Late for Work: Pundit Says Ravens Need Establish a…

Outside linebacker Trey Hendrickson had a strong performance in his return Sunday against the Cleveland Browns after missing two games following a finger procedure, but a pundit says he needs more help.

Hendrickson finished with eight pressures and a sack on 26 pass rush matchups against rookie left tackle Spencer Fano, per Next Gen Stats. For the season, Hendrickson has the highest pressure rate (22.7%) among the league’s top pass rushers, according to The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer.

However, Shaffer noted that while Hendrickson has dominated as a right-side pass rusher, he didn’t win any of his four pass rush reps from the left side on Sunday. The lopsided splits have carried over from Hendrickson’s time with the Bengals.

“Since 2021, Hendrickson’s first Pro Bowl season in Cincinnati, he has 59 sacks as a right-sided pass rusher, according to Sports Info Solutions, and none as a left,” Shaffer wrote.

With Hendrickson entrenched as a force on the right side, Shaffer said the Ravens are still looking for a running mate for the four-time Pro Bowler.

“Compounding that problem: The Ravens’ second-most-talented edge rusher, outside linebacker Mike Green, has also been more effective on the right side of the line this season,” Shaffer wrote. “Green’s best flashes in the Ravens’ Week 4 win over the Tennessee Titans and Week 5 win over the Atlanta Falcons came in Hendrickson’s customary spot. With Hendrickson sidelined by his finger injury, Green had six total pressures, including a sack, in 42 pass rush snaps (14.3% pressure rate) as a right-sided rusher in those two games. Compare that to his 40 pass rush snaps this season as a left-sided rusher, where Green has just three pressures and no sacks (7.5% pressure rate).

“Outside linebacker Tavius Robinson, who usually starts opposite Hendrickson and lines up inside in some personnel groupings, has a team-high 3.5 sacks this season. But on a snap-to-snap basis, his pass rush production has been unremarkable; Robinson has just 11 pressures and an 8.7% pressure rate as a left-sided rusher, according to SIS, one of the league’s lowest such marks among qualifying players.”

Robinson didn’t practice Wednesday because of a pectoral injury, a rare absence for the physical edge setter.

Shaffer said that despite Green having more success from the right side this season, there’s reason to believe he can balance out the Ravens’ front.

“In his breakout 2024 season at Marshall, Green split time between both ends of the line and was far more productive as a left-sided rusher, posting 11 of his 17 sacks and a 22% pressure rate,” Shaffer wrote. “And in his rookie season last year, he was slightly more dangerous on the left side (10.6% pressure rate) than the right side (9.4%).”

Pundit Discusses When Lamar Jackson Should Return

It goes without saying that the Ravens offense is more dangerous with Lamar Jackson, and with the Ravens entering a daunting three-game stretch, having the two-time MVP back on the field after missing the past two games with an ankle injury would be ideal.

Jackson returned to practice as a limited participant Wednesday, but he remains “day to day,” Head Coach Jesse Minter said.

“Good Morning Football’s” Manti Te’o said that even though the Ravens have a critical AFC North contest against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday (followed by games against the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars), the team should take a big-picture view regarding Jackson’s return.

“If Lamar Jackson can’t go full speed, if Lamar Jackson can’t be Lamar, I would sit him one to two more weeks so that he can be,” Te’o said. “The worst thing you can do is bring somebody back sooner than they’re ready to, and then you have to restart that whole thing over in the event that he gets hurt again with that ankle injury.”

Minter made it clear on Wednesday that the Ravens will proceed with caution when it comes to Jackson’s health.

“I know this, when it’s ready for him to be able to play, from both sides, and we feel like that’s the best thing to do, that’s what we’ll do,” Minter said.

Minter added: “There’s nobody that wants to be out there more than Lamar. I understand all the stuff and what people say, but Lamar wants to play. But at the same time, you have to be healthy enough to play and that’s how we would really treat any player.”

Ravens Select Tight End in First Round of Sports Illustrated’s Mock Draft

Even though the Ravens double-dipped at tight end in this year’s draft, taking Matt Hibner in the fourth round and Josh Cuevas in the fifth, Sports Illustrated’s Gilberto Manzano has Baltimore selecting Oregon tight end Jamari Johnson 18th overall in his latest mock draft.

“With Isaiah Likely having joined John Harbaugh in New York, the Ravens have been down a playmaker this season,” Manzano wrote. “Johnson can immediately fill the void and take the Lamar Jackson–led offense to the next level. The 6’5″, 257-pound Johnson is a matchup nightmare, and his high upside was on full display in a 119-yard performance against USC on Sept. 26. Johnson has 17 catches for 224 yards and two touchdowns.”

In the second round, Manzano mocked Miami (Fla.) defensive tackle Justin Scott to the Ravens.

“The 6’4″, 303-pound Scott is a ferocious run stopper, but he’ll need to improve as a pass rusher to hear his name called during the first two days of the draft,” Manzano wrote.

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