Ravens Are Perfect Fit for AFC North Defensive Star

One thing is very clear about the Baltimore Ravens this offseason: they need a lot of help with getting pressure on the quarterback.

It has been clear since last season that the Ravens needed more support there, so they traded for Dre'Mont Jones to address it. The results were a measly 30 sacks in 17 regular season games; only two teams had fewer all year.

Jones is a free agent, and defensive tackle Travis Jones led the Ravens with five sacks; that's a major problem for the Ravens entering the 2026 offseason. New Ravens head coach Jesse Minter has a clear objective to find a pass rusher, but they might not have to look too far to find the right man.

Ravens' number one priority in 2026 offseason has a solution

Bleacher Report writer Alex Kay reviewed each of the 10 new hires in the NFL and outlined their top offseason priority, with a target player in mind to address it. Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson is available and would make a perfect fit for the Ravens' defense.

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

"The Ravens could open the Jesse Minter era by taking a swipe at one of the franchise's biggest rivals," Kay wrote. "Poaching Trey Hendrickson from the Cincinnati Bengals would not only knock an AFC North threat down a peg but also reinforce a Baltimore pass-rushing unit that sorely needs a shot in the arm.

"The Ravens' once-vaunted pass rush regressed significantly in 2025. The team only accumulated a meager 30 sacks in 17 games, a massive drop from the 54 sacks it tallied the prior year.

"Although he's coming off an injury-shortened season that limited him to just seven games, Hendrickson would still have finished third on the Ravens in sacks this year with four. Not a single Baltimore defender recorded more than five sacks in 2025, a mark that the 31-year-old surpassed every season between 2020-24."

Hendrickson makes a ton of sense for the Ravens, as he would be a great asset to the defense that desperately needs it. If Jones doesn't come back, that would mean it would be Hendrickson and Mike Green as the starters, and Baltimore could either bring back Kyle Van Noy or select an edge rusher in the draft for depth purposes.

The Ravens don't have to put all their cards in the middle for Hendrickson either, as there are at least 10 edge rushers in the NFL Draft that could go in the first round. That would be a cheaper, but riskier move for them.

If the Ravens have the money to do it, Hendrickson makes way more sense for Baltimore to sign and get their once-elite defense back on track.

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