Should Calais Campbell Reunion Prevent Ravens From Stealing A DL Target From John Harbaugh? Nope

The Ravens have lost a slew of players to John Harbaugh already.

It’s been one of the national storylines to this NFL offseason, frankly, and not just a local one. When you see players just entering their prime like tight end Isaiah Likely now in New York, playing for the Ravens former head coach, as well as chiseled All Pro veterans at the end of their careers like fullback Pat Ricard and a Pro Bowl punter (Jordan Stout) and some depth pieces who people were ready to see gone in Baltimore (Daniel Faalele), it’s hard not to take notice.

So, could the Ravens turn the tables on Harbs? Should they flip the script on their longtime former head coach?

Okay, so signing veteran defensive lineman DJ Reader wouldn’t exactly be the same thing as what’s occurred throughout this offseason. But the Giants were heavily linked to Reader for weeks – HYPER – and the Ravens clearly had at least some interest, too. And the Giants opted to sign Shelby Hill and Leki Fotu instead – which makes sense given what they have to offer – and some reports indicate that Harbaugh still has at least one eye on Reader, too, after trading stud DT Dexter Lawrence for the tenth-overall pick.

And the Ravens – perhaps listening the drumbeat we have been pounding since the draft ended – pounced on ex-Raven Calais Campbell, 39, on Thursday. But I don’t see Campbell and Reader as mutually exclusive, either. It’s hard to project the kind of pass rush from Reader that you can from Campbell, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t fit, either.

Reader, 32, has been an elite run-stuffing DE throughout his career. And with Broderick Washington not nearly as effective the past few years, having Reader in the mix would certainly help. He’s 330 pounds and understands how the game is played at the line of scrimmage and he’s a body type they covet. Reader’s PFF run grade was still top 35 at his position a year ago.

Reader has been a 4-3 DE for the Lions, and he would be doing more inside in the Ravens/Giants scheme (Ravens, Chargers, Seahawks and Giants now are all running derivations of the same principles at this point and thus will continue to be interested in similar players). But new DE Trey Hendrickson is not stout against the run and the more he is kept on a pass-rush pitch count at age 31 and with a deep injury history, the better, and Zion Young (45th overall) is a raw rookie, as powerful as he may be. And second-year guy Mike Green should a designated pass rusher.

As the great Brian Baldinger pointed out on “The Daily Flock” this week () he’s used to seeing four massive men who can clog the run interior and on the edge, and this current Ravens depth chart may still be a little think there.

So, um …

Why Not Sign Another DL?

Let’s think about Reader as someone who could phase out Washington and further mitigate his role, and he’s a solid 50 pounds heavier than Young.

And then let’s look at Campbell or Jones as potential insurance if Nnamdi Madubuike’s neck surgery cuts into his playing time this season. Which seems reasonable under the circumstances.

Here’s how Reader and Campbell compare in some pass rush metrics (per TruMedia) in 2025, with Campbell’s numbers from the DT position (Reader doesn’t have a pass rush rep from DT since 2020 when he was a Bengal)

Reader 295 Pass Rush Snaps 6.8% Pressure Rate 2.8 sec to pressure

Campbell 296 PR Snaps 10.8% Pressure Rate 2.5 sec to pressure

It’s not quite apples to apples here, but, especially if you are thinking less Washington the better,. With players of this age, the more nuanced their role the better. And even as high as we are on seventh-round pick Rayshaun Benny you could easily make the case for two proven defensive linemen if you are really chasing a Lombardi Trophy.

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