In 2025, everything went wrong for the Baltimore Ravens. Their star QB couldn’t stay healthy due to a porous offensive line. They struggled to execute in high-leverage situations and continued a frustrating pattern of blowing late leads. Their disorganized secondary continuously let opposing offenses pick them apart. The list goes on and on, but at the top of it was the Ravens’ lack of any meaningful pass rush.
In prior years, Baltimore was able to generate high sack numbers. Unfortunately, this led
to the front-office viewing their defensive line talent through rose-colored lenses, glossing over the broader issue which was that, since the days of Suggs, Ngata, and Dumervil, the Ravens have not consistently pressure opposing passers with four rushers. Even in 2023, when they led the league in almost every major defensive metric, they still ranked in the bottom third of the league in QB pressure rate. Mike Macdonald and other defensive coordinators before him were able to combine creative blitzes with disguised coverages to confuse quarterbacks and make them hold onto the football until the pass rush got home. But when a less-capable defensive coordinator took over, disaster followed.
Last year, the house came crashing down in a bad way. After star DT Nnamdi Madubuike was put on injured reserve with a season-ending neck injury in Week 2, the Ravens’ pass rush went from a below average unit to arguably the worst in the NFL. They ranked at or towards the bottom of the league in pressure rate, pass rush win rate, and sacks. Fans watched as opposing quarterbacks sat back in the pocket unfazed as they slowly picked the defense apart. Even if Tyler Loop’s fateful kick made it through the uprights in Pittsburgh, this was not a team that could make a deep playoff run.
Fast-forward to this year’s training camp, and the defensive line is in a vastly improved place. After abandoning a trade for Maxx Crosby, the Ravens signed EDGE Trey Hendrickson who is just one year removed from an All-Pro year in which he led the league in sacks. Madubuike also passed his physical and is working his way towards a return to the field. And if Hendrickson and Madubuike are not enough, the Ravens also reunited with DT Calais Campbell and drafted EDGE Zion Young out of Missouri. These moves, along with projected leaps from players like Mike Green and Tavius Robinson, have the Ravens set to catapult from one of the worst defensive lines in the league to one of the best. They have the personnel to generate pressure from the edge and the interior with plenty of depth and versatility to utilize several different looks and schemes along their front.
As mentioned, the Ravens have been able to generate big sack numbers in prior years. But when push came to shove against good offensive lines and quarterbacks, mainly in the playoffs, it was clear that the scheme wasn’t enough. They needed more talent. The ability to protect your own quarterback and get pressure on the opposing one is arguably the most telling indicator of success for a team. Last year’s Denver Broncos are a prime example of a team that lacked high-end weapons but were able to reach the AFC Championship because of how well they protected Bo Nix and pressure opposing QBs (second in pressure rate, first in sack rate). It’s a winning formula that has been tested for years and with the Ravens offseason additions, it looks like they are ready to play the game.
While on paper, the pass rush looks great, only time will tell if they can become a top-ranked unit in the league. Unfortunately, there are question marks. Hendrickson is on the wrong side of 30, Madubuike is coming back from a career threatening injury, and players like Young and Green are still relatively unproven. (Editor’s note: pun not intended.) If these players all play to their potential, there’s no reason why this defensive line can’t be one of the best in the league. In that scenario, it’s difficult to imagine the Ravens not having a top defense to pair with an offense that, when healthy, always figures to be near the top of the league with Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, and Zay Flowers. In the down-scenario, Hendrickson shows signs of his age, Madubuike cannot come back at the same level, and the young talent doesn’t develop up to their potential. While the former seems to be likely outcome, nothing is guaranteed. As 2025 shows, games aren’t won on paper. But with new head coach Jesse Minter, defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, and the infusion of pass-rush talent, the Ravens defense is primed for a return to glory.
