Raven Country

Are Ravens Still NFL's Best Defense?

The Baltimore Ravens had the NFL's best defense in 2023. Will that change this season?

Jeremy Brener

Sep 24, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith (0) reacts after a
Sep 24, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith (0) reacts after a / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
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The Baltimore Ravens had the NFL's best defense this past season, but things may look slightly different in 2024.

The team lost defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, who took a head coaching gig with the Seattle Seahawks. On the field, the team also lost linebacker Patrick Queen and defensive end Jadeveon Clowney.

Bleacher Report ranked every team's defense ahead of the upcoming season and placed the Ravens at No. 6.

"They are losing a considerable amount of coaching and playing talent but there are several main characters sticking around to create a formidable unit," Bleacher Report writes.

"Roquan Smith remains one of the few needle-moving off-ball linebackers in the league. He leads a front seven that was able to retain Justin Madubuike who had a breakout season with 13 sacks. His versatility and ability to pressure the quarterback on the interior will make life easier for everyone up front and a remodeled coaching staff."

The only teams to rank ahead of the Ravens were the San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, New York Jets and Cleveland Browns.

Ultimately, the Ravens hope they can match the production from the defense last season, but they can't copy/paste exactly what they cooked up. New defensive coordinator Zach Orr has been with the Ravens for a while, so the philosophy isn't different, but other people will be expected to step up in order to keep Baltimore in the contender conversation for the 2024 season.

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Jeremy Brener

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.