Ravens DT Realizing Full Potential in Breakout Season

What made Madubuike so integral to the success of the Ravens' defense overall, aside from his ability to dominate individually, was the gravitational pull his presence created. He commanded constant double and sometimes even triple teams to keep him at bay.

This effect created more favorable 1-on-1 matchups for other pass rushers, especially on the edge where the Ravens had a pair of players record double-digit sacks last season. It also allowed off-ball linebackers could flow freely and have an easier path into the backfield to rush the passer and make stops in run defense. When he did get home for a sack or quick pressure, it meant less time the secondary had to cover and errant or tipped passes they could intercept.

During his first three seasons since being selected in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of the University of Connecticut, Jones has flashed the potential to be a similarly destructive force when he's been healthy.

"When he plays at a high level, it allows everyone on the (defensive) line to play as a high level as well,"
All Pro inside linebacker Roquan Smith said. "Other guys get 1-on-1s, and it obviously frees up the backers and everybody else when the offensive line and people have to make sure he's accounted for."

Jones has the positional versatility to play both nose tackle and three-technique and possesses the incredible strength and violent hands to impose his will on almost any offensive linemen on any given play. Even when he doesn't actually get home for a sack or pressure, he can derail a play by simply walking a blocker in the lap of his quarterback or getting his big mitts up into the passing lane to bat down a pass, as he did twice against the Vikings.

"I got a tremendous amount of respect for big Trav, really good dude," Smith said. "The way he's playing right now, man, he's playing to the standard that he needs to play it, and he's going to continue to do that. And I think he knows that as well, and he's just going to continue to keep getting better and being who he is. And I think once he do, that makes us a better defense overall, and I know he understands the impact that he have on us as a defense as well."

Jones moving up list of priority extensions

The Ravens have 10 players who are starters or key rotational role players who are playing on either one-year deals or the final year of their respective rookie or multi-year contracts that will be pending unrestricted free agents this upcoming offseason.

One of the few plights of being a team that is among the best at drafting and developing talent is that eventually, some of that talent has to depart for greener pastures in free agency. The NFL's hard salary cap annually forces front offices to make tough decisions when it comes to who they can afford to keep and who they have to let walk.

Even before Madubuike's unfortunate injury, many pundits were making a strong case for the Ravens to extend Jones and keep the two of them together for the foreseeable future. Now that his friend and veteran mentor's career might be hanging in the balance, general manager Eric DeCosta might not want to roll the dice on the chance that neither player could be suiting up in purple and black in 2026 and beyond.

The best teams build through the trenches on both sides of the ball annually. After sticking with the status quo this past offseason without making any significant investments to bring in new talent on the defensive line, in particular, extending Jones before the end of the season or re-signing him before he hits the open market feels far more like a necessity than the luxury it felt like to some entering this season.