Ravens Offseason Primer: Roster Breakdown, Trade Targets, Draft Needs

The downfall of the 2025 Ravens ultimately stemmed from their inability to consistently control and dominate on either line of scrimmage. Their lack of a consistent pass rush following the season-ending neck injury suffered by two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike had a ripple effect that had a detrimental impact on the second and third levels of the defense.

Nose tackle Travis Jones had a career as an interior pass rusher with a team-leading five sacks, but it wasn't enough to carry the defensive front as a whole, and didn't take attention away from the edges to create one-on-ones at the same rate as the year before, when they were at full strength as a unit.

After defying odds in rounding becoming a strength to close out 2024, the regression of their offensive line as a whole was no more apparent than at both guard spots. Daniel Faalele and Andrew Vorhees' weekly whiffs in run-blocking and lapses in pass protection were detrimental to the performance of their three pillars at center and offensive tackle and resulted in Jackson having his most injury-riddled season since he missed the final six games of the 2022 season.

Faalele is slated to be a free agent and is not expected to be re-signed, while Vorhees will be competing for not only a starting job but perhaps a roster spot heading into the final year of his rookie contract. Retaining three-time Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum is at the top of the Ravens' offseason to-do list, right near extending the two-time league MVP he snaps the ball to on every play.

For the second year in a row, the Ravens entered the season with what was widely perceived to be the most loaded defensive backfield in the league, with five former first-round picks, two at safety and three at cornerback. Yet, as was the case in 2024, they vastly underperformed relative to not only lofty expectations but to their talent level. They struggled mightily against experienced and high-level processing quarterbacks and too often gave up big plays to lesser pass catchers at wide receiver and tight end.

Both four-time Pro Bowler Marlon Humphrey and 2024 first-rounder Nate Wiggins ranked in the top five in yards given up by cornerbacks. Last year's top pick, safety Malaki Starks, didn't make nearly as many plays on the ball as expected, with just two interceptions and four pass breakups in 17 games, all of which came after Week 8. All Pro safety Kyle Hamilton had another elite season and was allowed to be a dynamic do-it-all weapon that made him a star after the Ravens traded for his former college teammate, Alohi Gilman, who served as their third safety and emerged as a playmaker in his own right, and shouldn't be cost-prohibitive to retain.

The only pass catcher who lived up to and exceeded expectations was 2023 first-round wide receiver Zay Flowers, who posted career highs across the board and was voted to his second straight Pro Bowl as a result. Rashod Bateman didn't build off his breakout 2024 campaign and posted career lows in everything but touchdowns, of which he had just two. Veteran DeAndre Hopkins and second-year pro Devontez Walker weren't utilized nearly enough despite showing they could be explosive, potent playmakers when they did have the ball come their way. Hopkins is open to returning, but there is no guarantee it will happen, at least not at the onset of free agency.

While three-time Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews became the franchise's all-time leader in receiving yards and receptions over the course of the season, he finished with a career-low 422 receiving yards despite playing in every game. A foot injury delayed Isaiah Likely's 2025 debut, and he never caught his stride and put the big numbers he was expected to have in a contract year. Even after missing the team's first six games, fullback Patrick Ricard came back and was his usual dominant self, resulting in him being voted to his sixth career Pro Bowl. Andrews was the only member of the position group who was extended during the season, so the room could look marginally or vastly different in 2027, depending on who gets brought back.

Potential trade targets

While Ravens fans and national media pundits have been all aboard the 'Bring Maxx Crosby to Baltimore' bandwagon, the hefty price they'd have to pay in both draft capital and to accommodate his salary makes it highly unlikely to come to pass.

The last two Super Bowl champions were able to go on dominant defensive-led runs with potent pass rushes despite not having a single player reach double-digit sacks, but by building a talent stable of rushers that regularly rotated to keep the veterans fresh for the long haul while still getting the younger players vital reps to gain experience and confidence.

Keeping all of the above in mind, some more realistic trade options the Ravens might pursue will likely include young players entering contract years in 2026 or veterans whose teams could be looking to move on from. In the defensive trenches, they could make a move to acquire one of the two Pro Bowl interior defensive linemen that the Minnesota Vikings signed in free agency last year, Javon Hargrave or Jonathan Allen.

Both players are slated to make over $20 million in 2026 and are coming off 2025 seasons in which they recorded 3.5 sacks. Either or both could be on the trading block this offseason, and the Vikings will likely agree to taking on some of the salary of whichever one they move on from to facilitate a trade.

Out on the edge, they could explore acquiring one of two former first-rounders rumored to be on the trading block with impressive athletic profiles in Kayvon Thibodeaux of the New York Giants and Lukas Van Ness of the Green Bay Packers. Both are coming up with underwhelming 2025 seasons in which they recorded fewer than three sacks. Thibodeaux is set to play out the final year of his rookie contract as a 2022 first-rounder on a fifth-year option, while Van Ness could have two years of team control if his fifth-year option is picked up by the May 1st deadline by either the Packers or whoever might trade for him.

On the other side of the ball, the Ravens could look to add some more young options to their competition at guard by trading conditional Day 3 picks for Chandler Zavala of the Carolina Panthers and Christian Haynes of the Seahawks. Zavala has over a dozen career starts under his belt and would've had more had it not been for a multitude of injuries that he has dealt with, which include his neck in 2023 and a patellar and calf injury after the first seven games of last season. Haynes has yet to seize a starting job in his first two seasons and could benefit from a change of scenery and the tutelage of new Ravens offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford.

Draft needs

The Ravens have become one of the most successful and respected franchises in the league over the past three decades due in large part to their success at drafting and developing young talent. One of DeCosta's mantras that he learned from his long-time friend, mentor and predecessor Ozzie Newsome, is that 'draft is the lifeblood' of their roster-building process.

Typically, they address their top positions of need in some notable or marginal capacity on free agency so that they can stick to their tried and true 'take the best player available' formula. If either they don't or can't sufficiently fill some of the holes on the roster with veterans, their top needs in the 2026 NFL draft could include the following:

• Interior offensive line: All three spots could be up for grabs if Linderbaum gets poached as he is likely to get priced out of the Ravens' price range if he makes it to the open market.

• Pass rushers: Regardless of what happens in free agency, they need to build a stable of interior defensive linemen and outside linebackers.

• Tight end: Since they have three pending free agents, there's a chance only one or none return and that'd be a problem as the new offense under first-time coordinator Declan Doyle is expected to heavily feature the position.

• Wide receiver: It could emerge as a bigger need if they move on from Bateman this offseason and if they don't add a notable veteran to replace him or at least bolster depth.

• Cornerback: A team can never have enough cornerbacks, especially they move on from four-time Pro Bowler Marlon Humphrey or don't bring back veteran Chidobe Awuzie.

• Safety: If neither Gilman nor Ar'Darius Washington get re-signed, the third safety spot could catapult toward the top as it is a key role in new head coach Jesse Minter's ability to optimize Hamilton.

Fortunately, this year's crop of incoming talent pool is deep at some of their positions of need, particularly at edge rusher, wide receivers of different sizes and specialized skillsets and tight end, where the depth outshines the top-end players, unlike the past two seasons with the likes of Brock Bowers, Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren.