Jul 24, 2025; Owings Mills, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens coach Chuck Pagano and safety Malaki Starks (24) work on drills during training camp at the Under Armour Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

Three Ravens Rookies Who Could Provide Immediate Impact

Originally posted on Baltimore Ravens on SI
By Henry Brown | Last updated Aug 23, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The Baltimore Ravens' knack for making their NFL Draft hauls count year after year has been a driving force behind their success. There's a reason their future is considered just as exciting as their present state; each campaign takes place with emphasis from some rookie studs, with the front office routinely giving on-field coordinators fresh blood to integrate into the following season.

Ravens management gave their 2025 roster, already looking poised to challenge the field as a Super Bowl contender, plenty of chances at new pieces to integrate with 11 incoming draft picks, landing several of the most highly-touted prospects in the class.

They've all gotten chances to try impressing the coaching staff in training camp and preseason performances, and though several prospects look like they'll need a longer ramp to fit into the league, several first-year Ravens seem poised to step into the NFL as trusted regulars.

No Ravens rookie has drummed up as much hype as Malaki Starks, who's paired first round intrigue with the summertime play to back up his draft stock. The free safety can pair with All-Pro positional peer Kyle Hamilton to bolster the league's deepest, scariest secondary, and has already looked the part of an alpha defensive back in limited preseason appearances.

Malaki Starks giving us a sneak peek of the instincts and hip fluidity pic.twitter.com/yXiAsBxiBw
— Chris Cooper (@ChrisCooper_NFL) August 18, 2025

He's a no-doubter to slot into the Ravens' defense as soon as the regular season starts, and his buzz towards Defensive Rookie of the Year followed closely behind.

The same can be said of Mike Green, Baltimore's second-round edge rusher. He accumulated nearly as much draft hype as Starks did, dominating the Sun Belt Conference with 17 sacks and 23 tackles for loss with an arsenal of moves that have already begun translating to the pros.

He's no only an imposing threat to opposing quarterback pockets with his speed, agility and creativity, but can translate his sack game to hunting down the rusher on a dime. That same versatility Green demonstrated in college has already been made perfectly clear in the preseason, as he's already introduced himself to several big league quarterbacks.

The Ravens' edge rusher rotation could use some fresh legs between Kyle Van Noy , Odafe Oweh and the unproven David Ojabo, and Green has the tools to make key appearances starting next month.

That top-tier pair of defensive rookies has run away with the vast majority of incoming hype, but one later-day draftee used a preseason opportunity to make himself known to fans. LaJohntay Wester was brought on to fill the more niche need of a punt returner, which he's already begun fulfilling.

The sixth-rounder earned the highest PFF grade of any rookie wide receiver in the Ravens' preseason debut against the Indianapolis Colts with a rating of 84.1, thanks largely to his 87-yard punt return. That injection to the special teams unit, along with his potential to slot into Baltimore's versatile receiver room, adds another name for Ravens fans to learn to remember in September.

This article first appeared on Baltimore Ravens on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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