Ravens' Jesse Minter Gets Glowing Endorsement From Former Player

The message seems to be the same around the NFL regarding the Baltimore Ravens hiring Jesse Minter as the head coach: they got a good one.

Minter has dominated as the Los Angeles Chargers' defensive coordinator over the last two years, leading one of the best units in the NFL. Now, a player who played under Minter, Chargers cornerback Cam Hart, shared with NFL insider Jordan Schultz about what the Ravens are getting in Minter.

"Coach Minter is a terrific coach. I honestly believe he's one of the smartest coaches I have ever played for," he said. "He's a football maniac. A relationships dude, and I think that goes a long way. Just that the relationships that he's built, the camaraderie that our defense had, I attribute that to him. So, they're getting a great head coach."

High praise once again directed towards Jesse Minter

In Minter's first season as the Chargers' defensive coordinator in 2024, they were ranked 11th in yards allowed and first in points allowed. The 2025 season was arguably better for Los Angeles as they were fifth in yards allowed and ninth in points allowed.

Baltimore Ravens head coach Jesse Minter | Lexi Thompson-Imagn Images

Now entering the Ravens, Minter knows he's got a lot of work to do with the defense, as they were 24th in yards allowed and 18th in points allowed last season. A big problem is that they needed more pass rush after recording only 30 sacks this year, which was fewer than only two teams.

The first thing Minter will have to work on is bringing in the right players to the organization. A lot of the 24 free agents the Ravens have are not going to be back as the team focuses on bringing in new talent to fill some of the gaps on offense and defense.

Watch for the edge rusher position to be a big focus for the Ravens as they could either target Trey Hendrickson or Maxx Crosby in the offseason. The team will also have to find an offensive guard, either through free agency or the draft, to address that need.

Most importantly, a culture shift is needed, as this Ravens team has been used to being good but never taking that next step. Minter has to be able to do that, the way he changed the culture of the defense in Los Angeles.

Ravens know they have somebody good in Minter, and he can do some damage with the team after the staff he has built, but it's all about what they can do in January and February.