There is no doubt that the Baltimore Ravens need younger players on the roster to step up in order to return to the top of the AFC North. Baltimore is currently lacking in explosiveness and playmaking ability at the skill positions and there are three players on this roster who could change this perception in 2017.

Kenneth Dixon – RB

Kenneth Dixon is a guy who many have high expectations for as he was regarded as the second-best running back in the 2016 NFL Draft only behind Dallas Cowboys star running back Ezekiel Elliott. Dixon showed a sneak peek of his skills as a rookie against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16 when he ran for 57 yards on 12 carries, dragging multiple defenders after contact.

Overall in 2016, Dixon ran for 382 yards on 88 carries to go along with two touchdowns. With the Ravens vowing to emphasize the running game even more during the 2017 season, look for Dixon to shatter his rookie season totals. He has proven to have a nose for the red zone as he currently holds the NCAA record for most overall touchdowns with 87 and points scored by a non-kicker at 522.

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Breshad Perriman – WR

Wide receiver Breshad Perriman saw his first real action on the field in 2016 after missing the entire 2015 season due to a lingering PCL sprain. Perriman showed breakaway speed as he accumulated 499 yards on 33 receptions and three touchdowns while averaging 15.1 yards per catch.

With Steve Smith Sr. retired, Perriman has the opportunity this offseason to emerge as the number-one wide receiver in Baltimore’s offense. Even Pro Football Focus believes Perriman has an opportunity to make a lot of noise in 2017.

“Perriman’s passing-game grade ranked second only to Steve Smith’s among Ravens wideouts and he received above-average marks in five of his final nine games. Perriman’s catch rate jumped from a comical 42 percent through seven weeks, to a more respectable 61 percent after that. His 14.7-yard average depth of target ranked 21st out of 130 wideouts and only 59.4 percent of his targets were deemed catchable (13th-lowest of 96 qualifiers). We can live with a 61-percent catch rate if Perriman approximates his post-bye-week 16.6 yards-per-reception average, as it ranked 13th-highest of 126 wideouts during that time.”

Crockett Gillmore – TE

Tight end Crockett Gillmore didn’t have the kind of season he wanted in 2016, only playing in seven games due to a lingering thigh injury. Gillmore accumulated only 71 yards on eight receptions with one touchdown in those seven games last season. Despite the lack of production, Gillmore is very confident in his ability to be the number-one tight end on the roster.

“I don’t want to come off the field. All downs, every down, and [I want to be] the guy,” Gillmore told WNST’s Luke Jones and Nestor Aparicio during Super Bowl week. “There’s no reason I shouldn’t be. There’s no reason I can’t be. That’s great we have nine tight ends. They’re going to enjoy the bench. That’s just reality. I’ll tell them. They know.”

No, the Ravens don’t have nine tight ends on the roster but his point is made. Gillmore, when healthy, is a big target at 6-foot-6 and he showed a little glimpse of what he is capable of during the 2015 season as he had 412 yards on 33 receptions in 10 games. He is a bruiser with the ball in his hands looking to find contact with approaching tacklers.

Other tight ends on Baltimore’s roster like Maxx Williams, Dennis Pitta, Nick Boyle, Benjamin Watson and Darren Waller haven’t been able to stay on the field consistently over the last three seasons themselves, meaning Gillmore certainly has an opportunity to back up what he is saying.