Category: PFF

Ravens have four players make PFF’s All-Pro Team

Ravens have four players make PFF’s All-Pro Team

With the 2024 regular season over, PFF released its All-Pro Team for the year. Four Ravens landed on the team.

Lamar Jackson being selected as the first-team quarterback should be no surprise to anyone who has watched the two-time MVP put together his best season to date.

“Lamar Jackson delivered the best regular season of his career in 2024, earning an impressive 94.3 PFF grade—the sixth-best mark by a quarterback over the past decade,” PFF’s Gordon McGuinness wrote. “He paired elite playmaking with exceptional ball security, finishing with a 6.0% big-time throw rate and a position-best 1.4% turnover-worthy play rate.”

Jackson’s running mate, Derrick Henry, was chosen as the first-team running back, ahead of Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles. The now 31-year-old back defied father time and exceeded all expectations in his first season in Baltimore, finishing with the second-most rushing yards in his career and the second-most in the NFL.

“Henry topped the position with an astonishing 1,137 rushing yards after contact, marking the fourth time in his career he’s surpassed 1,000 yards after contact in a single season,” McGuinness wrote. “His physical running style was on full display as he forced a league-high 80 missed tackles on 325 carries. Henry’s performance earned him a 93.1 PFF rushing grade, the best among all running backs.”

Kyle Hamilton is the next Raven on the team, one of two safeties chosen. Through his first three seasons, Hamilton has proven to be one of the best defenders in the NFL. The versatile defensive back saved Baltimore’s defense this season by moving to the backend and replacing the struggling veteran safety Marcus Williams.

“At the three-quarter mark of the season, Hamilton was our choice in the flex spot on defense, having spent the first half of the year in the box and the slot for the Ravens,” McGuinness wrote. “In Week 11, the Ravens moved him into a deeper role, completely transforming their defensive success. He finished the regular season with an 89.4 PFF run-defense grade, an 89.0 PFF pass-rushing grade and an 87.9 PFF coverage grade.”

The final Raven to make the team was cornerback Marlon Humphrey. After a down year in 2023, Humphrey rebounded in 2024 with perhaps his best season to date as a pro. The veteran cornerback made several game-changing plays in big games for Baltimore this season, including both wins over the Cincinnati Bengals and leading the team in interceptions with six.

“In his eighth season out of Alabama, Humphrey delivered the best performance of his career, earning an 81.0 PFF grade,” McGuinness wrote. “Targeted 83 times in coverage, he allowed 51 receptions for 518 yards while recording 16 combined pass breakups and interceptions.”

The Ravens will need these four players to continue their excellent play into the postseason as they look to make a run at the Super Bowl.

 

 

Eagles’ offensive tackle duo is the NFL’s best at winning 1-on-1 matchups on an island

PFF rated Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata among the best offensive tackles in the NFL at winning 1-on-1 matchups on an island

The Eagles are 8-2, and Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata have significantly contributed to their overall success over the past few years. Johnson is a perennial All-Pro and Pro Bowler, while Mailata has been dominant and should make one of those lists this season.

Philadelphia has the NFL’s best offensive line, and a significant component of that success is Johnson and Mailata’s ability to win one-on-one matchups on the outside.

PFF recently ranked and rated the best in the league at winning on the island, and the Eagles duo tops the list, with Mailata at No. 1.

Mailata has missed four games with a hamstring injury, while Lane Johnson missed one contest with a concussion.

According to Pro Football Focus, Mailata is the NFL’s highest-graded offensive tackle, allowing just seven hurries and one sack.

Johnson is the fourth-highest-graded player at the position and has allowed four pressures and no sacks on 267 pass-blocking snaps this season.

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Lamar Jackson named PFF’s mid-season MVP; Derrick Henry named Offensive Player of the Year

Lamar Jackson named PFF’s mid-season MVP; Derrick Henry named Offensive Player of the Year

With eight weeks in the books for the 2024 NFL season, PFF has released its midseason awards, with the Baltimore Ravens taking home both MVP and Offensive Player of the Year honors.

Quarterback Lamar Jackson was named PFF’s midseason Most Valuable Player. It would be hard to argue against the two-time MVP quarterback being the frontrunner for this season’s award. Jackson has the best passing season of his career while maintaining his unique and electrifying rushing ability.

