Baltimore Ravens coach Jesse Minter Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Ravens Receive Low Ranking for Free Agency Haul

Originally posted on Baltimore Ravens on SI
By Anthony Miller | Last updated Mar 25, 2026 1:00 PM ET

Most people have been excited about the Baltimore Ravens' offseason after being able to land edge rusher Trey Hendrickson in the early part of free agency, but the rest has been much to be desired.

The Ravens have also signed players like guard John Simpson and re-signed cornerback Chidobe Awuzie and quarterback Tyler Huntley. ESPN NFL analyst Ben Solak has not been so enthusiastic about the Ravens' free agency so far, ranking them 23rd in the league.

"Hendrickson will alleviate the Ravens' pass rusher problem, which has been a big issue for years -- but I'm not sure he's an every-down player, and Minter will need to scheme around him in a way Crosby would not have demanded."

Ravens not ranked well after start of free agency

Not everything has been bad with the Ravens' free agency from Solak. He wrote about the moves he was impressed with.

John Jones-Imagn Images

"Bringing Simpson home. The Ravens had the worst guard duo in the NFL last season, and constant interior penetration limited Derrick Henry's efficacy and exposed Lamar Jackson's hampered mobility. Simpson takes the left guard spot while Emery Jones Jr. fights Andrew Vorhees for the right spot. The Ravens still need an early draft pick on the interior to account for Tyler Linderbaum's departure, but they're on the path to resuscitating their O-line."

Of course, there were some sore moments in free agency for the Ravens, with all the focus being on the team backing out of the Maxx Crosby trade with the Las Vegas Raiders. Solak focused on that, with some concerns about Hendrickson.

"Running to Hendrickson after missing out on Crosby. The Ravens are paying tippy-tippy-top of the market for a designated pass rusher in Hendrickson. Among 325 edge rusher seasons over the past three years, Hendrickson's run stop win rates rank 274th, 300th and 302nd. New Ravens coach Jesse Minter is coming from Los Angeles, where premier run-defending edges Tuli Tuipulotu and Khalil Mack made his light boxes a lot more viable."

Hendrickson was an important signing for the Ravens, as they needed a solid edge rusher to pressure the quarterback. Plus, they were able to keep their first-round picks in the process, which is a good deal for the Ravens.

More work is needed from Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta if they want this team to be Super Bowl contenders. Most of the heavy lifting will be done in the NFL Draft, where they can find the rest of their players to fill those holes and get this team back in the conversation for 2026.

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

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