Raven Country

Ravens Mid-Round Pick Could Push For a Starting Job

The Baltimore Ravens may have found a diamond in the rough.
Josh Reed|
Nov 23, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears linebacker Teddye Buchanan (10) during the second quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Nov 23, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears linebacker Teddye Buchanan (10) during the second quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

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Baltimore Ravens

After letting former first-round pick Patrick Queen walk in free agency last offseason following a breakout season where he was voted to the Pro Bowl and earned Second Team All Pro honors, the Baltimore Ravens were banking on 2023 third-rounder Trenton Simpson to slot into starting weakside linebacker spot.

The former Clemson standout was given every opportunity to seize the prominent role on defense next to three-time First Team All Pro selection Roquan Smith. Coming off a strong showing in the preseason, Simpson appeared poised to make the most of his opportunity for extended playing time after being regulated to special teams and mop-up duty as a rookie.

Simpson got to start the first 13 games of the season leading up to the bye week and afterward was reduced to playing special teams and sparsely on defense. The Ravens were forced to deploy a two-man rotation of veterans Malik Harrison and Chris Board to fill the role and it ultimately worked out for the best.

Both Harrison and Board signed elsewhere this offseason. As part of the plan to replace some of their contributions on special teams, the Ravens selected former University of California standout Teddye Buchanan with their first pick on Day 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft at No. 129 overall in the fourth round. It is a role that he is excited to fill and is well-versed in executing.

"For me, special teams is going to be a priority for me," Buchanan said. "I'm super excited to play special teams. I played special teams in college, played all four of [the special teams phases], so I'm super excited in that regard, and I'm super excited to learn from guys like Roquan and just pick their brain and do everything I can to see how they're pros and just follow their lead."

While the third phase of the game is the obvious contribution floor for the former Bear as a rookie, he is capable of making an impact on defense as well with the complete skill set and playmaking ability he brings to the table.

“Buchanan was a guy that I did late in the process,” general manager Eric DeCosta said in his final post-draft press conference. “The coaches and the scouts liked him. I saw a guy that played very hard, a very gifted mover, explosive, an excellent coverage linebacker [who] should translate well to special teams. I think he's a really polished, tough, tenacious guy.”

While Buchanan only has one year of starting experience against FBS competition, it was his best to date and he previously starred at the FCS level for UC Davis. In 2024, he started all 13 games for the Bears and received First Team ACC honors has leading the team with 114 tackles including 12 for a loss, two forced fumbles, five sacks and four pass breakups.

"I feel like I worked extremely hard for four years at [UC] Davis," Buchanan said. "I feel like all that work just kind of came to a point, and I was just able to show what I was able to do on the national stage."

The 6'2" and 233 pounder not only possesses ideal size but showcased explosive athleticism at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine as well. He posted the best marks in the vertical leap (40") and bench press (26), second-best broad jump (10'5") and ran the seventh-fastest times among all inside linebackers with a mark of 4.60.

Buchanan is a former high school quarterback who believes that his experience as a signal-caller has helped him develop into a more well-rounded and instinctual defender in a plethora of ways.

"Just understanding, first of all, the mentality of the quarterback [and] what things affect them," Buchanan said. "The processing speed of playing quarterback definitely translates right over to defense, and then just understanding offense and how they're trying to attack RPOs and different things like that, especially in college, so it definitely was helpful."

Several Ravens team officials have been outspoken in their excitement and confidence in Simpson being able to regain his starting role and blossom into the playmaker they envisioned when they used a top-100 pick on him two years ago. However, given how polished Buchanan already is coming into the league, he could not only compete with Simpson for the starting spot next to Smith but usurp him entirely.

"I'm just going to add whatever coach needs me to add," Buchanan said. "First of all, it's just going to be effort and toughness and just consistency. I'm not really looking to do anything outside of my realm, just doing whatever coach needs from me and just whatever the team needs."

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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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