When we talk about the absolute best teams in the NFL entering the 2015 season, who comes to mind? The New England Patriots (with Tom Brady)? The Seattle Seahawks? Maybe the Green Bay Packers?
How about the Baltimore Ravens?
The Ravens may have gone 10-6 last season and made the playoffs, but no one really thinks of them as the No. 1 team in the entire NFL. No one except Peter King of Monday Morning Quarterback. King listed Baltimore as the top squad in his 2015 NFL Power Rankings.
"Why? I trust John Harbaugh to find answers in a league devoid of a truly great team," King wrote. "I trust the running game to take pressure off Joe Flacco until he develops chemistry with his new receivers, and I trust Dean Pees to replace Haloti Ngata with a combination platter of front-seven changeups. This is a battle-tested team that had two 14-point playoff leads in Foxboro last January. I just think the Ravens will find a way."
I still maintain that No. 1 may be a bit too generous for the Ravens, but I understand King's excitement about the team. Justin Forsett finished fifth in the league in rushing last year while playing for the veteran's minimum. His fit in this scheme, even sans Gary Kubiak, is a perfect match.
Elsewhere on the offense, Flacco has a few new weapons to play with. First-rounder Breshad Perriman is a burner who will replace departed free agent Torrey Smith as the primary deep threat on this team. The former UCF star averaged 20.9 yards-per-reception last season and runs a sub-4.5 40-yard dash. He should be able to open up the middle of the field for second-round tight end Maxx Williams, the top pass catcher at the position in the 2015 draft class. Williams isn't much of a blocker at this point, but he could replace Dennis Pitta as Flacco's go-to target on intermediate routes.
On defense, linebacker C.J. Mosley finished second in the NFL in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting last season. A leap from him coupled with improved health in the secondary could prove to be the deciding factor in a tight AFC North.
I'm not ready to put the Ravens on the same level as some of the other contenders in the league - let's see how their rookies pan out first. But I also won't be surprised if they are one of the last teams standing this season.
