Tavius Robinson has every reason to believe the Ravens’ pass rush is about to look a lot different in 2026.
Baltimore went from having two outside linebackers hit double-digit sacks in 2024 to not having a single player at the position reach even half that total last season. Robinson came the closest, finishing with a career-high 4.5 sacks in just 10 games after a broken foot in Week 6 sidelined him for a couple of months.
Now, with a revamped staff and a major new addition on the edge, Robinson sees a room that can take off.
“I think our room is going to be a special room this year, for sure,” Robinson said.
The changes around him are hard to miss. Jesse Minter is in as head coach and defensive play-caller, replacing John Harbaugh in that role.
Anthony Weaver is back, taking over as defensive coordinator after Zach Orr. And the biggest jolt for the edge group is the arrival of Trey Hendrickson, the four-time Pro Bowler who was signed to lead the pass rush.
Robinson has already noticed what Minter brings to the table. The defensive boss built a strong reputation at Michigan, where he helped guide the Wolverines to a national title, and then carried that success into the NFL with the Chargers. Los Angeles finished as a top-five defense in both 2024 and 2025 under his watch.
“I think, just in OTAs [Organized Team Activities] alone, going through our defense and kind of the way things are built and stuff, it has been really fun,” Robinson said. “It's been great. So, it's exciting.”
Weaver’s return matters too, even if he isn’t the one calling the plays. Robinson said the value comes from having another experienced voice in the room, especially one he already knows from his rookie year.
“I think having both coach Weaver and coach Minter in our defensive meeting room is great. I had Weaver as a D-line coach my rookie year, so both of them are great coaches and [there is] so much to learn from them. It is exciting for sure.”
Hendrickson has also made an immediate impression. Baltimore gave him the largest free agent contract in franchise history after backing out of the blockbuster trade with the Raiders for Maxx Crosby, and Robinson says the veteran has wasted no time setting the tone.
“Trey is honestly one of the hardest workers I've been around,” Robinson said. “He has been here since the first voluntary workout, and he was here all summer, so the past six weeks we have just been grinding, getting after it.
To see a guy like him, with the career that he's had, he doesn't have to be at anything that is not mandatory, and he's been here since day one. It's been great to have his leadership in the room as well.”
Robinson is also bullish on Mike Green, the 2025 second-round pick who led Ravens edge rushers in defensive snaps last season with 712. Green also finished second on the team with 14 quarterback hits and third with 3.5 sacks, and he’s been a popular breakout pick this offseason.
“I think Mike is a dog, and he's been a dog since he's got here,” Robinson said. “He's been grinding...
I am excited for Mike. I think he is going to have a great year.”
For Robinson, the setup is there for another jump. He’s entering the final year of his rookie contract, and after increasing his sack total every season since entering the league, he could be positioning himself for a major payday by the end of the year or even before the 2027 league year begins.
He says he’s back to full strength, and with Minter designing the defense and Hendrickson drawing attention on the other side, Robinson expects more chances to make plays.
“I feel better than I have ever felt, and I think it is going to be a big year for sure,” Robinson said.
Even with the optimism, Robinson isn’t narrowing his focus to one area of his game. He wants to keep growing everywhere, from the run to the pass.
“I think every year I'm just trying to grow as a player. So, I want to get better at everything.
I want to get better in the run, I want to get better in the pass. I just want to be a better player than I was last year and continue to do that every year I play.”
If 2026 goes the way Robinson believes it can, he could follow the path of Paul Kruger, Pernell McPhee, Za'Darius Smith and Matt Judon and cash in elsewhere. He could also work out a new deal before the start of the 2027 league year to lock in security after a season that could change his market.
In Other News...
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Locksley has been among the coaches trying to push that conversation forward through the National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches, which aims to promote qualified minority candidates and keep them in front of decision-makers. His frustration also lands in the same space as long-running questions about the NFLs Rooney Rule, which was designed to improve hiring opportunities but still faces criticism as minority coaches continue to struggle to land head coaching jobs. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Pass Rush Is Already Causing Problems Before Full Strength Arrives
Baltimores defense kept turning the heat up in training camp, and one practice in particular gave Anthony Weaver plenty to like. The Ravens strung together four straight red zone stops, capped by a Malaki Starks interception, and the front behind it has already looked disruptive even without some of the groups biggest interior pieces on the field.
Trey Hendrickson, Mike Green, Tavius Robinson and undrafted rookie Ethan Burke have all helped pressure quarterbacks, which is an encouraging sign for a unit still waiting on Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones and Calais Campbell. Weaver said the rush plan should only get more varied once everyone is available, with more scheme-driven complexity and line games designed to create pressure without giving up coverage behind it. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Camp Is Raising One Early Concern Fans Cant Ignore
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There were other signs of a roster beginning to settle, from injured players returning off the physically unable to perform list to pay cuts for Broderick Washington and Andrew Vorhees. Trey Hendrickson and Keyon Martin also drew attention, and the coaching side has its own moving parts with Declan Doyle experimenting with where hell handle play-calling. For a team built to contend, those are all worth watching, but the bigger early question is whether the offensive unevenness is just camp rust or the first clue to something fans will keep seeing. [Read more 🡒]