Lamar Jackson is the overwhelming choice for MVP in a survey of his peers at the Pro Bowl.
Lamar Jackson is poised to earn his second league MVP trophy at NFL Honors tomorrow night, and his colleagues have also endorsed him for the accolade.
Fox Sports conducted a survey of 35 players at the Pro Bowl last weekend, and Jackson was the obvious pick for MVP.
“This is the third year we’ve asked players for their MVP picks, and Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson had the most dominant showing of any player in those three seasons,” Greg Auman, an analyst for Fox Sports, tweeted. “After leading Baltimore to the AFC Championship Game, he was the choice for 21 of the 35 players, often framed as ‘it’s got to be Lamar’ or ‘easy one: Lamar.'”
Christian McCaffrey, a San Francisco 49ers running back, was a distant second with four votes.
In addition, defensive tackle Justin Madubuike and Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland were tied for the Most Underrated Defensive Player of the Year award. They all had two votes. Safety Kyle Hamilton and inside linebacker Patrick Queen each received one vote.
Madubuike also garnered two votes for Defensive Player of the Year, while Hamilton and inside linebacker Roquan Smith received one each. T.J. Watt, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ edge rusher, won with six votes.
Greg Roman reportedly will be the Chargers’ new offensive coordinator.
The Los Angeles Chargers continue to fill critical roles with Ravens alumni.
Greg Roman, the Ravens’ offensive coordinator from 2019 to 2022, has agreed to join the Chargers as offensive coordinator, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Roman will be reunited with Jim Harbaugh, the new Chargers head coach. He was on Harbaugh’s staffs at Stanford and the 49ers.
Meanwhile, the Chargers announced Jesse Minter’s hire as defensive coordinator yesterday. Minter was the Ravens’ defensive assistant coach from 2017 to 2020 and Harbaugh’s defensive coordinator at Michigan for the last two seasons, succeeding Mike Macdonald.
Joe Hortiz, the Ravens’ director of player personnel for 26 years, resigned last week to become the Chargers’ general manager.
The Ravens will face the Chargers on the road in 2024.
The Ravens will face the second-toughest schedule in the NFL next season, according to their opponents’ 2023 winning percentage. With that in mind, Brian Wacker and Childs Walker of The Baltimore Sun published their way-too-early projections for the Ravens’ performance in 2024:
Wacker: “Given the upheaval on the roster and among the coaching staff, it’s difficult to imagine the Ravens matching what they did during the regular season. In addition, division rivals the Bengals and Steelers, as well as other teams such as the Chargers, should improve next season. But perhaps this isn’t the worst thing. Perhaps Jackson performs better as an underdog than as a Super Bowl favorite. Perhaps the Ravens are better off going on the road and avoiding the Chiefs. Still, given Baltimore’s opponents, I predict a 10-7 record at most and another season without a Super Bowl appearance.”
Walker: “For all of our concerns about Jackson’s postseason performance, it’s worth noting that he’s 58-19 as a regular-season starter.” This was the NFL’s best squad, with a streak of convincing victories over great opponents. They’ll still have a strong defense led by All-Pros Smith and Hamilton, and organized by Mike Macdonald’s brilliant, charismatic young disciple, Zach Orr. Even if the Ravens take a step back, they’ll still be very excellent, with 11 wins being a plausible baseline. And their fans won’t be convinced until the Ravens put on a strong performance in late January.
According to NFL.com draft expert Lance Zierlein’s inaugural 2024 mock draft, the Ravens do not select anyone in the first round.
In Zierlein’s scenario, the Ravens trade out of the first round, sending their 30th pick to the New England Patriots.
The Ravens did not make a first-round pick since 2012, when they traded the 29th overall pick to the Minnesota Vikings for a second- and fourth-round pick.
