Baltimore Beatdown
The Baltimore Ravens’ 2025 season came to a disappointing finish, with the team missing the playoffs and finishing below .500 (8-9) for only the second time since 2015. They began the year as Super Bowl favorites and ended it getting sent home in early January.
In the wake of this, longtime head coach John Harbaugh was fired. The Ravens are set to bring in an almost entirely new coaching staff now, and all eyes have been on the team’s head coaching search over the past few weeks. Regardless of who the Ravens hire and what coaches fill out the staff, they’re also faced with a number of key questions and decisions at position groups throughout the roster.
Let’s look ahead and break down some of the Ravens’ biggest positional needs to address this offseason and discuss strategy.
The season-ending neck injury to star defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike was easily the Ravens’ most impactful loss of the year. Without Madubuike up front, the Ravens struggled to generate consistent interior pressure. Travis Jones did his very best to shoulder the load but faced regular double teams, and the other defensive linemen were not able to win one-on-one matchups. It didn’t help that Broderick Washington missed almost the entire season as well.
The Ravens were not prepared for an extended Madubuike absence. Unfortunately, signs are suggesting he won’t be available for the 2026 season either. There’s been much uncertainty and cloudiness surrounding his status but it’s possible Madubuike’s career is in jeopardy. Regardless, the Ravens badly need to replenish their defensive line group with pass-rushing talent and impactful players.
Washington is a free agent, leaving Jones, veteran John Jenkins, and 2025 sixth-round pick Aeneas Peebles as the only surefire returning players from last season. Jones is fresh off a career-best season and still possesses untapped star upside. Jenkins is a reliable run-stuffing veteran but is nearing 35 years old. Peebles, meanwhile, is a wild card who the coaching staff didn’t trust enough as a run defender to play him consistently as a rookie.
Some combination of a high-level veteran acquired in free agency or via trade, as well as an early-round draft pick and/or multiple rookies, is likely needed at this position group. The Ravens need more star power up front and upgraded depth behind Jones and others.
On the other side of the trenches, both offensive guard spots were the weak points of the Ravens’ offensive line in 2025 and caused recurring issues. Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele did not develop the way the Ravens were betting on and instead performed inconsistently throughout the year. Not all of the team’s struggles up front can be attributed to the guards, but they were not reliable enough at all — particularly in pass protection.
The Ravens have long patchworked their guard positions through cost-friendly veterans and mid-to-late round draft pick fliers. They’ve opted to invest greater resources at center and offensive tackle. This may be the offseason...
