The Baltimore Ravens may have spent the offseason building something that could make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks in 2026, and Mike Green sits right at the center of it.
The headliners are obvious enough. Trey Hendrickson arrives in Charm City with 81 career sacks, the kind of proven production that changes the feel of a front in a hurry.
Zion Young brings the kind of nonstop energy and competitive edge that can wear on an offense snap after snap. But the player who could end up making the biggest leap is Green, a 22-year-old pass rusher whose tools still point to a much bigger payoff.
When Green is locked in the way he was at Marshall, he’s a tough problem to solve. His speed jumps off the screen, his motor keeps running, and his bend gives him the kind of edge trait teams covet.
That’s why the 3.5 sacks he posted as a rookie felt underwhelming. Year two is where the Ravens are hoping the real version shows up.
Green’s 2025 season didn’t match what he believes he can be. The production lagged, and the physical side of the NFL clearly gave him trouble for a player his size. Even so, Baltimore still sees a player with dominant traits waiting to be pulled out.
New defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said Green’s first season may have looked a lot better with just a little more luck on the stat sheet. Weaver pointed out that Green was milliseconds away from a double-digit sack season, and the offseason work with Jesse Minter and Weaver should help the former second-round pick turn those near-misses into actual finishes.
The help around him matters, too. A stronger defense overall, especially a better secondary, should give Green more chances to get home on quarterbacks instead of chasing plays that have already been extended. More coverage time usually means more pass-rush freedom, and that’s exactly the kind of setup Green needs.
The buzz isn’t coming only from inside the building. NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks included Green on his All-Breakout Team, lining him up next to New York Giants edge rusher Abdul Carter.
That kind of company says plenty about how Green is viewed entering 2026. Put a young rusher with his ceiling next to Hendrickson, and mix in Minter’s defensive know-how, and the ingredients are there for real production. Young could help, too, by shifting some of the pass-rush burden and potentially masking Green on run downs.
Green still has plenty to prove before he’s viewed as a reliable edge presence in the league. But the talent is there, the opportunity is there, and the Ravens have built a front that could finally let him show it.
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Around the league, though, the signing has stirred up an old sore spot for some Raiders fans, who still see Baltimore as the team that backed away from a previous trade involving Maxx Crosby. That frustration has spilled over again with Pocic now in the fold, even though the Ravens are simply trying to patch a need on a bargain contract and keep their offensive line depth intact. [Read more 🡒]
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The catch is obvious: this setup is temporary, and the Ravens know it. Flowers is moving toward a major extension in the near future, which means the current bargain may not last much longer. Baltimore has already been able to make several key additions with the cap space it has preserved, but the next phase will test whether the team can keep building around a young receiver who has become central to everything it wants to do on offense. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Face One Big AFC North Concern As Camp Nears
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Cincinnatis offseason upgrades and friendlier schedule have only sharpened the focus on the Ravens-Bengals matchups, which now look like the games most likely to sort out the race. Baltimore has plenty to like, but the gap in proven offensive support around the top quarterback in the division is part of what makes this such a tricky call. If the Ravens are going to stay on top, they may need to answer those questions quickly once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]