Both John and Him Harbaugh are fond of asking the question-as-credo, “Who’s got it better than us?” It’s part of an overall philosophy they got from their father Jack, and in the case of the John Harbaugh-led Baltimore Ravens, the answer is, “Very few NFL teams.”
At least when it comes to the regular season.
Since Harbaugh became Baltimore’s head coach in 2008, the Ravens have had exactly two losing seasons, and their 172-104 regular-season record, and .623 winning percentage, are bested by only the New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers, and Pittsburgh Steelers. This has long been known as one of the most consistent franchises in sports, and unlike some franchises in that boat, the Ravens don’t use that consistency as something to hold onto when they should be reaching for more.
Which is where the postseasons of late become so frustrating.
It could easily be argued that Lamar Jackson was the NFL’s best quarterback in 2024, but those old postseason ghosts came calling once again. And the 27-25 Divisional Round loss to the Buffalo Bills was particularly heartbreaking in that things could have gone differently with one play here or one play there. I don’t need to go into excruciating details here; Ravens fans know the deal. The good news is that everybody in the organization, starting with Jackson, has more on their minds.
Easy to say, harder to do. But in the Ravens’ case, there’s everything on point for better results. There isn’t a serious hole anywhere on the roster as long as health isn’t an issue (obviously), and the personnel staff made some great gets in the offseason to add even more on-field credibility to a roster that is [bangs head in Judas Priest fashion] Screaming for Vengeance.
A secondary that was already very good now has first-round safety Malaki Starks, and free-agent gold-rush signing Jaire Alexander. And though there are off-field questions about second-round edge-rusher Mike Green, I believed Green to be the best overall pass-rusher in the 2025 draft class.
Still, the AFC looks to be a gauntlet from the seventh level of hell once again, so if the Ravens are to finally transcend past postseason issues in all the right ways, it’ll take everybody rowing in the same proverbial direction.
In the continuation of our “Hidden Gems” series, we look at one underrated veteran, one underrated free-agent signing, and one underrated draft pick — three players who could well exceed their under-the-radar statuses.
Maybe 2025 is the season in which nobody has it better than the Baltimore Ravens.
Underrated Veteran: DI Travis Jones
Obviously, if you don’t blitz a lot, your defensive linemen had better be very much on point when it comes to beating offensive linemen from snap to whistle. The 2024 Ravens had this in the bag; their blitz rate of 20.3% was the NFL’s seventh-lowest, but only the Denver Broncos (63) had more sacks than Baltimore’s 54, and the Ravens’ pressure rate exceeded their blitz rate, which is always a good sign.
We all know the names of the stars — Nnamdi Madubuike, Kyle Van Noy, and Odafe Oweh. But the guy who has held that defensive line together, against both the run and the pass, has been Travis Jones, the 6’4, 338-pound force multiplier who was selected in the third round of the 2022 draft out of Connecticut, and has become more of a presence every season since. In 2024, Jones totaled one sack, 35 total pressures, 28 solo tackles, 20 stops, and four tackles for loss. Jones did his thing everywhere from head-over nose tackle to occasional edge snaps, but he was at his best when he was either head over or off to the center’s shoulder, and either the center or one of the guards was about to be in big trouble.
Jones did all of that in just 675 snaps last season; ankle issues got in the way to a point as the season went along, but the tape was still pretty serious when he was on the field. Jones has developed a full array of moves to get to the ballcarrier in a big hurry, and with evil intent.
On/off splits aren’t 100% indicative of player value, but when Jones was on the field last season, the Ravens had a pressure rate of 39.0%. Without him, it dropped to 30.9%. With Jones, Baltimore’s sack rate was 8.1%; without him, it was 7.0%. Especially with a team that doesn’t blitz often, that value does become more apparent. Another reason for this is that Jones can soak up double-teams without losing his disruptive effect; 14 of his pressures last season came when he was doubled.
“Travis Jones is fantastic,” Ravens pass rush coach Chuck Smith said in mid-June. “Travis Jones is a pass rusher that I’ll put out there one-on-one with 95% of the offensive guards in the league, and they can’t block him. Last year, when he was healthy, he was one of the best interior rushers in the game. The film doesn’t lie, nor does the respect he has from the other teams. Travis Jones is skilled-up. One of the things, when I first got here, we talked about some of the people that were here, we talked about [how] we want everybody to have a skill. Whether you’re big, you’re small, you’re a cornerback, a linebacker, we want everybody to have a skill.
“Travis Jones has multiple moves. He does a chop drive. He can do a hump [move], he can do long arms, he can do everything. If things go the way I see it for Travis Jones, and the way I think the overview of our team goes, Travis Jones has a chance to be a Pro Bowler. He’s as good as any defensive lineman [or] nose guard in the National Football League, and I think this year – when he stays healthy the entire season – I think he’ll prove it and put it on tape.”
2025 marks the final year of Jones’ rookie contract, and while there have been talks about a new deal, it may have been to Jones’ advantage to wait it out. As Coach Smith said, a fully healthy Travis Jones could be a major force, and the money would obviously reflect that down the road.
