5 NFL teams that will surprise in 2018

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ARLINGTON, TX – APRIL 26: Lamar Jackson of Louisville poses after being picked #32 overall by the Baltimore Ravens during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

2. Baltimore Ravens

Since winning the Super Bowl back in 2012, the Ravens have only made the playoffs one time. With Lamar Jackson coming into the fold as the team’s second first-round pick, the alarm bells have to be going off around the head of quarterback Joe Flacco, who quite-possibly is on the worst contract in the NFL.

Flacco has no choice. He either plays his best football or he gets cut at the end of the season in favor of the younger, more athletic Jackson. Perhaps head coach John Harbaugh is in the same boat as Flacco, facing the crossroads of results and consequences. Harbaugh is one of the better coaches in the league, but with general manager Ozzie Newsome leaving his post, the time is ripe for a reset if things continue to go badly.

Baltimore has a nice opportunity in front of it. The Pittsburgh Steelers have been lording over the AFC North, but a case can be made that Pittsburgh is ripe for the picking. The Steelers have seen more drama this offseason with Le’Veon Bell holding out and the unfortunate tragedy of Ryan Shazier.

If the Ravens can get their defense to play to its potential and get an improved performance from Flacco, they could absolutely win the division.