Whether or not the Baltimore Ravens ultimately maintain their slight lead in the AFC North title race, the team finds itself on an upward trajectory that could see it become a conference power again in the coming years. Building a long-term winner necessarily requires finding young players capable of performing major roles, and the Ravens appear to possess such rising stars on both sides of the ball.
So with the 2016 regular season a quarter away from completion, which of the Ravens’ 25-and-under pieces have the brightest future? While many arrived in Baltimore via early round draft selections, the team selected others later — or not at all.
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5. Tavon Young, age 22, cornerback
The secondary ranks as the oldest part of Baltimore’s defense, with Lardarius Webb and Eric Weddle — both over 30 — manning the safety positions and 28-year-old Jimmy Smith serving as the team’s No. 1 cover man. However, the Ravens may have found their next long-term defensive back in fourth-round pick Tavon Young.
Young doesn’t strike the most imposing figure at 5-foot-9 and 177 pounds. However, the Temple product offers innate playmaking ability that has already produced two interceptions and a fumble recovery in his young career. While he still has yet to establish himself as a full-time player in the defense, that time could come before the conclusion of his rookie season.
4. Zachary Orr, age 24, inside linebacker
The good general managers collect studs on all three days of the draft. The best ones also uncover quality players after the draft concludes. Ozzie Newsome’s latest undrafted find appears to be Zachary Orr, the third-year inside linebacker who has become a stable in the middle of Baltimore’s defense.
While Orr may lack the natural gifts that many of his best teammates possess, he reacts quickly to plays and negates those physical shortcomings. Only outside linebacker Terrell Suggs and defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan have made more total plays behind the line of scrimmage (11 and nine respectively) than Orr’s seven, who also leads the team with 112 tackles and counting.
3. Ronnie Stanley, age 22, offensive tackle
The Ravens received considerable criticism for the apparently reactive and fear-driven manner in which they handled their top draft choice this past April, dropping Ole Miss offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil off their board and selecting Notre Dame’s Ronnie Stanley instead. While that decision developed out of a less-than-ideal mindset, Stanley still possessed enough upside to realistically become a confident and capable blindside protector.
Thus far as a rookie, Stanley hasn’t reached that level of consistently. He struggles with elite speed rushers off the edge and can lose his balance too easily. Still, his incredible length — 35 5/8-inch arms and 6-foot-6 frame — allow him to dominate defenders when he maintains his fundamentals. Baltimore must continue helping Stanley out as a rookie by chipping pass rushers with tight ends and tailbacks, but by this time next year they may have one of the better left tackles in the conference.
2. Timmy Jernigan, age 24, defensive tackle
Despite a enjoyed a great career at Florida State that culminated with a national title, Timmy Jernigan fell in the draft on the back of concerns about his pass-rushing ability. While the versatile defensive tackle doesn’t pressure the quarterback to the same degree as All-Pro interior defensive linemen like J.J. Watt or Aaron Donald, he established himself as the Ravens’ top young pass rusher and one of the best in the league.
In just under three years, Jernigan has recorded 13 sacks, a staggering figure for a player at his position. If he continues at his current pace for 2016, he should finish the year with seven. Considering also that Jernigan has managed the run well and can handle multiple positions along the defensive front, his value could skyrocket if he takes the next big step forward in his development.
1. C.J. Mosley, age 24, inside linebacker
Of the Ravens’ prized 2014 draft class, no player has impacted the team more in his short career nor holds more potential for the future than inside linebacker C.J. Mosley. Over his first two seasons in the NFL, Mosley amassed a career approximate value of 22 (2016 figures do not come out until after the year). By comparison, the team’s last draft pick to produce a comparable score was offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele, a player selected two years before Mosley. Put simply, Mosley matters more to his team than any of Newsome’s collegiate additions over the past five years.
Since his time as a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide, Mosley rarely found himself far from the football. His instincts put him in position to disrupt offenses, and his athleticism makes him a matchup problem for tight ends and wideouts working the middle of the field. While he may not create as many splash plays as fellow off-the-ball linebackers like Luke Kuechly and Bobby Wagner, his consistency rates right alongside theirs.
Jason B. Hirschhorn is an award-winning sports journalist and Pro Football Writers of America member. He has bylines at NFL.com, SB Nation, Sports Illustrated, and other outlets.