Ravens Primed to Benefit After Former Backup Leaves

The Baltimore Ravens are the kings of collecting compensatory picks as no team has been awarded more than them since the formula was implemented in 1994 despite the franchise having only been around since 1996.

Through the first week of the new league year, they've not only lost more free agents than expected through the initial waves of free agency but a handful of those players surprisingly signed contracts for significant amounts. A trio of them inked big enough deals for their former team to qualify to receive a compensatory pick for losing them as a result.

The Ravens were slated to get three comp picks in 2026 after losing offensive lineman Patrick Mekari to the Jacksonville Jaguars, cornerback Brandon Stephens to the New York Jets and inside linebacker Malik Harrison to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

After signing five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to a one-year deal worth up to $6 million last week, they canceled out the seventh-rounder that was coming to them for losing Harrison.

In a pleasantly surprising turn of events, they are now slated to still receive a seventh-round comp pick. According to Over The Cap's Nick Korte, the release of the details of the one-year contract former Ravens backup offensive lineman Josh Jones inked with the Seattle Seahawks last week revealed that his salary of $4 million is just enough to net them an extra pick in next year's draft.

Looks like Josh Jones got enough ($4M) to qualify as a compensatory free agent.

That adds a 7th round 2026 comp pick on the board to the Ravens.https://t.co/KrYaCltGf5
— Nick Korte (@nickkorte) March 21, 2025

The Ravens signed Jones ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft to a one-year deal worth just $1.79 million to serve as the primary backup to two-time Pro Bowl left tackle Ronnie Stanley. Thankfully, his services were not required aside from jumbo packages in short-yardage situations or as a late sub at the end of blowout games.

If the team doesn't sign another veteran to a qualifying contract before the deadline to impact the formula, they will net a future player or at least tradable capital in exchange for a player who played a career-low 46 snaps on offense last year.

This news comes on the heels of the reveal of new veteran backup quarterback Cooper Rush's contract details in which the average per year of his two-year contract worth $6.2 million will be $3.1 million which Korte said won't classify him as a compensatory free agent unless he has to play most of the season and meets his incentives.

As it currently stands, the Ravens are slated to get either a fourth or fifth-round pick each for Mekari and Stephens and a seventh for Jones in next year's draft, which would give them 10-plus selections in back-to-back years.

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