Former Super Bowl champion gives Ravens major respect with early 2024 power rankings

The Baltimore Ravens turned many doubters into believers this past season. Some still do have their fair share of doubt in the Ravens following their loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in last month’s AFC title game, but Chris Canty is not throwing in the towel on his former team.

During a recent airing of ESPN Radio’s “Unsportsmanlike with Evan, Canty, and Michelle” show, Canty took some time to rank his top five Super Bowl contenders for the 2024 season. The former Super Bowl-winning defensive end penciled in the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 1 spot and then slotted in the Ravens right behind them for a few reasons.

"Two-time MVP Lamar Jackson, he’s only gonna be better in Year 2 of Todd Monken’s system and with those weapons," Canty said. "… The thing that makes me bullish about the Baltimore Ravens is not what they are on offense, it’s what they are on defense.

"They absolutely dominate teams on the defensive side of the ball. … There’s no reason to think that the Baltimore Ravens can’t continue to replicate what they’ve done.”

Canty does have one minor question mark about the Ravens, and it is regarding Mike Macdonald’s departure from the team. Macdonald left his role as Ravens defensive coordinator earlier this month to become the new head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. The Ravens went on to name Zach Orr as Macdonald’s replacement.

Canty did add that he has "confidence that the Baltimore Ravens will figure that out because when have the Baltimore Ravens not had a great defensive coordinator."

The Ravens may go on to lose a few defensive starters in free agency, but they will at the least have the likes of Roquan Smith and Kyle Hamilton leading the way next season.