Raven Country

Four LBs Ravens Could Draft to Compete With Trenton Simpson

While the Baltimore Ravens still believe in the 2023 third-rounder, they shouldn't put all their eggs in one basket and could get a great value target.
Josh Reed|
Oct 26, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels linebacker Chris Paul Jr. (11) waits for the snap during the first half against the Oklahoma Sooners at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Oct 26, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels linebacker Chris Paul Jr. (11) waits for the snap during the first half against the Oklahoma Sooners at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

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Baltimore Ravens

Off-ball linebacker is one of the toughest positions to scout for an immediate impact player for the NFL level because of the transition and steep learning curve that comes with going from college where the game is more fast-paced but simplistic. They aren’t tasked with nearly as much mentally or even physically when it comes to playing against heavier personnel as well as dealing with high rates of motion.

Coverage ability can often be hard to gauge outside of playing man-to-man because players aren’t always taught to have a feel for zone coverage and spatial awareness when it comes to getting proper depth and understanding how to pass off routes and read the quarterback's eyes. This has led to veteran free agents at the position being more valuable because they’ve been around the block, gotten time to adapt and don’t need to be used in a specialized or limited role all the time to be effective.

The Baltimore Ravens were banking on 2023 third-round pick Trenton Simpson to take over as the full-time starter next to three-time First Team All Pro Roquan Smith after 2023 Pro Bowler Patrick Queen last season. After opening the regular season as the starter, he wasn't able to keep it. He was regulated to primary playing on special teams and got replaced in the lineup by a two-man rotation of veterans Malik Harrison and Chris Board.

When speaking to reporters at the annual league meetings last week, head coach John Harbaugh expressed his faith and confidence in Simpson. However, he also shared the team's desire to add more players to the position for competition and special teams value after losing both Harrison, Board and most recently, Kristian Welch in free agency.

Here are half a quarter promising prospects the Ravens could target in the 2025 NFL Draft to compete with Simpson and contribute in the third phase of the game:

Carson Schwesinger, UCLA

UCLA Bruins linebacker Carson Schwesinger sacks Fresno State Bulldogs quarterback Mikey Keene during the second quarter.
Nov 30, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins linebacker Carson Schwesinger (49) sacks Fresno State Bulldogs quarterback Mikey Keene (1) during the second quarter at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

The Ravens just brought the former Bruin in for a top-30 pre-draft visit on Monday and he could be a potential top target for them as early as No. 27 overall given that he is one of the top prospects at the position in a class that is very shallow with top talent. Schwesinger is a former walk-on with just one year of starting experience that didn't come until 2024 but it was sensational nonetheless. In 2024, he started 10 of 12 games and earned First-team Associated Press All-American and First-team All-Big Ten Conference honors and was a finalist for the Butkus Award. He led the FBS with 90 solo tackles, ranked third with 136 total tackles and finished with 8.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, two interceptions, three pass breakups and a forced fumble.

Schwesinger has a high character profile as a team captain this past year and he possesses a strong special teams background having been a reserve defender and core contributor the previous three seasons. His athleticism and physicality are evident all over his tape with how he flies around from sideline to sideline, rushers the passer as a blitzer, fits the run and makes impressive plays in coverage.

If drafted by the Ravens, it'd have to be in the top two rounds in a trade-back scenario or with their original pick in the first round and would be an immediate obstacle to Simpson in his pursuit to regain his starting role.

Chris Paul Jr., Ole Miss

Mississippi Rebels linebacker Chris Paul Jr. (11) looks on against LSU Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (13).
Oct 12, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; Mississippi Rebels linebacker Chris Paul Jr. (11) looks on against LSU Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (13) during the first half at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

After beginning his college career at Arkansas where he had a couple of standout seasons in 2022 and 2023, he transferred and was a key piece to the Rebels defense in 2024. What he lacks ideal measurables at 6-foot-1 and 222 pounds with 29-inch arms, he makes up for it by being very instinctive which allows him to play faster than more gifted athletes at the position. In 2024, he earned Third Team Associated Press All-American and Second Team All-SEC honors and was also a finalist for the Butkus Award after leading his team with a career-high 88 total tackles including 11 for a loss, 3.5 sacks, four pass breakups and an interception in 12 games with 11 starts.

Paul Jr.'s tape far outshines his traits with how well he plays in both man and zone coverage and tackles well in open space with one of the lowest missed tackle rates of any prospect in this year's crop at lower than 6%. His less-than-ideal size shows up when it comes to taking on blocks but he negates it by being able to work around them.

