Ravens Have 'Secret Superstars' in This Veteran and Rookie
The Ravens have an abundance of stars on their roster, but they also have players who aren't necessarily household names outside of Baltimore who are significant contributors or have the potential to become one.
SB Nation’s Doug Farrar identified defensive lineman Travis Jones and fourth-round linebacker Teddye Buchanan as two of the Ravens' "secret superstars."
"We all know the names of the stars — Nnamdi Madubuike, Kyle Van Noy, and Odafe Oweh. But the guy who has held that defensive line together, against both the run and the pass, has been Travis Jones, the 6'4, 338-pound force multiplier who was selected in the third round of the 2022 draft out of Connecticut, and has become more of a presence every season since," Farrar wrote. "In 2024, Jones totaled one sack, 35 total pressures, 28 solo tackles, 20 stops, and four tackles for loss. Jones did his thing everywhere from head-over nose tackle to occasional edge snaps, but he was at his best when he was either head over or off to the center's shoulder, and either the center or one of the guards was about to be in big trouble.
"On/off splits aren't 100% indicative of player value, but when Jones was on the field last season, the Ravens had a pressure rate of 39.0%. Without him, it dropped to 30.9%. With Jones, Baltimore's sack rate was 8.1%; without him, it was 7.0%. Especially with a team that doesn't blitz often, that value does become more apparent. Another reason for this is that Jones can soak up double-teams without losing his disruptive effect; 14 of his pressures last season came when he was doubled."