Baltimore’s 2025 season went sideways fast, and Lamar Jackson felt the strain along with everybody else. The Ravens finished 8-9 and missed the playoffs, a result that doesn’t sit right for a team built around a quarterback with Jackson’s talent. Injuries only made the year harder, but there’s already a belief that the next version of this offense could look a lot different.
One reason for that optimism is rookie wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane. In a Tuesday feature, Moe Moton of Bleacher Report listed his “biggest surprises that could shake up” the season and took a bold swing with the Ravens’ first-year pass catcher. Moton wrote, “Why not go bold with predictions less than a week before the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers kick off the 2026 campaign?”
His prediction is that Lane will make a “quick rise to become OROY,” meaning Offensive Rookie of the Year.
That kind of leap would matter plenty for Jackson. A quarterback coming off a difficult season could use a young target who brings juice, size and playmaking ability, and Moton thinks Lane has already shown enough to earn real attention.
He said Lane “generated buzz during organized team activities through training camp, and it translated in his preseason debut against the Philadelphia Eagles.” In that game, Lane caught three passes for 38 yards and a touchdown, and Moton noted that “it’s all the rookie needed to secure a top roster spot on the depth chart.”
Lane’s frame also stands out. Moton pointed out that “At 6'4", 205 pounds, Lane could be a primary red-zone target in addition to his big-play ability outside the 20-yard line.”
Baltimore is moving forward without longtime coach John Harbaugh, so the look of the team should be different on the field and in the front office. If Jackson is healthy and Lane keeps climbing, the Ravens may have the kind of pairing that pushes them back into the playoffs.
In Other News...
Ravens Depth Shakeup Could Force A Tough Roster Decision
The Ravens added a pair of familiar depth pieces to their practice squad on Thursday, signing offensive tackle A.J. Arcuri and tight end Nick Vannett as they continue to shore up two spots that can get thin fast over the course of a season. For Baltimore, the appeal is straightforward: both players bring experience, and both give the team more insulation behind the active roster at positions where injuries and game-day wear can quickly change the picture.
Veteran lineman Chuma Edoga is also expected to join the practice squad after a successful workout, though that move is still waiting on a roster decision to open a spot. The extra addition gives the Ravens another seasoned option in the mix, but it also means someone has to come off to make it work, adding a small but real layer of intrigue to what looked like a routine depth move. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Owner Makes A Baltimore Move Fans Will Truly Appreciate
Steve Bisciotti and the Bisciotti Family Foundation are putting a significant new stake into one of Baltimores most important pipelines, expanding the Ozzie Newsome Scholars program with a $3 million commitment for Baltimore City Public Schools graduates who enroll at Morgan State University. The program is designed to help students bridge the gap from high school to college completion, with support tied to Pell Grant eligibility, graduation from a Baltimore City public school and participation in the CollegeBound Foundations College Completion Program.
The funding will back 40 new scholars over eight years, with as much as $75,000 available per student, a move that ties the Ravens owner even more closely to the city beyond the field. It also deepens the reach of a program named for a Baltimore football icon, giving the next wave of students a clearer path while reinforcing a partnership between the university, the foundation and the city schools that will matter for years to come. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Sent A Strong Message About Joe Fagnanos Future
Joe Fagnano went from undrafted rookie to a spot on Baltimores 53-man roster, and the way the Ravens handled the final cuts suggested they already see more than a camp arm. As the team settled its quarterback room, Fagnano held onto the third-string job behind the veterans, a notable outcome for a passer who entered the summer with little margin for error.
Eric DeCosta later said Baltimore even heard trade interest on Fagnano, but the organization decided his preseason work made him worth keeping. He completed 56 of 75 passes for 509 yards and three touchdowns, a stretch that drew praise from coaches and teammates and turned a quiet roster battle into one of the more interesting depth-chart decisions of the Ravens summer. [Read more 🡒]