In a somewhat surprising decision, the Baltimore Ravens granted a 53-man roster spot to edge rusher Ethan Burke on Sunday. Burke, an undrafted free agent out of Texas, beat out former 2024 third-round pick Adisa Issac and others for the fifth and final edge rusher spot. After an impressive training camp and preseason, the Ravens evidently felt like Burke had done enough to overtake Issac in the pecking order.
Here is the Baltimore Beatdown staff’s reaction to the move.
Ethan Burke taking the fifth
edge spot over Adisa Isaac and Kaimon Rucker isn’t shocking to me. He’d been the better player over all three preseason games and impacts every phase of the game from pass rush, pass coverage, run support and special teams. Isaac and Rucker both had their moments and I expect at least one of them to sneak through waivers and make the practice squad. But Burke was simply better. Don’t be surprised if all five edge players are active on most game days. — Zach Canter
After Burke’s performance this preseason, it comes as little surprise to see the Ravens keep him over Isaac. Isaac has true potential as a former third-round pick, but his inability to stay on the field throughout the first few years of his career left Baltimore in a difficult position. It always stings to give up on high-round draft picks after just two seasons, but at some point you have to cut bait, particularly when other young players such as Burke force your hand. — Dustin Cox
Adisa Isaac’s potential with the Ravens never came to fruition. Injuries unfortunately held him back and sidelined him almost entirely since 2024. While he finally began to come on strong this preseason and show some flashes, it was too little, too late. Isaac was outplayed by Ethan Burke, who was a revelation this summer and defensive star in the preseason. Burke is a versatile edge rusher and should be a valuable special teams contributor. — Frank Platko
Year in and year out, the Ravens have been a team that consistently sees an undrafted free agent find success in the preseason and earn a roster spot. I’d wondered with the new coaching staff if they would view UDFAs the same way as the previous regime did, and it looks like, in the case of Ethan Burke, they did. Burke put together a strong preseason, particularly in the final two games, and with a tough decision looming about Adisa Isaac’s future, Burke’s star rose high enough to earn him the spot over the former third-rounder.
At the time Isaac was selected, I remember thinking that the pick was a pure gamble on his athletic upside. He’d had a strong final year at Penn State with 7.5 sacks, but his speed and explosiveness made him a raw product that I think the coaching staff at the time believed they could turn into a potential steal. Unfortunately, Isaac has been plagued by injury for his entire tenure as a Raven, first dealing with a nagging hamstring injury his rookie year and then with an elbow dislocation that cost him all of last season. Isaac put together some decent film this preseason, and maybe he makes it onto the practice squad, but I think concerns surrounding his health and availability may simply be too great. — Kevin McNelis
