Jesse Minter Must Unleash Ravens Second-Year Defender in 2026

One of the biggest reasons that Baltimore Ravens head coach Jesse Minter is in the building is to help rebuild a defense that desperately needs a makeover after the rough 2025 campaign.

Last season, the Ravens ranked 24th in yards and 18th in points allowed on defense, and they posted only 30 sacks, the third fewest in the NFL. One of the players they were hoping would break out, but only came on strong late in the season, was rookie second-round pick edge rusher Mike Green. Pro Football Focus writer Thomas Valentine, though, believes Minter might be able to get the most out of Green and help him improve in 2026.

"Minter’s arrival could be Mike Green’s (46.3 grade; 113th) gain. The 2025 second-round pick struggled in his rookie season, but still tallied 34 pressures and four sacks off the edge. His ability as a pass-rusher isn’t in question. Green’s 34 pressures were sixth among rookie defenders, and his 21 stops were fifth. But there’s room to improve, especially against the run. His 47.1 PFF run-defense grade was second-last on the defensive line."

The pressure is on Jesse Minter to push Mike Green to the next level

It was an up-and-down season for Green in his first year in the NFL, but it wasn't nearly at the level that the Ravens needed. Baltimore struggled all year to pressure the quarterback, and Green was a part of those struggles.

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Mike Green | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

With Minter, there is some pressure on him to get the most out of Green and get him performing. As Valentine pointed out in his article, Minter got strong performances out of his Chargers defenders.

"The Chargers’ 70.4 PFF run-defense grade was 11th in 2025, and Minter helped his edge defenders to some strong production against both the pass and run. Veteran Khalil Mack (79.2 grade; 16th) earned another strong grade against the run (77.2 grade), while former Ravens edge rusher Odafe Oweh (75.5 grade; 26th) had an 81.0 PFF pass-rushing grade in 2025, the best of his career. Green could be the next edge rusher to thrive under Minter."

Those kinds of numbers only mean that Minter should be able to help his new Ravens defenders get to the quarterback. His specialty is defense, so if the front office doesn't see any progress in Year 1, that could be a problem.

Green showed flashes throughout his rookie season, but he was never set up for success. Minter should be able to put him in a position where no Ravens fans can use the bust title to describe him.

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