Miami Dolphins cornerbacks?
That’s why I can appreciate projects such as Bleacher Report’s NFL1000 and the grading efforts of Pro Football Focus. Of course, neither should be viewed as the gospel of evaluation and each is subjective, but I respect the exhaustive effort to grade players across the league when so many of us watch only one team or one division on any kind of a consistent basis. It’s important to note that the following PFF rankings are where the player stood at the conclusion of the regular season.
Below is a look at where Ravens outside linebackers ranked across the league, according to those outlets:
Running backs
Defensive linemen
Tight ends
Cornerbacks
Wide receivers
Inside linebackers
Offensive linemen
Safeties
Quarterbacks
Terrell Suggs
2017 defensive snap count: 845
NFL1000 ranking: 19th among edge rushers, 7th among 3-4 outside linebackers
PFF ranking: 16th among edge defenders
Skinny: The 35-year-old had already made a sound case for an eventual invitation to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but his 11-sack season and a seventh invitation to the Pro Bowl may have sealed his place in Canton. Whatever Suggs has lost in physical ability is made up for by his mental prowess.
Matthew Judon
2017 defensive snap count: 789
NFL1000 ranking: 33rd among edge rushers, 11th among 3-4 outside linebackers
PFF ranking: 80th among edge defenders
Skinny: The 2016 fifth-round selection was arguably Baltimore’s most improved player and emerged as an every-down linebacker capable of playing the run, pressuring quarterbacks, and effectively dropping into coverage. The next question is whether Judon will take his strong play to a Pro Bowl-caliber level.
Za’Darius Smith
2017 defensive snap count: 531
NFL1000 ranking: 111th among edge rushers, 36th among 3-4 outside linebackers
PFF ranking: 83rd among edge defenders
Skinny: Smith provides value as an interior rusher in sub packages, but he remains inconsistent setting the edge against the run, a big reason why he fell behind Judon on the depth chart. He never blossomed into the Pernell McPhee clone the Ravens hoped he might be, but he’s still a useful contributor.
Tyus Bowser
2017 defensive snap count: 161
NFL1000 ranking: 105th among edge rushers, 30th among 3-4 outside linebackers
PFF ranking: n/a
Skinny: The second-rounder was voted Rookie of the Week after an interception and sack in Week 2, but a poor game in London landed him in the doghouse as he played more than 10 snaps in a game only three more times. Bowser has the tools to be an every-down player, making this a big offseason for him.
Tim Williams
2017 defensive snap count: 125
NFL1000 ranking: 116th among edge rushers, 41st among 3-4 outside linebackers
PFF ranking: n/a
Skinny: The rookie flashed pass-rushing potential during training camp and the preseason, but he was a liability against the run and a hamstring injury cost him multiple weeks. Williams was active for only eight games, but the Ravens need him to emerge as no worse than a situational rusher in 2018.
2018 positional outlook
Judon’s impressive development in 2017 buys some time for the rest of this group as the Ravens will hope the incomparable Suggs continues fighting off Father Time for another season. Smith is entering the final year of his rookie contract and probably isn’t in the organization’s long-term plans, but Bowser and Williams taking sizable steps forward in their second season would make this positional group one of the roster’s best on either side of the ball. With Suggs entering his 16th season and the final year of his current contract, Bowser would ideally become a starting-caliber player and Williams a productive situational rusher in 2018 to prevent the Ravens from being backed into a corner in determining whether they want to extend their relationship with the veteran beyond 2018. Suggs remains the glue of this group, but the young outside linebackers must show they’re closer to being ready for life without him.
