Baltimore Beatdown
The Ravens badly need some edge-rushing depth after losing Odafe Oweh (trade) and Tavius Robinson (broken foot) in Week 6.
Second-year outside linebacker Adisa Isaac is already on injured reserve with a dislocated elbow; neither he nor Robinson are expected to be back until mid- to late-November at the earliest. The Ravens’ pass rush could use a more significant upgrade before the Week 9 trade deadline, but they need some immediate help off the edge for their next two games. Here are their top options:
The Ravens have two edge defenders on their practice squad: Malik Hamm and Kaimon Rucker. Both have been with the team since training camp and should know the defense, but they are completely untested against NFL regular-season competition.
Hamm impressed in training camp as an undrafted rookie in 2023, but he has spent the last two seasons on injured reserve with knee injuries. He returned to the field this year, but he did not stand out in the preseason.
Rucker, a rookie out of North Carolina, was an intriguing prospect who went undrafted due to a lengthy injury history. He doesn’t have exciting size or athleticism, but his high motor and long, powerful arms led to 18.0 sacks and 30 tackles for loss across 35 games in the last three years. Per Pro Football Focus, Rucker logged an 18.6% pass rush win rate in his final college season and flashed in the preseason with six pressures on 58 pass-rushing snaps and a 16.4% PRWR. His frame limits his ability to set the edge against the run, but the effort is there, and, quite frankly, the Ravens need more help rushing the passer than they do stopping the run.
Of the two, Rucker seems like the higher-upside option to add some juice to the pass rush right away. If the Ravens do not make a signing this week, they should see what he can do against the Bears.
Pickings are slim this late in the season, but there are a few available veterans who the Ravens could pursue. They already worked out Jesse Luketa and Carl Lawson on Monday and Efe Obada on Tuesday. Fans have mentioned Yannick Ngakoue as well, but that seems like a move that would have happened already.
DeMarcus Walker is another intriguing option. The seven-year veteran started for the Bears in 2023 and 2024 with seven sacks and 16 tackles for loss in that span. Out of 93 edge rushers with at least 200 pass-rushing snaps last year, Walker ranked 43rd in pressures (39) and 52nd in pass rush win rate (11.1%), per PFF. No Ravens edge rusher is trending to best either of those marks this season.
Walker primarily lines up on the edge, but his 6-foot-4, 280-pound frame does offer some flexibility to flip inside. That happened significantly less in Chicago relative to the first five years of his career. His size makes him a questionable fit for the Ravens’...
