The Baltimore Ravens have been one of the premier teams in the NFL since they made the decision to draft QB Lamar Jackson in 2018.
Since then, they have made the playoffs six times, only missing the postseason once with Jackson as the starting signal caller. In 2019 after a dominating (14-2) regular season finish, Jackson was named NFL Offensive MVP, head coach John Harbaugh was named NFL Coach of the Year and former OC Greg Roman was named Assistant Coach of the Year.
But in a story that’s become all too familiar for the Ravens, they were knocked out of the playoffs in a 28-12 loss to the Titans in the AFC divisional round to finish that amazing year.
The Baltimore Ravens have had as much regular season success with Harbaugh as head coach and Jackson as QB as any team in the NFL. In 2023, coming off a (10-7) record the year before, they finished with a (13-4) regular season record. They made it to the AFC Championship that year, before falling to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Jackson earned his second NFL Offensive MVP honor to close out the year.
It’s clear the AFC is the toughest conference in the NFL, and it’s stacked with a handful of teams that can contend for a Super Bowl on any given year. Mahomes and the Chiefs have led the charge, but the Buffalo Bills have been right there with the Ravens. Joe Burrow and the Bengals found a way to get through the gauntlet and reach a Super Bowl before falling to the Rams. Justin Herbert and the Chargers appear to be trending upward, while CJ Stroud and the Texans have taken massive steps forward.
It’s clear the Baltimore Ravens have to find a way to get over the hump in the ultra-competitive AFC and capitalize on the time they have one of the most electrifying QB’s in NFL history as their starter.
Heading into the NFL Draft, the Ravens will look to address a few holes. The most obvious is adding a pass rusher, while another pass-catcher for Jackson would certainly help.
But in what would be a surprise move for many, Bleacher Report is predicting the Ravens will make a draft day trade with the Chargers and move star tight end Mark Andrews.
BR predicts the Chargers will get Andrews in exchange for a 2025 4th-round pick (No. 125), and 2025 6th-round pick (No. 181).
The Los Angeles Chargers have a decent tight-end duo in Will Dissly and Tyler Conklin. However, head coach Jim Harbaugh loves to feature tight ends in his offenses, and L.A. could use more talent at the position.
Trading for Ravens tight end Mark Andrews would be a sensible move, if he can be had. Baltimore doesn't sound particularly interested in moving him.
"He's a great player and we're in the business of keeping as many great players as we can," general manager Eric DeCosta said, per The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec.
However, Andrews will turn 30 in September and is entering the final year of his contract, so there's at least some chance that the Ravens would listen to offers during the draft.
Bleacher Report's Moe Moton examined hypothetical trade packages for Andrews earlier this month. Los Angeles landed on Moton's list, and it would be a logical destination if Andrews is moved.
Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman was Baltimore's tight ends coach when Andrews was drafted in 2018, and he spent four other seasons coaching the tight end as the Ravens' offensive coordinator.
Roman would know how to get the most out of Andrews, who would immediately become one of Justin Herbert's most reliable targets.