"For Better or Worse" is a series that will look at various position groups leading up to the 2019 preseason. Instead of a regular position break down, this series will compare how position groups look between now and this time last year.
Switching over to the other side of the ball, we will begin by looking at the defensive line.
2018
The defensive line was stout but inconsistent at times last year, ultimately ranking 13th at the end of the season in Pro Football Focus's defensive line rankings. Going into the season,the group was anchored by Michael Pierce and Brandon Williams at the two tackle positions and Brent Urban at defensive end/defensive tackle, who got a low risk one year extension heading into the season after his 2017 was cut short with injury.
Terrell Suggs and Za'Darius Smith were set to share time as rush ends, forming a solid book-end opposite of Mathew Judon. Suggs had a strong 2017 with 11 sacks and 4 foreced fumbles while Smith only recorded 3.5 sacks and was yet to take the next step as a pass rusher now 3 years into his career. The defensive front looked loaded with young talent and depth with younger players like Carl Davis, Bronson Kafusi, Kamalei Correa, Tim Williams, Tyus Bowser, Michael Pierce and Willie Henry. Beyond them, there were emerging outside linebackers in Mathew Judon and Za'Darius Smith and veterans in Terrell Suggs and Brandon Williams. Not much changed on the Ravens' defensive front between 2017 and 2018 as the unit looked to maintain its stout presence in the run and carry over similar sack production, securing their place as an annual top 10 defense.
2019
Going into 2019 there is a lot more change on the defensive front. The Ravens lost a big bodied physical player in Brent Urban and now have to make up for the collective 14 sacks which Terrell Suggs and Zadarius Smith were responsible for in the prior season. I think this is a lot of change to juggle as it has yet to be seen what younger guys like Chris Wormley and Willie Henry as well as rookie Daylon Mack can make of substantial playing time on the inside of the line. Wormley is the closest in size to Urban and has good length to aid in finesse moves and block shedding and hopefully seizes an opportunity in 2019 to become a reliable starter.
Behind Wormley, the Ravens only have Zach Seiler as a true defensive end on the roster although he saw barely any regular season action last year. In 2018 the front line was brimming with potential and was one of the highlights of training camp that there was even talks of who could be traded from the group as they were all coveted players competing for limited positions. One year later there is some depth concerns on the interior line as Brent Urban, Carl Davis and Bronson Kafusi are no longer with the team. Not to mention, Michael Pierce is off to a start in the Harbaugh dog house after showing up overweight to OTAs, although he has since slimmed down to his playing weight but it remains to be seen if other work ethic concerns surface as the season progresses.
Aside from concerns of depth and the ability of younger guys to step up and take on bigger roles on the inside, defensive pass rush is equally as concerning. Last year Za'Darius Smith and Terrell Suggs accounted for 33% of the teams sacks (14 out of 43). Mathew Juddon, although solid, hasn't been a prolific pass rusher so far in his career and is being heavily counted on in 2019 while he had 7 sacks in 2018, one less than his career high in 2017. The Ravens desperately need Juddon to hit at least double digits in sacks this year although he will be commanding offensive line attention each week as the team's main threat on the d-line. With Brandon Williams and Michael Pierce being run-stuffers, Ravens fans will have to pray a guy like Chris Wormley excels at creating some pressure in the interior to so the defense doesn't become too reliant on its outside linebackers who are surrounded with questions. Speaking of the outside, the Ravens are planning to make up for the 14 sacks they lost in free agency with a platoon of Jaylon Ferguson, Pernell McPhee, Shane Ray and Tim Williams. Ferguson is the most promising of the bunch but it takes a while for pass rushers to develop and become dominant so those expectations for him should be curtailed in year one. Although their are a few young promising pieces, it seems the team is relying on promise far more than I am comfortable with. The Ravens have a concerning challenge ahead in 2019 as lack of depth and unproven youth will work against them.
Conclusion
I think signs of regression are evident regarding this defensive front of the Ravens as the losses of Suggs, Smith, Urban and Davis might be too much to surmount in 2019. The team will need a guy to break out like they had in Za'Darius Smith last year and Ray and Williams could potentially be those guys although the both come with concerns and consistency issues.
McPhee has looked good in camp so far but he will most likely be limited in snaps so the team can preserve him throughout the length of the season.
Last year the front line of the Ravens seemed to be loaded with a plethora of talent but now it looks like more of a skeleton crew surrounded by question marks. Depth concerns on the interior, Judon's potential to be a game wrecker and no breakaway candidates at the RUSH linebacker spot are all looming concerns to watch for as preseason play starts and they could very well be the Ravens defensive Achilles in 2019.
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