“Jackson has once again raised his game and could be barreling toward his third MVP award,” PFF’s Dalton Wasserman wrote. “He’s currently on pace to set career-highs in passing grade, turnover-worthy play rate, and yards per attempt while leading players in carries of 10 or more yards. Jackson’s 87.8 passing grade is the second-best in the NFL behind Joe Burrow. His dual-threat abilities are a cheat code for a team that is leading the NFL in total offense and offensive grade.”

Ravens running back Derrick Henry, Jackson’s punishing partner in the backfield, was named PFF’s Offensive Player of the Year. The 30-year-old veteran quickly squashed any fears of signing an aging running back. Henry has helped to take Baltimore’s already potent offense to another level this season with his big-play ability.

“Henry has been everything the Ravens could have possibly imagined when they signed him in the offseason,” Wasserman wrote. “He leads the NFL in rushing by nearly 200 yards. His 91.5 rushing grade paces the league as well, and the only player in the league with more explosive runs is, of course, his quarterback, Lamar Jackson. Henry and Jackson have formed one of the most formidable backfield duos the league has ever seen.”

Ravens have three players make the PFF midseason All-Pro team

Ravens Lanar Jackson, Marlon Humphrey and Derrick Henry make the PFF midseason all-Pro team

With the 2024 NFL season at the halfway mark, PFF has released its midseason All-Pro team, which features three Baltimore Ravens players.

The choice of Lamar Jackson as the mid-season All-Pro quarterback is not surprising in the least bit, as the already two-time MVP is in the middle of perhaps his best season to date and well on his way to a third MVP award if he continues at this pace. Jackson has the chance to become the first player in NFL history to pass for over 4,000 yards and rush for over 1,000 in the same season.

“This is the best version of Lamar Jackson we’ve ever seen,” PFF’s Gordon McGuinness wrote. “Most impressive through eight weeks has been his ability to avoid negative plays in the passing game, with just four turnover-worthy plays as a passer so far this season.”

First-year Raven Derrick Henry was named the midseason All-Pro running back. Pairing Henry with Jackson in the backfield has been everything anyone could have hoped for. The duo has combined to give the Ravens a seemingly unstoppable ground attack. Henry has been the ultimate closer for Baltimore this season, routinely ripping off big runs near the end of the game to stick the dagger in the heart of opposing defenses for good.

“Henry’s 91.5 PFF rushing grade leads the NFL, and his rushing yards after contact would rank 11th when compared to everyone else’s total rushing yards,” McGuinness wrote. “He has been one of the best running backs in the league at creating big plays, with his 19 runs of 10-plus yards tied for the most.”

The final Raven to make the team was cornerback Marlon Humphrey. Humphrey was in the middle of one the best seasons of his career before missing the game against the Cleveland Browns with an injury suffered during the team’s victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — a game in which Humphrey caught two interceptions from quarterback Baker Mayfield. Humphrey’s four interceptions this year are the most of any player on Baltimore’s defense.

“Humphrey is one of the stickiest cornerbacks in football through the first half of the year,” McGuinness wrote. “His 85.1 PFF coverage grade trails only Zyon McCollum among cornerbacks with 200-plus snaps this season.”

 

 

Todd Monken lands at No. 2 in a PFF ranking of NFL offensive coordinators

Todd Monken lands at No. 2 in a PFF ranking of NFL offensive coordinators

The Baltimore Ravens are entering Year 2 with Todd Monken as offensive coordinator following a massively successful first season that saw quarterback Lamar Jackson win the second MVP award of his career.

When ranking all 32 offensive coordinators ahead of the 2024 NFL season, PFF’s Zoltán Buday had high praise for Monken, listing him at number two, only behind Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.

“The Ravens hired Monken from Georgia to revitalize their passing game, and he did just that in 2023,” Buday wrote. “Baltimore’s passing attack generated 0.01 and -0.03 EPA per play in 2021 and 2022, respectively, before improving to 0.08 on pass plays in 2023 under Monken, which ranked eighth in the league and contributed to Lamar Jackson winning his second MVP award and earning a career-high 90.4 PFF overall grade. Despite getting much stronger in the passing game, Monken’s offense still dominated in the running game as the Ravens relied heavily on the same run concepts used under Greg Roman. As a result, Baltimore’s offense was one of just five teams to generate positive EPA on run plays, ranking fifth among NFL offenses in EPA per play on runs (0.004).”

