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An Overview of the Baltimore Ravens Defense
The Baltimore defense was un-Ravens-like in 2025. They finished in the middle of the pack in scoring and turnovers, and the run defense ranked tenth, but the pass defense was uncharacteristically horrible. Three teams allowed more yards through the air, two teams recorded fewer sacks than Baltimore's 30, and no one allowed more pass plays of 20+ yards. With stats like that, we might expect injuries to have played a major role. That was not the case here. The entire secondary combined to miss a total of six games.
The secondary received little help in the form of personnel. The issue there was not so much talent as it was the slacking pass rush and youth. The organization addressed the pass rush by signing Trey Hendrickson away from division rival Cincinnati and then used a second-round pick on edge Zion Young. The inexperience problem should solve itself. Baltimore added Jaylinn Hawkins as their third safety and picked up corner Chandler Rivers in the fifth round for some additional depth.
It was ultimately the coaching staff that received much of the blame for not reaching the playoffs. That is where the biggest change was made. Neither new head coach Jesse Minter nor his defensive coordinator, Anthony Weaver, is a stranger to the organization. Both have been assistant coaches for the team in the last nine years, though their paths did not cross when they were there.
This is a somewhat unusual situation in that Weaver will coordinate the defense, while Minter will call the plays. Minter served as the Chargers' coordinator at his last stop. Weaver spent the last two years running the Dolphins' defense after he was passed over by Baltimore in 2024.
Regardless of how things are handled between Minter and Weaver, there will be no major overhaul of the scheme. Both coaches lean heavily toward three-man fronts and share a basic philosophy with the previous defensive staff. Having been there just a couple of years back, Weaver knows most of the players. The continuity is a plus.
Baltimore Ravens Defensive Linemen
How bad was the Ravens' pass rush in 2025? So bad that nose tackle Travis Jones led the team with five sacks. It doesn't get much uglier than that. From a talent perspective, Baltimore's pass rush should be much improved. The addition of Hendrickson alone makes for a substantial upgrade. The team has a duo of second-round picks from the last two drafts, and 2023 fourth-round pick Tavius Robinson looked good when healthy last year. They have better players; the question is, will anyone step up to be an IDP factor?
Ravens' pass rushers have traditionally provided marginal IDP value. They have had guys with good sack totals over the years. The holdback is usually in the tackle columns. Last season was no exception, as none of the team's edge defenders recorded more than 17 solo tackles.
If anyone is going to buck the trend, Hendrickson would be the favorite to do it. He missed much of last season, so those numbers are skewed. Looking back further, he tallied at least 13 sacks in four of the previous five campaigns, including back-to-back 17-sack seasons in 2023 and 2024. The numbers tell us that Hendrickson is one of the game's elite pass rushers. Barring injury, he is more likely to challenge for a sack title in 2026 than to fall short of double-digits.
Hendrickson's numbers over the years have also emphasized his average production against the run. The nine-year pro exceeded 40 combined stops for the first and only time in 2023, and his only season with more than 28 solos was 2024. Joining a team where the edge position makes so few stops is not ideal.
At 17-24-3.5, Green had a quiet rookie campaign statistically. Expectations remain high for a player who had 84 combined stops and 17.5 sacks for Marshall in 2024. Green led Baltimore's edge defenders in snaps last year, with 712. The target number I like to see is at least 750, so he was a little light. His role could increase in year two, but it is not a given. Rookies at the edge position often start slowly, so Green's marginal sack total is no reason to give up on him this early.
Robinson turned some heads last season. He had 17 tackles, 2 sacks, and a forced fumble in four games before being injured, and 13 tackles with 2.5 sacks in four games after he returned. Some people are projecting him to start this year. I'll hold off on that for now, but he could be a major contributor.
Zion Young is an interesting fit. He is not an elite, quick-twitch edge rusher, but his physical nature and ability to destroy blocks and shed at the point of attack could make him an early-down option right away. He needs refinement and diversity to make a bigger impact as a pass rusher, but he owns an impressive bull rush that catches blockers off guard.
Despite the history, there is potential for IDP value among this group. My biggest concern is that, like many teams, the Ravens will seek to get everyone involved, leading to a rotation that is just even enough to ruin them all.
Fantasy prospects are better at the interior line positions. Travis Jones led the way in 2025, ranking 20th on the strength of 47 stops, 5 sacks, and 2 turnovers. His tackle totals have steadily increased each season since he was drafted in 2022. That is a good sign for continued production from the 341-pound roadblock. The five sacks, however, could be an outlier. Jones played a lot of football over his first three seasons. Heading into 2025, his career totals were 102 stops, 3 sacks, and zero turnovers, with one sack in each season. I'll not be counting on a repeat, but it is a thin position, so Jones is worth a late-round shot as a DT2.
If he plays, Justin Madibuike has the highest upside of the group. Like Jones, the 2020 third-round pick saw his production steadily increase each year, reaching a peak of 38-18-13 and 2 forced fumbles in 2023. That landed him in the top ten for the first, and so far, only time. Madibuike fell back to earth in 2024 but still managed a useful 43 tackles, with 6 sacks and a forced fumble. He was off to a blazing start last year, posting 7 tackles and 2 sacks before a neck injury ended his season in week two.
For months, we heard pessimism about Madibuike's chances of returning in 2026. There was even discussion about his career being over. Recently, however, there has been positive talk about his recovery, including speculation that he will get back on the field this season. As of early July, much of this story remains to be told. Fantasy managers need to keep an eye on the situation and be aware of his potential if or when he gets a green light.
Calais Campbell, Broderick Washington Jr., and John Jenkins make up what is likely to be the rest of the rotation. Campbell turns 40 in September and is the oldest active defensive player in the league. He was an IDP star earlier in his career and was shockingly productive to the tune of 42 tackles, 5 sacks, 5 batted passes, and a forced fumble with the Cardinals last year. If his role allows for it, Campbell could give us one more productive season. If Madubuike remains sidelined, my guess is that Campbell's role will allow for it.
- Edge Trey Hendrickson – Low tackle totals could hold him back
- Edge Mike Green – Watchlist sleeper
- Edge Zion Young – Possible dynasty factor
- Edge Tavius Robinson – Deep sleeper
- DT Nnamdi Madubuike – Injury status is everything
- DT John Jenkins – Marginal impact
- DT Calais Campbell – Potential DT2
- DT Broderick Washington Jr. – No impact
- DT Rayshaun Benny – Developmental rookie
- NT Travis Jones – Potential DT2
- NT C.J. Okoye – No impact