The Baltimore Ravens boasted one of the best defenses in franchise history last season. After losing mastermind defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald and multiple key players this offseason, it would be no surprise if the unit took a step back in 2024. However, if you ask All-Pro inside linebacker Roquan Smith if he thinks the Ravens’ defense can match last season’s performance, he will go one step further and say they can be better.
“I think we can be better, honestly, and I know we can, not just more so think,” Smith said via Carita Parks. “But I have a great deal of respect for the guys that were here before. Good luck to those guys in the places that they are, but I have the utmost respect for each and every guy that’s in here, and I know the potential that each and every guy has, so it’s all about going out and proving it week-in and week-out, and I think it starts in training camp, day-in and day-out. Everybody is excited early on, and I know we have the mindset of guys pushing through adversity when we face that, but I love the pieces that we have here, and we’ll be able to show that to the world soon enough, and maybe we’ll come back to this conversation at the end of the year, and we’ll be like, ‘Wow, can we be better than that?‘”
Zach Orr will take over playcalling duties from Macdonald on defense, and several new faces are in line to contribute on the field this season.