Grading the AFC North Offseason approaching the 2024 NFL Draft
What grades have the AFC North teams earned in 2024?
Baltimore Ravens
The team that finished with the best regular season record in the league wound up falling short of reaching Super Bowl LVIII. John Harbaugh’s club had a lot of things going for it entering the postseason, and they made easy work of the improved Texans, 34-10, in the divisional before falling to Kansas City a week later.
Speaking of losses, the Baltimore Ravens have had plenty of them this offseason and many of them were substantial. Start with defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, now the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. Defensive assistants such as Anthony Weaver (Dolphins) and Dennard Wilson (Titans) took coordinator jobs elsewhere.
As for the players, gone are inside linebacker Patrick Queen and Pro Bowl safety Geno Smith. They signed with the Steelers and Bengals, respectively, so their losses are felt in a bigger way. Guard Kevin Zeitler left for Detroit, Jadeveon Clowney inked a deal with the Panthers, and running back Gus Edwards joined the Chargers. Even the special teams took a shot with the free-agent departure of speedster Devin Duvernay (Jaguars).
On the plus side, the Ravens did sign two-time NFL rushing champion Derrick Henry, who still has plenty left in the tank, and retained Paro Bowl defensive tackle Justin Madubuike and standout linebacker Kyle Van Noy. It’s safe to say that general manager Eric DeCosta will have to do some magic with his nine picks in the draft,