Ravens have 6 players named All-Pro, led by first-team QB Lamar Jackson…
Ravens have 6 players named All-Pro, led by first-team QB Lamar Jackson, S Kyle Hamilton, LB Roquan Smith.
BALTIMORE – The team with the best record in the NFL unsurprisingly had three players named first-team All-Pro by The Associated Press and another three to the second team. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who is also the favorite to be named the NFL Most Valuable Player next month, was named to the first team for the second time, while second-year safety Kyle Hamilton received first-team honors for the first time. Inside linebacker Roquan Smith, meanwhile, was named to the first team for a second straight year. Three other Baltimore players were named second-team All-Pro for the first time in their careers: defensive tackle Justin Madubuike, inside linebacker Patrick Queen and fullback Patrick Ricard.
Only the San Francisco 49ers, whom the Ravens beat, 33-19, on Christmas night, had more All-Pros with five players selected to the first team and two on the second team. A national panel of 50 media members casts ballots for the honors. The Associated Press honored 12 players on offense and defense this year, adding fullback and slot corner to the voting. This season, Jackson posted career bests in completions (307), completion percentage (.672) and passing yards (3,678) while also rushing for a team-high 821 yards. The last time Jackson was a first-team All-Pro was in 2019, when he was the unanimous selection for NFL MVP.
Hamilton, meanwhile, blossomed into one of the league’s best and most versatile defensive players. During the regular season, he had 81 tackles, 13 passes defended, four interceptions (one of which he returned for a touchdown) and three sacks. Smith continued his dominant play since being traded to Baltimore from the Chicago Bears for a second-round draft pick midway through last season, registering a team-high 158 tackles that ranked sixth in the NFL. He also had 1 1/2 sacks, one interception, a forced fumble and was the leader of a defense that became the first to lead the NFL in points allowed (16.4), sacks (57) and takeaways (29). Madubuike also broke out this year with a career-high 13 sacks to lead all NFL defensive linemen, while Queen had a career-high 133 tackles and matched a career high with six passes defensed while adding 3 1/2 sacks.
Ricard helped pave the way for the league’s top rushing attack, which ranked first in total yards (2,661) and second in rushing touchdowns (26). He played in all 17 games and caught five passes for 52 yards and scored the sixth touchdown of his career.