- Trey Hendrickson transforms the pass rush: Baltimore adds one of the NFL's most productive edge defenders after missing on Maxx Crosby, giving the defense a proven high-end pass-rushing presence.
- A healthy Lamar Jackson could revive the offense: Jackson finished the 2025 season strongly, and new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle is expected to introduce more motion and three-receiver personnel.
- Baltimore invested heavily in the trenches and offensive depth: First-round guard Vega Ioane projects as an immediate starter, while multiple rookie receivers and tight ends could compete for meaningful snaps.
The Baltimore Ravens endured a disappointing 2025 season, marred by injuries to quarterback Lamar Jackson before ultimately falling on Tyler Loop's missed field goal on the final play of the season. They made sweeping changes this offseason, and optimism remains high as they head into 2026.
Here is our 2026 preview for the Baltimore Ravens.
Key Free Agency/Trade Additions
| Position | Player | 2025 PFF Grade |
|---|---|---|
| EDGE | Trey Hendrickson | 82.9 |
| G | John Simpson | 56.9 |
| S | Jaylinn Hawkins | 74.9 |
| C | Danny Pinter | 56.5 |
| DI | Calais Campbell | 72.2 |
| TE | Durham Smythe | 44.7 |
| C | Ethan Pocic | 63.8 |
After a failed attempt to trade for Las Vegas Raiders edge defender Maxx Crosby, the Ravens pivoted to add Trey Hendrickson. A different style of edge defender, Hendrickson lacks Crosby's run-defense strength but gives the Ravens the pass rusher they have long lacked. His PFF pass-rush win rate has been 20.0% or better in each of the past three seasons, a feat no Ravens edge defender has achieved since PFF began collecting data in 2006.
John Simpson and Ethan Pocic were key additions to the offensive line. With first-round draft pick Vega Ioane expected to start immediately, veteran presences on the interior are important. Simpson earned a 56.9 PFF overall grade in 2025 but ranked 11th among all guards in PFF overall grade (77.3) in 2024.
Pocic is coming off an Achilles injury but has earned a PFF overall grade above 60.0 in each of the past five seasons.
2026 NFL Draft Class
| Position | Player | 2025 PFF Grade |
|---|---|---|
| G | Vega Ioane | 79.6 |
| EDGE | Zion Young | 85.0 |
| WR | Ja’Kobi Lane | 77.6 |
| WR | Elijah Sarratt | 86.1 |
| TE | Matthew Hibner | 62.6 |
| CB | Chandler Rivers | 79.2 |
| TE | Josh Cuevas | 69.6 |
| HB | Adam Randall | 72.5 |
| P | Ryan Eckley | 81.5 |
| DI | Rayshaun Benny | 78.2 |
| G | Evan Beernsten | 79.3 |
Ioane was the obvious choice for the Ravens in the first round, with both starting guards from the 2025 season earning PFF overall grades below 60.0. While expectations should be tempered for a rookie stepping up to NFL-level competition, he is a plug-and-play starter on that offensive line.
Young was a good run defender in college, ranking among the nation's best in PFF run-defense grade (86.6) in 2025. That's particularly important given the addition of Trey Hendrickson instead of Maxx Crosby, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see Young play significant snaps on early downs as a rookie.
The Ravens double-dipped at both wide receiver and tight end, and given the lack of depth behind Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Mark Andrews after the departures of Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar, those additions could see considerable playing time as rookies.
Reasons for optimism
Jackson missing time and playing through injury clearly played a major role in the Ravens' struggles last season, but a healthy Jackson paired with new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle can rejuvenate the offense. Doyle learned under Sean Payton and Ben Johnson, so expect the Ravens to lean more on three-receiver sets and use plenty of motion. It's also worth noting that while Jackson had a down year, he earned a 91.4 PFF overall grade over his final four games of the season. That came just one year after he earned a 94.0 PFF overall grade and posted a 41-to-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Jesse Minter replacing John Harbaugh doesn't just give the Ravens a fresh perspective at the top; it should also boost a defense that has struggled in recent years — Minter ran a Chargers defense that ranked inside the NFL's top 10 in expected points added (EPA) allowed on defense in each of the past two seasons.
Hendrickson should also provide a significant boost to the pass rush. He has earned a PFF pass-rush grade above 90.0 in each of the past three seasons, something no Ravens edge defender has accomplished since Elvis Dumervil in 2013.
Reason for pessimism
The interior of the offensive line is still a question mark. On one hand, Ioane and Simpson should be upgrades over Daniel Faalele and Andrew Vorhees, but Ioane's lack of NFL experience means the Ravens may have to accept some growing pains. They also lost center Tyler Linderbaum to the Raiders in free agency. While the addition of Pocic helps, he is still a step down from a player who ranked fifth among all centers in PFF overall grade last season.
Breakout Candidate
Linebacker Teddye Buchanan had started to impress before a season-ending injury derailed his rookie campaign. After taking over a starting role in Week 2, the 2025 fourth-round draft pick earned a PFF overall grade above 60.0 in five of his final six games and ranked 31st among linebackers in PFF run-defense grade (70.8). Whether he is ready for the start of the season remains to be seen, but don't be surprised if he makes an immediate impact once he returns to the field.
Key roster battles
While Pinter is the favorite to start at center, it is far from a foregone conclusion that he will win the job. Jovaughn Gwyn has experience in new offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford's scheme, with both arriving from the Atlanta Falcons this offseason. Corey Bullock has also made a strong case, earning PFF overall grades of 76.2 and 83.5 during the past two preseasons. Undrafted free agent Nick Dawkins is an outside contender, but don't be surprised if the Ravens acquire a starter via trade before the season begins.
While Flowers and Bateman are expected to be the team's top two wide receivers, there is plenty of competition behind them. Given how often the Ravens could use three-receiver sets, either Ja'Kobi Lane or Elijah Sarratt or third-year receiver Devontez Walker could carve out a significant role in the offense.
Walker has been targeted just 10 times through two NFL seasons but has caught four touchdowns on those targets. Sarratt averaged 2.00 yards per route run or better in all four of his college seasons, while Lane caught 49.0% of his contested targets across three seasons at USC.
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