The Ravens added veteran running back Derrick Henry for Monken to lean on this season after losing both Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins to the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency. Henry gives Monken a true workhorse to rely on to go with one of the league’s best and most dynamic quarterbacks. The offensive line is currently an unknown, though, as Baltimore looks to replace three starters from a season ago.

Lamar Jackson lands outside the top 10 in a PFF ranking of NFL’s top 50 players

Baltimore Ravens MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson is No. 13 in a PFF ranking of NFL’s Top 50 players

After four members of the Baltimore Ravens were revealed previously in PFF’s top 50 players countdown, MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson remained the prominent player left for the Ravens to make an appearance on the list.

After winning his second MVP—just a single vote from being unanimous once again—it is a bit surprising that Jackson did not crack the top 10, instead landing at 13 on the list.

“It goes without saying that Lamar Jackson is one of the most unique quarterbacks the game has ever seen,” PFF’s Sam Monson wrote. “Now a two-time MVP, Jackson is in rare air, and 2023 was unquestionably his best season since the last time he won MVP. His 77.0% adjusted completion rate was the top mark of his career in a new offensive system in Baltimore, and he remained an elite rushing threat. Now with Derrick Henry in the backfield behind him, Baltimore’s offense could be one of the most fun-to-watch units in the game.”

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was listed one spot ahead of Jackson at 12. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is a lock to land near the top, meaning Jackson is the third highest-ranked signal caller on the list.

Ravens have four standouts land on PFF’s top 50 players of 2024 list

John Harbaugh has one of the deepest rosters in the NFL, and as his team sits just three days from the entire 90-man roster reporting, some preseason accolades are starting to be revealed. The first 30 players from PFF’s top 50 NFL players have been …

John Harbaugh has one of the deepest rosters in the NFL, and as his team sits just three days from the entire 90-man roster reporting, some preseason accolades are starting to be revealed.

The first 30 players from PFF’s top 50 NFL players have been revealed. Four Baltimore Ravens have made the list so far.

Coming in at 46 was tight end Mark Andrews.

“While injuries derailed part of his 2023 campaign, Mark Andrews featured in 10 regular-season games for the Ravens and showed the type of weapon he is in that offense,” PFF’s Sam Monson wrote. “Passes thrown his way generated a 135.7 passer rating, the highest mark of any player, at any position, with more than 50 targets to his name. Andrews is an elite-level player, and a fully healthy season in 2024 will remind people of it.”

Next up was inside linebacker Roquan Smith at 33.

“Since arriving in Baltimore, Roquan Smith has been as good as any linebacker in football, and he built on that performance in 2023,” Monson wrote. “He tallied seven pass breakups in the regular season, showing the coverage skills that made him such an enticing prospect at draft time back in 2018. Smith has also been one of the more efficient tacklers in the game, but he will have to do it in 2024 with a new defensive coach and partner beside him after Mike Macdonald left for Seattle and Patrick Queen departed in free agency.”

The Ravens’ big-ticket free agent signing, Derrick Henry, came in at 31.

“Derrick Henry’s production has declined over the past two seasons, but he has not declined,” Monson wrote. “Instead, what we witnessed was the effect the worst offensive line in football can have on even an elite running back. Last season, Henry still averaged 3.3 yards per carry after contact and broke 57 tackles, earning a 90.1 PFF grade, but Tennessee’s blocking averaged only 0.9 yards before contact, ranking 30th in the league. Prepare for Henry’s production to bounce back significantly in Baltimore.”

Safety Kyle Hamilton was next on the list at 26.

“Kyle Hamilton‘s impact now exceeds conventional statistics,” Monson wrote. “He influences how the game is actually played when he is on the field. Deployed by Baltimore as a slot defender primarily, Hamilton consistently shut down the short game to his side of the field for the Ravens all season, earning an 84.7 PFF overall grade in 2023. A versatile playmaker on defense, Hamilton is the matchup answer most teams don’t have on their roster.”

MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson is the apparent remaining player for Baltimore that will make the list as PFF continues to unveil their top 50 players ahead of the 2024 NFL season.

 

Eagles DT Jalen Carter is the only 2023 rookie to land on PFF’s top 50 NFL players list

Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter lands at No. 41 on the Pro Football Focus list of the top 50 NFL players of 2024

Jalen Carter was the runner-up for the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award, and he’ll have some say in several awards scenarios as we advance after Fletcher Cox and Aaron Donald both retired.

