One Baltimore Ravens Veteran on the Chopping Block After Zion Young Pick

The dust has settled around the NFL after a hectic weekend of drafting and rookie free agent signings, and a big roster shakeup is due for all 32 teams.

The Baltimore Ravens’ added 11 new faces via the 2026 NFL Draft, although only two should be penciled in as immediate starters -- first-round guard Olaivavega Ioane out of Penn State and sixth-round punter Ryan Eckley out of Michigan State. The rest will most likely start out as part of a rotation at their respective positions, with some earning more meaningful minutes than others.

However, even a projected backup can put a veteran’s job in jeopardy, especially if he’s unable to stay on the field consistently when called upon. This could be the ase for linebacker Adisa Isaac, a third-rounder in 2024 out of Penn State who’s only been able to appear in four games over two seasons for the Ravens.

Baltimore selected linebacker Zion Young out of Missouri in the second round this past weekend, a few weeks after adding veteran pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson in free agency. The numbers game does not work out in Isaac’s favor. Let’s take a look.

The Ravens unofficial depth chart should show something like this for their outside linebacker group: Hendrickson and Tavius Robinson or Mike Green as the starters, Young and Robinson or Green as the primary backups.

Hendrickson is the big name here, and he has the big contract to prove it, after signing with the team for four years and $112 million in March, right after the team backed off an agreed-upon trade for Maxx Crosby that would’ve sent two first round picks to Las Vegas for the 28-year old pass rusher. Instead, the Ravens got a 31-year old Hendrickson without having to part with draft picks.

Robinson is a 2023 fourth-rounder who’s started 14 games over the last two seasons. He missed some time last year with a broken foot, but still managed a personal best 4.5 sacks that put him second on the team. Green -- a second-rounder in 2025 -- played in every single game as a rookie last year, starting two contests, and finished third on the team with 3.5 sacks. They’re both guaranteed a ton of opportunities to win a starting spot alongside Hendrickson.

Enter Young, an incoming second rounder with a long frame and decent strength to hold up against the run. Should Young find some sort of rhythm early on in the offseason, he could make it a three-way battle with Robinson and Green, although the expectation is he takes a backseat, for now.

As for Adisa, who would be relegated to third-teamer under this scenario, the biggest case against him is that Baltimore hasn’t seen enough from him through two seasons.He played only four games as a rookie, after beginning his career on the non-football injury list with a hamstring issue.

A dislocated elbow during last year’s preseason led to surgery and, eventually, a lost year for Isaac.

Baltimore wouldn’t really gain much financially from cutting Isaac, but the final 53-men roster spots are precious commodities. The Ravens’ could easily opt to terminate Isaac and attempt to bring him back to the practice squad once final cuts have to be made. Don't forget, he was considered one of the drafts top pass-rushers a very short time ago, and that potential should still be there.

Would This Mean Adisa Isaac’s Career in Baltimore Is Over?

No, not yet. Injuries are a part of the game, and just as the door seems to be shutting on Isaac now, those same injury issues could be what open the door wide for him in the near future, once training camp and preseason arrives.

Availability is, nonetheless, a requirement to hold a roster position in the NFL in the long run, and Isaac just hasn’t been able to contribute yet.

Isaac was expected to return by November of last season at one point, but he just couldn’t find a way back on the field. Now, he’ll need to make the most of his summer to ensure he won’t be among the final roster casualties before the regular season arrives.

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