Baltimore Beatdown
Ranking which defensive positions are the most and least pressing to address in the coming months.
The Baltimore Ravens are heading into the 2025 offseason without nearly as many question marks or glaring needs to address as they will have in 2026. A year from now, several starters and key players will be up for new deals if they aren’t extended before then. Nevertheless, in order to put themselves in the best position to get over the proverbial hump and make it to the Super Bowl, they’ll have to address some of their top needs on both sides of the ball.
Here is a ranking of the Ravens’ top defensive offseason needs from most to least pressing.
The Ravens’ pass defense ranked dead last through the first 10 weeks of the regular season and their secondary played a major role in allowing it to happen. One of the most consistent liabilities in coverage was fourth-year pro Brandon Stephens, who played his second full season as an outside cornerback. He was one of the most targeted defenders in the league and gave up far too many plays despite being in good position. The 2021 third-rounder will be an unrestricted free agent in less than a month and the odds of him returning to Baltimore on anything less than a bargain deal is slim.
While Stephens struggled mightily in coverage and as a playmaker, the Ravens got one hell of a resurgent season from veteran Marlon Humphrey, who dominated playing both on the outside and in the slot. He led the AFC in interceptions with a career-high six on his way to earning the fourth Pro Bowl nod and second First Team All-Pro recognition of his career. First-round rookie Nate Wiggins lived up to the billing as a rookie, eventually seizing a starting role. In a rotational role, Wiggins made his presence felt with big plays in coverage and run support. He went the full season without allowing a touchdown and was one of the hardest defensive backs to complete a pass against in the league.
Unfortunately, just having two corners playing at a high level isn’t enough because so many offenses deploy three and four wide receiver sets. There’s a chance that 2024 fourth-rounder T.J. Tampa could step into a larger role in his second season. However, the Ravens have had harsh reminders about what a shortage of good corners can lead to. There’s a strong chance they could take another in the first round for the second year in a row, or at least spend one of their three top-100 picks on the position.
The departure of Geno Stone in free agency loomed much larger in the performance and overall cohesion of the Ravens pass defense than anyone could’ve anticipated coming into the 2024 season. Constant miscommunications and blown assignments in the back-end led to them giving up 20-plus yard plays to start the season before they stabilized. To stop the hemorrhaging, they...
