Ranking the Ravens shopping list for the offseason
With the combine starting and the negotiating window just around the corner, the offseason is just beginning. The Ravens will have a couple of weeks to manipulate the roster as much as possible and reduce their needs heading into the draft. So what are the biggest needs for the Ravens this offseason?
10. Kicker
With Justin Tucker under investigation by the NFL for allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct, there’s a potential need at kicker. Even outside of the allegations, Tucker’s performance in the last couple of seasons hasn’t been stellar. Headed into 2024, the last two seasons in 2022 and 2023 were both bottom four seasons for Tucker at 86% and 86.5% respectively. More concerningly though, Tucker was only 52% through 2022 and 2023 from 50-plus yard range, an area that Tucker normally dominated in and what made him the best kicker in the league.
Tucker followed up those concerns with his worst career year in 2024. He kicked a career-low 73.3% on field goals and 96.8% on extra points, the second worst in his career. He didn’t improve from 50-plus either, going 6-for-11. Expect a Day 3 pick or a highly touted undrafted free agent to be brought in.
9. Depth in the WR room
For once, it feels like there aren’t many questions surrounding the wide receivers heading into the season. Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman are the clear 1A and 1B of this receiving room. The Ravens will probably expect Devontez Walker to take a pretty big leap and more snaps in 2025. Despite those guys, there is nobody else on the roster, so bodies will need to be added. Tylan Wallace is a free agent and somebody I’d expect the Ravens to want back as depth and a special teams ace. They may bring back Nelson Agholor, or a player at a similar level as insurance.
Expect a draft pick and one or two signings that don’t blow you away but add value, similar to a Snead, Agholor, or Robinson type-signings.
8. Depth along the DL
The defensive line was a big strength for the Ravens last year. Along with delivering constant pressure and pushing pockets, they were a huge part of the Ravens’ effort to be the top rush defense in 2024. And in 2025, the Ravens will be returning almost all of the contributors with only Brent Urban not returning. The Eagles’ Super Bowl run proved the importance of talent and depth along the trenches on both sides of the ball. After not drafting anybody along the line in 2024, expect multiple picks along the defensive line in what is shaping to be a draft littered with defensive line talent.
With more important needs this offseason and the room filled out most of the way already, don’t expect much in the way of free agency outside of Brent Urban having a probable return.
7. Options at ILB
The inside linebacker play wasn’t great to start the year for the Ravens. Much of that was due to the poor safety play behind the backers and it improved during the midseason changes. Roquan Smith stays entrenched as a three-down player but the only inside linebacker on the roster is Trenton Simpson, who had somewhat of a disappointing season after a great preseason. Despite the down year, fans shouldn’t be quick to give up on Simpson, just remember Patrick Queen’s timeline in Baltimore. A year of experience in him, better safety play behind him, and year two in Zach Orr’s system should help.
That being said, options are needed in case Simpson doesn’t perform again. Both Malik Harrison and Chris Board are free agents. One or both of those guys could be back. Expect at least one free agent acquisition and a draft pick for the room, even as high as a day two pick.
6. Depth across the OL
More than just depth is needed along the offensive line, but simply put, the Ravens haven’t put enough resources into the line. Too many late-round picks, too many quick-fix options in free agency, not enough early picks and long-term contracts. The Ravens have four offensive linemen who are free agents this offseason. Along with starters, just having bodies in the room is going to be a priority this offseason. Expects lots of additions in the draft to help with this, two picks minimum.
5. A safety who can take significant snaps
The secondary was by far the worst unit of the Ravens last year. Marcus Williams, Eddie Jackson, and Brandon Stephens just simply didn’t have good seasons and it hurt the team. Jackson was eventually cut, Williams was benched, and Stephens playing time was cut in by Tre White. The unit was eventually improved midseason by moving Kyle Hamilton into a tradition deep safety role across from Ar’Darius Washington. Both will be on the roster in 2025 but changes are expected.
The Ravens will want Hamilton to move back to his versatile chess-piece role that gives him a chance at making more impact plays. For that to happen, another traditional safety is needed. Washington can play both a free safety or strong safety role, so the Ravens will have options on what type of player they want to pick up to free up Hamilton. The Ravens have seventh-round pick Sanoussi Kane and UDFA Beau Brade on their roster, but I doubt the Ravens will want to put all their eggs in the basket of one of those players suddenly becoming a starter.
