Ravens Top 5 Remaining Offseason Needs: Post-Free Agency

The Baltimore Ravens have been surprisingly more active in free agency thus far than many anticipated. They've addressed some of their most glaring needs and some underrated ones. Prime examples of both include the re-signing left tackle Ronnie Stanley and upgrading at backup quarterback by signing veteran Cooper Rush.

Following these flurry of moves since the new league year began, their priorities moving forward have changed with the 2025 NFL Draft just over a month away. Here is a ranking of the Ravens' remaining offseason needs post the start of free agency.

1.) Cornerback

The Ravens have a dynamic duo in the making at the position with four-time Pro Bowl veteran Marlon Humphrey and 2024 first-rounder Nate Wiggins who had a standout rookie year in which he didn't allow a touchdown the entire regular season. However, their depth took a hit when they released veteran nickel Arthur Maulet and let two-year starter Brandon Stephens walk in free agency to sign a three-year deal with the New York Jets.

Having three starting caliber corners who can compete and perform at a high level is vital to the success of modern defenses with how much three and four wide receiver sets opposing offenses deploy. With left tackle secured following the re-signing of two-time Pro Bowl veteran Ronnie Stanley coupled with their departures, cornerback vaults to the top of the team's list of remaining offseason needs.

Fortunately, there are still some experienced veterans at the position left on the open market the Ravens could target. A handful who were salary cap casualties and wouldn't impact the compensatory pick formula if signed include James Bradberry, Chidobe Awuzie, and Kendall Fuller.

If Rasul Douglas is still available after the draft, he could be a veteran option they pursue once the formula deadline passes. Three prospects who they could target in the early rounds that would be potential plug-and-play options include Texas' Jahdae Barron, Kentucky's Maxwell Hairston and Ole Miss' Trey Amos.

2.) Safety

Although Ar'Darius Washington was tendered as a restricted free agent, there's no guarantee that another team still won't try to sign him to an offer sheet before the April 18th deadline. Since the Ravens used the right of first refusal tender on him, they could potentially get outbid for him and receive no compensation in return.

Even if Washington wasn't offered and he was able to agree to terms on an extension with the team, the Ravens' depth at the position behind him and two-time All Pro Kyle Hamilton is still bereft of proven pedigree. The only other players at the position currently on the roster behind them are 2024 seventh-rounder Sanoussi Kane and undrafted free agent Beau Brade, both of whom primarily played special teams as rookies last year.

The Ravens sorely missed the presence of a third reliable playmaking presence at the safety position in 2024 after Geno Stone defected to the Cincinnati Bengals in free agency. His absence was only compounded by the inept play of once-vaunted veteran ballhawks Marcus Williams and Eddie Jackson. It forced Hamilton to have to play more of a traditional safety role which made the Ravens secondary more stable but prevented him from being deployed to the fullest extent of his abilities.

Adding another safety who can roam the backend and make plays on the ball remains a top need for the Ravens. It would allow their defense to go from static stability to the unpredictable playmaking unit it was in 2023 when they led the NFL in sacks and takeaways.

In the draft, they could target Georgia's Malaki Starks in the first round or Oklahoma's Billy Bowman to fill that need. As far as veteran free agents, there are still the likes of Julian Blackmon, Jordan Poyer and Marcus Maye as realistic options who could be had pre or post-draft.

3.) Defensive Line

Following the recent retirement of veteran nose tackle Michael Pierce and given that 2022 third-rounder Travis Jones is heading into the final year of his rookie deal, the Ravens need immediate and future depth along their interior trenches. The only two players at the position signed through 2025 are two-time Pro Bowler Nnamdi Madubuike and fellow veteran Broderick Washington.

Since the pickings on the veteran free agent market are slim with more replacement-level players than true difference makers outside of a potential reunion with Calais Campbell, the Ravens' best pathway to improving at the position is the draft.

Thankfully, interior defensive linemen are widely viewed as a position of strength in this year's class. With Stanley secured, it could be a prime target for them in the first round. A few prospects they could target in the early rounds include Oregon's Derrick Harmon, Ole Miss' Walter Nolan, Michigan's Kenneth Grant, Florida State's Joshua Farmer and Toledo's Darius Alexander.

4.) Offensive Line

Securing the future protector of Lamar Jackson's blindside was the Ravens' top priority heading into the offseason and they achieved that by re-signing Stanley to a bargain of a deal. However, they still wound up losing versatile veteran lineman Patrick Mekari who started every game at left guard from Week 4 through the playoffs to the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency on a three-year deal.

The Ravens still have 2023 seventh-rounder Andrew Vorhees who opened last season as the starter next to Stanley. In a surprising move, they re-signed 2021 third-rounder Ben Cleveland who performed well when called upon during his first four years in the league. There's a chance the Ravens could still add a veteran to the mix like Will Hernandez or Dalton Risner before the draft or after the time when signing either wouldn't impact the compensatory pick formula.

In addition to watching Mekari sign elsewhere in free agency, the Ravens lost another versatile veteran in Josh Jones who can play both tackle and guard but served as the primary backup at left tackle in his lone season with the team last year. While Stanley played in every game in a resurgent 2024 season, it marked the first such occurrence of his career to date. Veterans such as George Fant, Joseph Noteboom and D.J. Humphries could be brought in after the draft as experienced insurance policies.

With 11 picks in this year's NFL Draft, the most likely avenue for the Ravens to bring in inexpensive competition and depth will be by using two or more of their league-leading bevy of selections. While quality tackles can be hard to find, this particular front office has historically shown an ability to identify high-end talent along the interior of the offensive line, especially at guard.

If they want to prioritize the position with a first-round pick, three potential targets who could fall to them include Ohio State's Donovan Jackson, Alabama's Tyler Booker and North Dakota State's Grey Zabel.

5.) Outside Linebacker

The Ravens have every player who was on their 2024 depth chart at this position returning for the 2025 season. However, both Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh who led the team with career highs in sacks with 12.5 and 10 are heading into the final year of their respective deals. Oweh was a first-round pick in 2021 and is slated to play on his fifth-year option while Van Noy is entering the second year of a bargain deal.

When it comes to edge rushers, teams treat them like corners in the terms that they can never have enough quality options at the position. The Ravens are faithful subscribers to that belief and have a successful track record of both drafting and developing at the position as well as signing veteran free agents before, during or after training camp who come in and produce at a moderate-to-high level.

This year there is an abundance of edge talent both in the draft and still available on the open market. This plays right into the Ravens' hands and could lead to them adding one from each avenue between now and the start of the 2025 regular season.

Some prospects they could take early in the draft include Boston College's Donovan Ezeiruaku, Tennessee's James Pearce Jr., Arkansas' Landon Jackson and Texas A&M's Nic Scourton. They could take one of these first-year pros and sign one of the following veterans on a one-year deal sometime in the subsequent months: Von Miller, Preston Smith, Za'Darius Smith and Matt Judon.

They are all coming off seasons where they recorded six or fewer sacks but could thrive in a rotational role with the Ravens under the guidance of outside linebacker coach and renowned pass rush specialist, Chuck Smith.

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