Early look at the Detroit Lions 2017 opponents: Baltimore Ravens

Edge Defenders

Terrell Suggs returns as the primary pass rush threat for the Ravens. As an interesting historical note, the term edge defender originates from attempts to describe Terrell Suggs when the Ravens applied the franchise tag to him earlier in his career. Neither a true linebacker nor a defensive end, the football world tried a few different terms before the currently used term. He is no longer the transcendent talent he once was, but he is still a very dangerous player for the Lions to deal with.

Behind Suggs is a bevy of talent, none of which is proven. Za’darius Smith went from a seventh round prospect, barely invited to the East-West Shrine Game to a fourth round selection by continually rising to meet challenges in 2015. He has managed only 6.5 sacks in his first two seasons, however. Matt Judon is another athletic freak with all the tools to be successful. He managed 4 sacks as a rookie in 2016.

This year’s additions to the freak show are Tim Williams and Tyus Bowser. Williams was the Ravens third round pick. He was a situational pass rusher at Alabama, and he should slide into a similar role for the Ravens quickly. Bowser is the more intriguing of the two, as he has only two years of college football experience. Bowser was a basketball player and was drafted because of his impressive athletic traits. His draft stock rose markedly after the combine.

Interior Defensive Line

Brandon Williams highlights the Ravens defensive line. He is the NFL’s highest paid 3-4 nose tackle for a reason. At 340 pounds he doesn’t provide a lot of pass rush but he does push the pocket into the quarterback’s face. Michael Pierce is a player cut from the same cloth. The Ravens defense should be stout up front against the run in 2017.

Bronson Kafusi and Chris Wormley will be taking their first steps into the league. Wormely will be a familiar commodity to Michigan fans. He is a good athlete for the position, but expecting him to fill the departed Timmy Jernigan‘s shoes might be asking too much. The team has fellow Michigan alum Willie Henry, who they drafted last year in the fourth round also awaiting his first snap. He ended last year on IR.

Linebackers

C.J. Mosley is one of the best three down linebackers in the NFL. He is the most problematic player in the Ravens front seven. He does virtually everything well in their scheme. The loss of Zach Orr will hurt the Ravens, however, as he was a perfect complement to Mosley. Kamalei Correa is expected to step in but frankly, he is a poor player in all phases of the game. Albert McClellan is the Ravens best shot at a competent nickel linebacker, but he was a converted safety who played 63 snaps in 2016 as a rookie.

The Ravens front seven has more questions than answers going into training camp in 2017. They are relying on a lot of young players taking major steps forward and that seldom works out well.