The Ravens will either add a starting caliber safety in free agency or take one early in the draft capable of being a day 1 starter.
4. A guard capable of starting
The Ravens’ offensive has a ton of possibilities going into 2025. They could resign Ronnie Stanley, start Daniel Faalele and Andrew Vorhees and have their starting line be all guys who were here in 2024. They could resign none of their free-agent linemen and have new starters along the line at left tackle and one or both of their guard spots. But after earning the left guard role in week one, Vorhees missed a game due to illness and was never reinserted. Faalale did improve from his starting point but was by far the weakest link on the line that teams attacked and was the 70th-ranked guard by PFF. Just a reminder, there are only 64 starting guard jobs in the NFL.
Faalele could improve with a full offseason knowing he’s a guard and I think Vorhees was already a better option than Mekari last year. But a guard capable of starting needs to be added to this roster. Whether it is a free agent who pushes Faalele and Vorhees in camp or a first or second-round draft pick who’s an immediate starter, the Ravens can’t force Faalele and Vorhees to be the starters. It must be won with real competition.
3. A starting outside cornerback
As mentioned earlier, the secondary in 2024 left a lot to be desired for the Ravens. Even with the midseason fix, it still wasn’t a strength for the team. With another safety on the check list to move Hamilton around and Brandon Stephens likely on the way out the door, a critical amount of snaps are now lost. Stephens had 1,047 snaps in 2024 which was eighth amongst corners and had the most snaps in pass coverage with 732.
T.J Tampa looks to be an important piece in 2025 but only had seven snaps in pass coverage. A starting corner across from Nate Wiggins which allows Marlon Humphrey and Kyle Hamilton to move around splash-play All-Pro players is a top three need for this team. A draft pick should definitely be expected, but it could range anywhere from early on day two to a late sixth or seventh-round pick to develop. A free agent acquisition who can immediately be an upgrade on Stephens is likely.
2. Starting tackle
This could, and probably should, be the top need. This offense with Lamar Jackson goes as far as his offensive line lets him go. Jackson makes life on offensive linemen easier than most quarterbacks. Edge rushers don’t usually go full bore, typically looking to contain rather than rush and Jackson’s impossible mobility helps linemen keep their counting stats looking good.
With Ronnie Stanley set to his free agency for the first time in his nine-year career, there’s a real question mark at the left tackle position. The Ravens could flip tackle Roger Rosengarten over to the left, where has played, and sign a cheaper plug-and-play right tackle. But keeping Roger on the right side and finding a long-term bookend on the other side to match is more ideal. Expect the Ravens to either resign Ronnie Stanley to a multi-year deal or go after a franchise tackle like Alaric Jackson or Cam Robinson with a four-plus year deal.
If none of those happen, you can almost bet on the Ravens forcing a tackle with their first pick at 27th overall or even trading up for a franchise left tackle.
1. A premier, true-elite edge rusher
This technically isn’t a bigger need than a left tackle. The Ravens don’t have another starter opposite Rosengarten. The Ravens do have Odafe Oweh, Kyle Van Noy, impressive sophomore Tavius Robinson, Adisa Isaac and more on the roster.
That being said, look at the Eagles Super Bowl win. Their defense was dominate. Their pass rush completely nullified Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, the benchmark for AFC teams. The had multiple bucket-getters along their defensive line and on the outside rushing, players who can truly win at will and get a sack when absolutely needed. That is the last piece the Ravens are missing. I expect the tackle issue to be solved easily in free agency.
This is the true issue that needs focus. They’ll never do it, but the Ravens should trade whatever is needed to go get Myles Garrett, a franchise changing, defense changing, Super Bowl odds changing move. If not Garrett, then go make a deal for Micah Parsons or Maxx Crosby happen. If that doesn’t happen, then a instant impact rusher in the first round like Shemar Stewart or Mike Green has to be had. They need a bucket-getter. That’s the buzz word for this offseason, bucket-getter. A guy who can bring down Mahomes or Josh Allen or Joe Burrow or whoever the Ravens run into.
It’s the final piece of the puzzle. The only thing this team is missing. It was the Joe Flacco Raven’s needing Anquan Bolden. It’s Aragorn receiving the sword Anduril. It’s Thanos collecting the last Infinity Stone. It’s the last piece the Ravens need to be a complete team.