Who Are the Ravens' Winners and Losers Coming Out of the Draft?
With the dust settled on the draft, The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec and Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer looked at the winners and losers on the Ravens coming out of the three-day event.
Here are some excerpts:
Winners
Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr
"The Ravens' X account released a video of Orr reacting to the Malaki Starks pick with his defensive coaches. Orr looked like he was celebrating a game-winning interception. The excitable Orr watched his defense get restocked throughout the draft. The Ravens added a starting safety, a potentially high-impact edge rusher, a starting inside linebacker candidate, two cornerbacks and a defensive lineman. … Orr's group looks formidable on paper, and he'll have plenty of options in matching up against quality offenses." – Zrebiec
Safety Kyle Hamilton
"One way to restore the All-Pro safety to his 2023 glory? Draft another safety who's almost as versatile. First-round pick Malaki Starks can line up as a single-high safety, a split-field safety and in the slot, where he has experience in man-to-man coverage. That versatility should supercharge Hamilton, who saw fewer snaps near the line of scrimmage over the second half of last season after the Ravens benched Marcus Williams." – Shaffer
Tight end Mark Andrews
"The tight end has been the subject of trade speculation since February, when General Manager Eric DeCosta left open the possibility that Andrews could be dealt. Then the start of free agency came and went without a deal. Then the draft came and went without a deal. On Friday, DeCosta said he 'would expect' Andrews to be on the 2025 team. – Shaffer
Guard Andrew Vorhees
"He was Baltimore's Week 1 starting left guard last year, but he lost the job after an early-season ankle injury. He has a clear path to getting it back. The Ravens, who lost starting guard Patrick Mekari in free agency, drafted three offensive linemen, but none are obvious day one Mekari replacements. Ravens coach John Harbaugh said third-round pick Emery Jones Jr. of LSU will focus initially on the swing tackle role." – Zrebiec
Losers
Young edge rushers Malik Hamm, Adisa Isaac, and David Ojabo
"The outside linebacker room is suddenly pretty crowded after the Ravens added Mike Green in the second round. Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh, who both had double-digit sacks last year, are established as the starters. Third-year pro Tavius Robinson, who started seven games last year and had 3 1/2 sacks, has carved out a nice role for himself as a rotational guy. Green's upside is extremely high, and he figures to have a role. That doesn't leave too many snaps for Ojabo, a 2022 second-round pick; Isaac, a 2024 third-round pick; and Hamm, a former undrafted free agent who has stuck around for two years. There won't be a 53-man roster spot for one or two of those guys." – Zrebiec
Run defense
"The Ravens had one of the NFL's best run defenses last season, finishing first in yards allowed per game (80.1) and yards allowed per carry (3.6). But they were bullied in their playoff loss to Buffalo, then lost nose tackle Michael Pierce to retirement this offseason. The Ravens looked for interior help in the draft, DeCosta said Saturday, but their only pick was lineman Aeneas Peebles, who's expected to contribute more as a pass rusher than as a run stuffer. Analysts dinged inside linebacker Teddye Buchanan for his run defense, too. Linemen Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones and Broderick Washington and inside linebacker Roquan Smith could have to carry a heavy load up front in 2025." – Shaffer
Ravens Rise No. 2 in Power Rankings
The Ravens were among the elite teams in the league heading into the draft, and the consensus is that they're even better coming out of it.
Baltimore moved up one spot to No. 2 in NFL.com’s power rankings, swapping places with the Kansas City Chiefs and trailing only the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
"Baltimore ended up making 11 picks, and it was a pretty eventful draft," Eric Edholm wrote. "Malaki Starks might be a rookie starter at safety. Edge rusher Mike Green could be an incredible second-round value, if his past concerns are behind him. The Ravens added more depth along the offensive line and in the secondary, and they might even have a new kicker, with Justin Tucker's situation hanging in the balance for now. Everywhere you could have found a possible need, Baltimore used resources to try and address it. Like the Eagles, the Ravens understand the draft process and execute it well."
On a related note, Fox Sports’ Eric Williams analyzed each team's draft haul and ranked the 10 squads that improved the most. The Ravens came in at No. 4.
"Value and need once again lined up for the Ravens, as they grabbed a playmaking safety at the end of the first round in Starks," Williams wrote. "The Ravens also got a first-round talent who fell to the second round due to off-the-field issues in Green, who led the nation with 17 sacks in 2024. … The Ravens improved their overall depth and talent with this year's class as they prepare for another Super Bowl run with Lamar Jackson."
Starks Named One of Pundit's Three Favorite First-Round Picks
The Ravens' selection of Starks with the 27th-overall pick continues to get rave reviews.
NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter named Starks as one his three favorite picks in the first round.
"Starks is a great fit for the Ravens, who needed some help in the secondary following the release of Marcus Williams," Reuter wrote. "Starks was an outstanding playmaker in college who had a less-than-ideal workout at the NFL Scouting Combine, similar to new teammate and star DB Kyle Hamilton back in 2022. And like Hamilton, Starks can play multiple positions, lining up deep, in the box or in the slot. It's a marriage made in defensive coordinator heaven."
