Late for Work: ESPN Analysts in Agreement That…
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ESPN Analysts in Agreement That Ravens’ Ceiling Is the Super Bowl
ESPN analysts Dan Orlovsky, Harry Douglas, and Donte Whitner discussed what the Ravens’ ceiling is this season on “First Take.”
The verdict was unanimous: the Super Bowl.
“With Lamar Jackson healthy, the Baltimore Ravens can get to the Super Bowl. There’s no doubt about it,” Orlovsky said. “This is a very good football team.”
Douglas agreed, saying, “If Jackson stays healthy for 17 games, the Baltimore Ravens’ ceiling is Super Bowl champs.
Whitner took it a step further. He not only believes the Ravens can get to the Super Bowl; he predicted they will get there.
Whitner acknowledged Jackson’s greatness, but also expects the Ravens to have a Super Bowl-caliber defense under new Head Coach Jesse Minter.
“You got guys at every single level [on defense] that can make plays,” Whitner said. “‘Nnamdi Madubuike. You have Trey Hendrickson. You have Roquan Smith. You have Kyle Hamilton in the secondary to go along with Marlon Humphrey and a lot of young players as well.
“So, you look at what Jesse Minter was able to do [as defensive coordinator] with the Los Angeles Chargers. You had guys that were fourth-, fifth-, sixth-round, seventh-round picks, college free agents that played pivotal roles and played damn well under Jesse Minter. Now you go to a place where they have dudes? I think they’re going to be that much better.”
Orlovsky said the biggest question mark for the Ravens is the wide receiver group behind Zay Flowers, but Whitner pushed back on that narrative.
“I like their receiver group,” Whitner said. “I think they have a variety of guys that bring different things to the table. You have the quick jitterbug guy in Zay Flowers. You have Ja’Kobi Lane, who’s 6-4, 210 pounds that can make the contested catches, be a red-zone threat. Rashod Bateman, who can play inside-outside.”
Pundit Says We Haven’t Seen Best of Flowers Yet
Speaking of the Ravens’ wide receivers, Flowers has gotten better in each of his three seasons, and “Good Morning Football’s” Manti Te’o expects that trend to continue.
Considering Flowers is coming off a season in which he was sixth among wide receivers in yards (1,211), that’s saying something. But Te’o believes another level for Flowers will be unlocked by new Offensive Coordinator Declan Doyle.
“I don’t think we’ve seen the best of Zay Flowers yet,” Te’o said. “If they can get one of those young guys like Ja’Kobi Lane, who’s had a phenomenal training camp, to be the Robin to Zay Flowers’ Batman, that offense can take on a whole new look.
“So, I think in order for [the Ravens] to take that next step, to go a little further … that passing game needs to reinvent itself, and Zay Flowers has to play a big part.”
Minter Named One of NFL’s Most Intriguing People of 2026 Season
The Athletic’s Mike Jones named the 26 most intriguing figures in the NFL ahead of the regular season, and Minter came in at No. 16.
“He’s charged with elevating Baltimore from perennial playoff squad to champion,” Jones wrote. “Minter has brought a new energy to Ravens headquarters, and thus far, players have enthusiastically bought in. Minter has gotten off on the right foot with quarterback Lamar Jackson, who has eagerly worked to learn from new Offensive Coordinator Declan Doyle. Jackson won two MVPs under John Harbaugh, but he desperately wants a Lombardi Trophy for his case.”
Speaking of Harbaugh, the former Ravens head coach and current New York Giants coach was No. 23 on the list.
On a side note, FOX Sports ran an online poll for who will win the 2026 Coach of the Year award between Minter, Harbaugh, the Tennessee Titans’ Robert Saleh, and Dallas Cowboys’ Brian Schottenheimer.
Minter was the leading vote-getter as of this morning with 36% of the votes.
Hamilton Reveals What He Learned About Minter From Derwin James Jr.
Minter went from coaching one versatile All-Pro safety in Derwin James Jr. with the Chargers to another in Hamilton with the Ravens.
It wasn’t lost on Hamilton.
“For Hamilton, the anticipation for working with Minter and within his scheme began almost immediately,” Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame wrote. “Minter was officially hired on Jan. 22, replacing John Harbaugh, who had been at his post for 18 seasons and won a Super Bowl in 2012. Less than two weeks later, while in San Francisco, Hamilton started his crash course on Minter through James’s eyes.”
Hamilton said: “I was at the Pro Bowl with him, and he was speaking so highly, so vibrantly about Jesse and the whole staff, and his philosophy. It got me juiced up to get to work with Jesse, and he’s been everything as advertised, and more. I appreciate Derwin for setting the landscape for me. He’s telling the truth.”
Hamilton said that while there are similarities between him and James, there are also differences.
“I’ve talked to Derwin a lot, and have much respect for Derwin’s game,” Hamilton said. “I think he’ll be a Hall of Famer one day. All the respect for everything he does and has done and will continue to do, and I’m trying to be the same. The same in the characteristics sense, but be my own player at the same time, and I think Jesse’s done a good job of saying, ‘Hey, here’s what we did that we can carry over, and here’s what we’ll do differently.'”
Looking at How Ravens Rookies Have Performed in Preseason
ESPN’s Jamison Hensley evaluated how each of the Ravens’ draft picks have looked in the preseason. Here are his thoughts on their first three picks:
Round 1 (No. 14): G Vega Ioane
“Ioane will be the Ravens’ starting right guard when the regular season begins after working with the first team since his first practice. Coaches and teammates have praised Ioane for carrying himself like a veteran.”
Round 2 (No. 45): OLB Zion Young
“Young has impressed the coaches with his physicality. He is expected to back up Tavius Robinson as the strong-side linebacker but should have the opportunity to start next season.”
Round 3 (No. 80): Lane
“He is primed for a big role in the offense after being the star of training camp. By making highlight plays nearly every day this summer, Lane has positioned himself to be the No. 3 receiver behind Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman.”
On a side note, two Ravens players were among Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded rookies after Week 2 of the preseason: undrafted offensive tackle Diego Pounds (No. 3, 90.9 grade) and fifth-round safety Chandler Rivers (No. 8, 88.4).
“Pounds is the highest-graded offensive lineman in the NFL so far this preseason,” PFF’s Gordon McGuinness wrote. “He has been on the field for 15 pass-blocking snaps and has yet to allow a sack hit or hurry. He’s also produced a 91.1 PFF run-blocking grade on 19 run-blocking snaps.
“On the field for 40 coverage snaps, Rivers has been targeted six times but allowed only two receptions for six yards while recording a pair of pass breakups. He has allowed an NFL passer rating of just 42.4.”
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