Ravens Rookies Could Form Dominant Defense

The Baltimore Ravens are known for always having a strong defense. That's been woven into the craft of the franchise's culture, and that has been maintained for many years.

This offseason, the Ravens prioritized improving the defense, using their first two draft picks on that side of the ball.

NFL.com writer Jeffri Chadiha believes the Ravens could become one of the best defenses in the league thanks to their new additions.

"Baltimore has high hopes for its first two picks in this year's draft, as safety Malaki Starks and edge rusher Mike Green have the potential to help this defense immediately," Chadiha wrote.

"Starks is versatile and has a nose for the football, so the expectation is that he'll learn fast.

"Green was a first-round talent who slipped into the second round because of off-field concerns, and he might end up being one of the steals of the draft. He led the FBS in sacks in 2024, and his athleticism -- he played wide receiver in high school and linebacker at Virginia before finishing at Marshall -- could make him disruptive in Year 1.

"[Defensive coordinator Zach] Orr admitted to local reporters that this defense learned a lot about itself by dealing with those growing pains in his first year on the job. The additions of Starks and Green should make that process much easier this fall."

The Ravens already have one of the best offenses in the NFL, with Lamar Jackson leading the way through the air and Derrick Henry taking care of things on the ground. Their offense is good enough to carry the team into the playoffs, but they need the defense to step up as well.

If the defense can be one of the better units in the league, the Ravens could be heading to the Super Bowl this year.