Carter’s dynamic rookie season vaulted the Eagles’ second-year defensive tackle into Pro Football Focus’s top 50 NFL players of 2024 list.

Carter is the only 2023 rookie to make the list.

41. DI JALEN CARTER, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
For the first several weeks of the 2023 season — his rookie season — Jalen Carter was grading and producing like future Hall-of-Famer Aaron Donald. That level was perhaps inevitably unsustainable, but even so, he finished his debut season with an 89.0 PFF overall grade, ranking fifth in the NFL. Carter has the talent to be at the very top of this list. Only players like Donald have showcased that kind of instant impact at the position over the past decade or so.

During the first half of the 2023 season, Carter played 49% of the defensive snaps (despite missing Week 6 against the New York Jets with an injury), second among Eagles defensive tackles behind only Fletcher Cox.

Carter finished his rookie year with 6.0 sacks, 33 tackles, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery (which he returned for a touchdown) in 16 regular-season games.

Through the first nine weeks of 2023, Carter generated 29 pressures (tied for eighth in the league among interior defensive linemen), according to Pro Football Focus, including four sacks and 20 hurries.

Eagles land high on a list of NFL teams that improved the most during 2024 NFL Draft

PFF listed four teams that improved the most during the 2024 NFL draft and the Philadelphia Eagles landed at the top of the list

The Eagles collapsed after starting the 2023 season 10-1, losing six of their final seven games, including the 32-9 beatdown from the Buccaneers in the NFC wild-card matchup.

That loss set the course for both coordinators’ departures, along with the news that Fletcher Cox and Jason Kelce would be retiring from the NFL.

After adding critical pieces in free agency, Philadelphia improved the most in last April’s NFL draft, adding two elite cornerbacks, two athletic linebackers, and an underrated running back. PFF recently looked at which teams improved the most or the least during the draft, and the Eagles led the list of the most improved teams.

It seems to be an annual tradition that the Eagles end up with the league’s best draft class. If they aren’t the best this year, they are at least in the argument again. At the forefront are two potentially elite talents who will hope to improve a cornerback room that ranked 31st in coverage grade in 2023.

Mitchell’s ball production vaulted him into elite status among FBS cornerbacks. Perhaps more frightening for opposing offenses is that he actually dropped eight interceptions over the past two seasons, twice as many as any other cornerback in the nation. Mitchell has all of the ability to be one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.

Of course, Philadelphia wasn’t done there with their secondary. Iowa’s Cooper DeJean, the eighth-ranked player on PFF’s big board, fell to the second round and the Eagles traded up to snatch an incredible value.

The addition of edge defender Jalyx Hunt, a converted safety, posted a 90.2 pass-rush grade for FCS-level Houston Christian last season.

He’ll be in the mix for a situational pass-rush role.

Jeremiah Trotter Jr. was listed as a steal in the fifth round while running back Will Shipley and wide receivers Ainias Smith and Johnny Wilson add elite athleticism and versatility.

Ravens’ secondary lands in the top 5 of a PFF ranking for all 32 NFL teams

For the past several years, the Baltimore Ravens’ secondary has been a strength, and that does not look to change this season. Marcus Williams and Kyle Hamilton form possibly the best tandem in the NFL at the safety position, with Hamilton becoming …

For the past several years, the Baltimore Ravens’ secondary has been a strength, and that does not look to change this season. Marcus Williams and Kyle Hamilton form possibly the best tandem in the NFL at the safety position, with Hamilton becoming one of the best overall defensive players in the league after just two seasons.

Marlon Humphrey and Brandon Stephens return as the starting cornerbacks, with first-round pick Nate Wiggins joining the fray.

When ranking all 32 secondaries across the NFL, PFF’s John Kosko pegged the Ravens as the fourth-best in the league.

“A unit that relies on the strength of its safeties also rosters Marlon Humphrey, one of the most talented cornerbacks in the NFL,” Kosko wrote. “Humphrey has battled injuries the past few years but is dominant when he is on the field. Kyle Hamilton has also emerged as one of the best safeties in the NFL, while Marcus Williams has been one of the league’s best deep free safeties for several years. The team also added Nate Wiggins in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.”

If Humphrey can bounce back to his usual high level of play this season, then he and Stephens — fresh off a breakout season and entering a contract year — could form one of the better cornerback duos in the NFL. The health of those two could determine how much playing time the speedy rookie Wiggins gets in his first NFL season.