CBS Sports predicts Lamar Jackson will be Ravens’ team MVP in 2021

The Baltimore Ravens have built up plenty of roster talent, and now heading into the 2021 season they have a multitude of players that can be relied upon to make big impacts. Whether it’s on offense, defense, or special teams, Baltimore is extremely deep at almost every position.

Despite being able to get solid production out of a lot of players, the Ravens have a few stars who will give them a massive lift. When predicting the 2021 MVP of each AFC team, Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports named quarterback Lamar Jackson as his choice for Baltimore.

“Jackson is only looking up to Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers and Josh Allen in the MVP odds heading into next season and is tied with Tom Brady. While he didn’t have quite the same success in 2020 as his record-breaking campaign in 2019, Jackson is still considered to be one of the top quarterbacks that this conference has to offer. That said, his continued development as a passer will be worth watching as we enter this coming season. If he can become more prolific in that regard — similar to his 2019 season where he led the league in passing touchdowns — that will raise the ceiling for Baltimore’s Super Bowl chances exponentially.”

While there are certainly other players on the Ravens’ roster who can make huge impacts, Jackson is the player who is directly tied to Baltimore’s success. Without him, the Ravens’ offense becomes a lot less of a threat to opposing defenses due to Jackson’s dynamic skill set both as a thrower and as a runner.

Jackson is expected to take a big leap in 2021. As Sullivan mentions, his 2020 season wasn’t as impressive statistically as his 2019 campaign where he won a unanimous MVP award, but he was still able to get better in some areas. While he did struggle in other facets of his game, the hope is that with an improved wide receiver room, a better offensive line, and another full offseason to get better, Jackson will have a year closer to 2019 as opposed to 2020.

There is no one else on the Baltimore roster who makes quite the impact on the entire roster as Jackson. He is vital to the team’s success, and if he is able to perform at a high level during the 2021 season, the Ravens as a whole should benefit immensely.