Ravens LB Preview: Front and Center

For the second year in a row, the Baltimore Ravens enter the season with significant questions at off-ball linebacker.

Once again, very few of those questions involve Roquan Smith. The 28-year-old has been the leader of the Ravens' defense since his arrival in 2022, and has earned first-team All-Pro honors in each of the past three seasons. Even if he played slightly below his usual standard in 2024, he's still one of the NFL's absolute best players at the postion.

No, the questions instead revolve around who will start next to him.

When the Ravens' defense hit its stride late last season, they used two different linebackers next to Smith. Malik Harrison would usually come in on running downs to take advantage of his greater size and strength, while Chris Board would come in on passing downs to take advantage of his better coverage skills. It may not have been the most elegant system, but it worked very well.

However, both players left in free agency this offseason, leaving the Ravens with two options to replace their production.

The first is third-year pro Trenton Simpson, who started 13 games last season but was benched late in the year. Though his first year as a starter didn't go as planned, the former Clemson star still has the ability to be an impact player. If anything, last year was a learning experience for him.

"Trenton, man, I have a great deal of respect for him," Smith told reporters on April 21. "I got some good sessions in with him this offseason, as well, and just trying to build on our bond with each other, as well, knowing what he's thinking in certain situation and also just knowing what I'm thinking, as well, and just getting out and doing more things to create a tighter bond, but I think the guy has all the athletic ability in the world – everything you would want.

"I have great faith that he's going to be able to put it all together, and with the addition of our coach [inside linebackers coach Tyler Santucci], I'm very excited about that, as well. Trenton is [too], so it's going to be awesome, and we're excited to get to work. What's going to happen is going to happen, but we know we're going to prepare like every day is our last day, so that's the mindset, and I'm very excited for him and his future."

While Simpson seems to have the inside track toward the starting job, rookie Teddye Buchanan should not be overlooked. The fourth-round pick out of Cal is coming off a season in which he posted 113 tackles and earned first-team All-ACC honors, and he brings a versatile skill set to the table. Even if he doesn't win the starting job, Buchanan should see a good deal of playing time in his rookie season.

Regardless of who starts, however, having Smith to lean on is a tremendous advantage.