The Ravens came out of the offseason with more talent spread across the roster, and when you line up the position groups from top to bottom, the strength of this team becomes pretty clear. Baltimore’s best units have star power, depth, and a little bit of everything. The weaker groups, meanwhile, are carrying more questions than answers as training camp and preseason approach.
At the very top, it starts with safety. Kyle Hamilton is already one of the league’s premier talents, and Malaki Starks flashed enough as a rookie to make a sophomore jump feel very possible. Add in Jaylinn Hawkins, who Baltimore signed this offseason after a strong year as a defensive leader for the AFC Champion New England Patriots, and the Ravens suddenly have a secondary group with real flexibility and three above-average options.
Quarterback comes next, and that’s driven by Lamar Jackson’s ceiling. After an injury-riddled 2025 season, Jackson is still in position to get back to MVP-caliber form, especially in Declan Doyle’s new-look offensive system with fresh playmakers around him.
Behind him, Tyler Huntley gives Baltimore a backup with a proven history of winning games as a spot-starter. The Ravens learned last year that Huntley was the better No. 2 option than Cooper Rush, and that matters.
Running back is still a major weapon, too. Derrick Henry keeps rolling back the clock and should remain the workhorse.
Justice Hill is a steady third-down option, though Rasheen Ali and Adam Randall could push for snaps. Randall, a fifth-round pick this year out of Clemson, looks like the sleeper here because of his versatility and pass-catching ability, and he could even beat out Ali for the No. 3 role to start the season while contributing on special teams.
The cornerback room has more upside than it showed a year ago. Baltimore’s 2025 performance here was underwhelming given the talent on paper, but the ingredients for a bounce-back are in place.
Marlon Humphrey is the biggest swing piece after a subpar season, Nate Wiggins didn’t make the Year 2 leap many expected, and Chidobe Awuzie gives the group a dependable veteran starter. There are also multiple young corners battling for the final spots on the depth chart.
Baltimore’s defensive line got a major boost with the return of Nnamdi Madbuike. If he gets anywhere close to his All-Pro form, this front becomes dangerous fast.
Calais Campbell’s arrival, even at 40, adds another real lift, and Travis Jones is coming off a career-best 2025 season that established him as a force in the middle. The rest of the room is crowded, but the Ravens should have quality depth no matter how the final order shakes out.
Edge rusher is another group that could rise quickly. The Ravens didn’t get enough production there last season, but Trey Hendrickson changes the conversation.
He remains one of the league’s premier pass rushers, and even with a season-ending injury behind him and age 31 on the clock, he should matter. Zion Young also looks ready to help right away as an edge-setter and run defender, while Mike Green could make this group look a lot better if he takes the step forward many expect.
Tavius Robinson gives them a useful rotational piece who has already handled starter reps.
Inside linebacker is led by Roquan Smith, whose name still carries the weight of one of the NFL’s best off-ball linebackers. His 2025 season wasn’t as sharp as the Pro Bowl nod suggested - his tackles dropped, and the splash plays disappeared, with no interceptions, sacks or forced fumbles.
Even so, he’s set up well to anchor Jesse Minter’s defense. Next to him, Teddye Buchanan and Trenton Simpson give Baltimore two starting-caliber options, though for different reasons.
Buchanan was trending up before his torn ACL last October, while Simpson still hasn’t proven he can be consistently reliable despite obvious athletic upside.
The offensive line has some sturdy pieces, but there are still questions inside. Ronnie Stanley remains solid on the left side, and Roger Rosengarten has a chance to become an upper-echelon player in his third season on the right.
First-round pick Olaivavega Ioane projects as an immediate starter at right guard and could be a high-level rookie right away. John Simpson should help at left guard, even if he’s not an elite player.
The biggest unknown is center, where Ethan Pocic, Danny Pinter and others are competing for the job.
Tight end is one of the more uncertain rooms on the roster now. Losing Isaiah Likely, Charlie Kolar and Pat Ricard takes a real bite out of the position’s strength.
That leaves Mark Andrews as the central question: can he bounce back after a major drop in production last season? There are also concerns about athletic decline after injuries in recent years.
Baltimore will need rookies Matthew Hibner and Josh Cuevas, both mid-round picks, to provide something quickly.
At the bottom of the list sit the specialists, and that group has more pressure than usual. Tyler Loop enters his second season with plenty to prove after being solid overall last year but struggling from beyond 50 yards and finishing poorly.
Rookie punter Ryan Eckley has the unenviable task of replacing Jordan Stout, who left in free agency. Nick Moore remains the steady one in the group as a solid long snapper.
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Baltimores search for a bigger target at receiver brought two rookie names into camp with real intrigue, and Ja'Kobi Lane has wasted little time making his case. The Ravens drafted Lane and Elijah Sarratt with the same need in mind, hoping one of them could help fill the kind of role the offense has been missing, and early on it has been Lane who has looked ready to seize the moment.
Sarratts path has been slowed by a leg injury from mandatory minicamp, which has made the competition harder to read than Baltimore likely hoped. Lane, meanwhile, has been steadily building momentum in camp and looks positioned to keep pushing for a meaningful spot if the reps keep going his way. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Push The Edge During Their Most Physical Camp Day Yet
The Ravens spent their longest training camp practice of the summer leaning hard into the kind of work that can set a tone for the rest of August. Long drive drills, live tackling and even coaches jumping into tackling work turned the day into a true test of stamina and edge, with physicality clearly baked into the plan from the start.
Jesse Minter had his hands full as the intensity rose and several players got into heated exchanges, but nothing spilled over into an actual fight. For a team trying to sharpen its competitive habits, it was the sort of practice that walked right up to the line without crossing it, and that may have been the point. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Just Raised The Stakes On Lamar Jacksons Next Deal
The Ravens spent part of their offseason reinforcing the future around Lamar Jackson, locking up wide receiver Zay Flowers on a four-year, $140 million extension. It is the kind of move that signals how seriously Baltimore views its young offensive core, and it also underscores just how much the team has invested in giving Jackson the pieces needed to keep the offense rolling.
What comes next is the bigger front-office test. Jackson is still in contract negotiations with the Ravens, and those talks have not been finalized, leaving the organization with one marquee deal already done and another far more important one still hanging over the roster. Baltimore would prefer to keep both stars in place, but the shape of Flowers' new contract only adds more intrigue to how the next round of talks with its franchise quarterback will unfold. [Read more 🡒]