Ravens 3 Biggest Needs 1 Month Before Trade Deadline

The Ravens already made their biggest swing at the trade deadline, giving quite a haul to the Eagles to find out if Cam Jurgens can still play center.

It was a massive pay in terms of draft-pick compensation including a future second-round pick, and it was a steep price in terms of taking on $15M fully guaranteed next year on top of a $16.5M salary this season for a player who may or may not have been getting benched in Philadelphia who carries extreme injury risk. So there’s that.

Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta has swung big heading into the deadline – which comes in early November, many years in his long reign and he’s only stuck impact once, landing Roquan Smith from Chicago to try to fix the defense in 2023; then he overpaid Smith with a hasty contract extension has felt the sting of that since. So thinking he will navigate this crucial time of the roster landscape expertly demand hopes and prayers, and with a team-record payroll and after the Jurgens trade I wouldn’t expect much.

That doesn’t mean more needs won’t develop between now and the deadline. And it certainly doesn’t mean they won’t do anything to address them. As it stands now, the Ravens are in expert health from a long-term standpoint and the roster is in good shape overall, especially if the 10 rookies on the roster can increase their timeshare as the season goes on.

These are the areas that still warrant the closest inspection:

Secondary Deep Threat

Aug 15, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane (6) reacts following his touchdown catch during the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It’s a “Zay And Pray” downfield passing game until proven otherwise, with Zay Flowers having a monster season but now one else providing much in terms of explosives or YAC, and certainly no one else when it comes to catching balls that travel 20 or yards downfield. Their alleged No. 1 move tight end, Mark Andrews, has been cooked since late in the 2024 season, though rookie Matthew Hibner should start cutting into his route volume ASAP.

Tall slot receiver Ja’Kobi Lane barely got a target on the NFL before he broke his wrist and that sapped the momentum he established in the summer. At 6-4 and slithery with a flair for acrobatic catches, he could provide a spark immediately in the slot and in the redzone. But, alas, Rashod Bateman is erratic and Devontez Walker might be a more of a tease than a real thing, and this skillset has been an obvious cause for concern for years now.

Cornerback

Marlon Humphrey is not a $19M corner and it ain’t even close. Would he be best inside playing the slot? Probably but they don’t have much they like on the boundary and there is an abundance of options and body types in the slot including hybrid defensive back Kyle Hamilton and rookie Chandler Rivers and youngster Keyon Martin. So um, this is it.

Top wideouts are tearing this defense up pretty good and a better pass rush with the return of Trey Hendrickson from injury could help that cause. But this staff seems very reticent to lean into veteran Chidobe Awuzie nearly as much as last year’s staff and something is giving them trepidation.

Humphrey on No. 1 receivers won’t work and Nate Wiggins had issues Sunday with Drake London and larger targets will do that to him. Baltimore is playing more dime than anyone in the NFL and ranks 20th in opposing passer rating with six DBs on the field, allowing 66% completions. Oh and their corners do not have an INT all season. Here’s what No. 1 receivers have done since Week 2 (and the real challenges from better QBs are still to come).

The corners are allowing a combined passer rating of 101 and 11 yards per completion and they aren't impacting the football (four total pass breakups to go with the zero interceptions. They are the biggest underperformers on this football team and it isn't close.

Drake London (ATL): 7/11, 118 yards, 7 1st D

Carnell Tate (TEN): 9/12, 145 yds, 6 1st D

CeeDee Lamb (DAL): 7/8, 112 yds 5 1st D

George Pickens (DAL): 7/11, 82 yds, 4 1st D

Chris Olave (NO): 8/10, 86 yds, TD, 6 1st D

With the Bengals looming and the Jaguars and the Bills, and even the new-look Panthers, we'll know plenty about if this group is good enough to go deep in the playoffs by their early December bye.

Fullback/Blocking Tight End

Sep 13, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts cornerback Charvarius Ward (7) tackles Baltimore Ravens tight end Durham Smythe (80) at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

I thought Lucas Scott did enough in the preseason to merit a practice squad spot as a young fullback; with Durham Smythe able to fill a “Joker” role, turns out they didn’t need him, but with Smythe out for the year he’s back. Not sure Nick Vannett is athletic enough to do what Smythe did and the need for a traditional fullback could emerge and it could be Scott isn’t there in his development yet.

Smythe was adding serious impact to the run game and the pass game and Hibner and fellow rookie tight end Josh Cuevas weren’t expected to have to contribute heavily in that regard at the line of scrimmage. Overall, tight end has always looked like a problem area and a body short of where you would like with a QB in Lamar Jackson, still dealing with an ankle injury, getting more deadly the more TEs are on the field.

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