While he can cover running backs out of the backfield and tight ends off the line of scrimmage, he is at his best in zone coverage where he can read the quarterback's eyes and make instinctive breaks on the ball. Paul Jr. is in the top five or even three of many analysts' position rankings and is projected to be a Day 2 pick. If taken by the Ravens, he'd present the second toughest competition for Simpson at the WILL spot among prospects on this list behind only Schwesinger.

Barrett Carter, Clemson

Clemson Tigers linebacker Barrett Carter celebrates after a sack against the Florida State Seminoles during the first half.
Oct 5, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Clemson Tigers linebacker Barrett Carter (0) celebrates after a sack against the Florida State Seminoles during the first half at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

The Ravens could look to the same program they got Simpson from to add competition for him this year. They share similar profiles coming out as explosive athletes who can fly from sideline to sideline but Cater wasn’t used in the plethora of ways his predecessor was with the Tigers. He has three-down potential with the ability to cover running backs and tight ends in man coverage, spy athletic quarterbacks to limit scrambles and designed runs and be a disruptive blitzer.

A former five-star recruit, Carter is coming off a senior season in which he earned Third Team Associated Press All-American and First Team All-ACC honors and also was a finalist for the Butkus Award. He started all 14 games for the Tigers and narrowly finished second on the team in total tackles with a career-high 82 including 11 for a loss, 3.5 sacks, seven pass breakups and a fumble recovery.

Carter is projected to be a mid-round pick who could come off the board anywhere from late Day 2 to early Day 3 so if the Ravens want to go with a higher-rated player at a different position at No. 91 overall in the third round, they could still potentially land him with one of their two picks in the fourth round at No. 129 or 136 overall.

Demetrius Knight, South Carolina

American team linebacker Demetrius Knight II of South Carolina (17) works in drills during Senior Bowl practice.
Jan 29, 2025; Mobile, AL, USA; American team linebacker Demetrius Knight II of South Carolina (17) works in drills during Senior Bowl practice for the National team at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

The former Gamecock is one of the most interesting and talented prospects regardless of position in this year's draft. Having just turned 25 in January, he'll be nearly 30 years old by the end of the rookie deal. However, the silver lining is that unlike most other incoming rookie off-ball linebackers who struggle to make the jump from college to the pros, Knight is ready to contend for a starting spot and contribute right away.

At 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds with a 6-foot-8 wingspan, he possesses ideal size and length for the position and unique athletic traits. Knight is a converted quarterback who converted to linebacker at his first college, Georgia Tech, so he could get on the field. Despite having not played linebacker until college, he has developed a natural feel and passion for it which is reflected in his play. Knight uses his instincts to diagnose plays quickly, excels at slipping blocks and does a good job of not letting linemen wash him out of the play when climbing to the second level and is better in zone coverage than he is in man.

After having a career year at the University of North Carolina Charlotte in 2023, he transferred to South Carolina and balled out in the SEC this past season for one of the top defenses in the country. Knight started 10 of 13 games and recorded 82 total tackles including eight for a loss, tied for the team lead in forced fumbles with three and recorded two sacks and interception as well.

While he is the only prospect on this list not to receive All-Conference honors or be a finalist for the Butkus Award, Knight is arguably the most NFL-ready of the bunch. Another feather in his cap is that he attended and shined at the annual Reese's Senior Bowl all-star event, a talent pool the Ravens regularly pull from.

Knight is more mature than most prospects entering the league, age aside because he already has a wife and two kids. He is also the cousin of former NFL Pro Bowl cornerback DeAngelo Hall and is the distant cousin of famous singers Gladys Knight and Aretha Franklin. Projections have him coming off the board as high as the early second round. Still, if he lasts until the Ravens are on the clock at No. 59, it'll likely present them with a difficult choice to make with a talented player with a similar grade at a more pressing position of need.

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Josh Reed
JOSH REED

Josh is a writer for Baltimore Ravens On SI focusing primarily on original content and reporting. He provides analysis, breakdowns, profiles, and reports on important news and transactions from and about the Ravens. His professional resume as a sports reporter includes covering local events, teams, and athletes in his hometown of Anchorage, Alaska for Anchorage Daily News. His coverage on the Ravens and other NFL teams has been featured on Heavy.com/sports, Maryland Sports Blog and most recently Baltimore Beatdown from 2021 until 2025.

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