Regime changes bring fresh eyes and new perspectives, which will be significant for the 2025 Ravens rookie class as head coach Jesse Minter and a new staff take over in Owings Mills.
The early return for this group was a mixed bag of encouraging signs, growing pains, and injuries, which reflected the bigger story for a team that finished a disappointing 8-9 and ultimately fired longtime head coach John Harbaugh. Ultimately, five draft picks carved out substantial roles while a few others made contributions on special teams, which is a solid first-year return despite the disappointing overall results for the Ravens this past season.
Below is a look at each of Baltimore’s rookies at the conclusion of the 2025 campaign:
S Malaki Starks
Draft position: First round, 27th overall
Defensive snaps: 1,065 over 17 games
Synopsis: The former Georgia standout would be the first to tell you his rookie season didn’t go exactly as planned, but the spring injury to Ar’Darius Washington and in-season lineup shuffling in the secondary did few favors for his development. Still, Starks had his moments and led the Ravens in defensive snaps, which spoke to the organization’s belief in his potential and mental makeup. One of the top priorities for Minter and new secondary coach Mike Mickens will be getting more consistency and dynamic play out of Starks in his second season, but he’s a good bet to take a step forward. For what it’s worth, Pro Football Focus tabbed him with the second-best run defense grade on the team.
OLB Mike Green
Draft position: Second round, 59th overall
Defensive snaps: 712 over 17 games
Synopsis: Injuries and the October trade of Odafe Oweh led to Green averaging roughly 42 defensive snaps per game, which was more than anticipated for a pass rush that also lost two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike to a season-ending neck injury in Week 2. A much-hyped Marshall product, Green collected 3 1/2 sacks and finished second on the team with 14 quarterback hits, so there’s potential for new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver to cultivate. There’s reason to believe Green’s raw talents, motor, and valuable playing time as a rookie will lead to him becoming more of a pass-rushing factor under a new defensive coaching staff. The Ravens need that to happen.
OL Emery Jones
Draft position: Third round, 91st overall
Offensive snaps: 49 over five games
Synopsis: Offseason shoulder surgery cost the 6-foot-5, 320-pound Jones the entire spring and summer, which all but ruined any practical chance of him unseating starting guards Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele despite their obvious struggles. Given the many roster needs on each side of the ball, Jones developing into a viable starting option under new offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford could be one of the more underrated needs of the offseason for a team aiming to return to contention.
ILB Teddye Buchanan
Draft position: Fourth round, 129th overall
Defensive snaps: 651 over 14 games
Synopsis: Buchanan overtook third-year linebacker Trenton Simpson to start 13 games before tearing the ACL in his right knee covering a punt in mid-December. It was an unfortunate break for a promising rookie, but the Ravens expressed initial hope that Buchanan could return at some point during the coming preseason. As you’d expect with any young off-ball linebacker, Buchanan needs to improve in pass coverage, but the growth he showed over the course of his rookie year was encouraging.
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OT Carson Vinson
Draft position: Fifth round, 141st overall
Offensive snaps: 7 over seven games
Synopsis: Though the 6-foot-7, 320-pound Alabama A&M product never got a meaningful look in games, replacing veteran Joseph Noteboom on the depth chart for the game-day No. 3 tackle role was a good sign regarding his development on the practice field. With Ronnie Stanley turning 32 next month, it’ll be interesting to see whether Eric DeCosta takes a meaningful swing at an offensive tackle in this year’s draft or indirectly shows some confidence in Vinson’s long-term potential. Much like with Jones, it’ll be interesting to see what Ledford thinks about the second-year developmental tackle.
CB Bilhal Kone
Draft position: Sixth round, 178th overall
Defensive snaps: None (injured reserve)
Synopsis: A severe knee injury in the first quarter of the preseason opener ended Kone’s rookie season, but the Ravens liked his potential prior to the injury.
K Tyler Loop
Draft position: Sixth round, 186th overall
Special-teams snaps: 174 over 17 games
Synopsis: A successful rookie campaign previously devoid of high-leverage moments ended in Week 18 heartbreak when Loop missed the 44-yard field goal in Pittsburgh that would have won the AFC North. How he responds to that failure is critical, of course, but going 1-for-4 on field goals from 50 or more yards should make it evident that Loop needs to face some legitimate competition for the job this summer.
WR/RS LaJohntay Wester
Draft position: Sixth round, 203rd overall
Offensive snaps: 58 over 17 games
Synopsis: A return touchdown in the preseason won Wester the return specialist job and excited fans, but his rookie campaign was mostly inconsequential until he fumbled a punt in Cleveland in mid-November. He appeared hesitant in the return game after that, so it’ll be interesting to see whether he keeps the return job and carves out a more meaningful role on offense in his second season.
DT Aeneas Peebles
Draft position: Sixth round, 210th overall
Defensive snaps: 71 over six games
Synopsis: The 6-foot, 289-pound rookie out of Virginia Tech appeared in only one game after Week 5 as his undersized frame was considered a liability when trying to defend the run. Considering Weaver’s background coaching the defensive line, it’ll be interesting to see how he views Peebles and his ability to disrupt the pocket as an unconventional interior rusher.
CB Robert Longerbeam
Draft position: Sixth round, 212th overall
Defensive snaps: None (injured reserve)
Synopsis: Longerbeam suffered a season-ending knee injury early in training camp, so how he recovers from that will be pivotal in determining his 53-man roster chances this summer.
CB Keyon Martin
Draft position: Undrafted
Defensive snaps: 143 over 13 games
Synopsis: Though undersized at 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds, Martin won a 53-man roster spot and contributed regularly on special teams with occasional snaps in nickel and dime packages due to injuries. Given Kyle Hamilton’s optimal fit playing at the nickel position, however, Martin won’t have an easy path to earning more playing time, but he was still one of the better stories of 2025.
8ILB Jay Higgins
Draft position: Undrafted
Special-teams snaps: 184 over 11 games
Synopsis: Prior to a Week 10 knee injury that sidelined him until late December, Higgins was on his way to being one of Baltimore’s leaders in special-teams snaps. With Buchanan’s early status for 2026 in question and Simpson entering a contract year, it’ll be interesting to see if Higgins can make any kind of meaningful push for defensive playing time next to veteran Roquan Smith.
S Keondre Jackson
Draft position: Undrafted
Special-teams snaps: 227 over 12 games
Synopsis: While three other rookie free agents made the initial roster, Jackson eventually became the most prominent undrafted first-year player with his standout performance on special teams. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound defensive back also committed a few more penalties than you’d like to see, but his rapid ascent makes him someone who will be interesting to watch this spring and summer.
ILB Chandler Martin
Draft position: Undrafted
Special-teams snaps: 34 over three games
Synopsis: Elevated from the practice squad to fill in for Higgins on special teams in November, Martin suffered a torn ACL on Thanksgiving that now leaves his future in question since he wasn’t in the initial group of practice-squad players Baltimore signed to reserve-future contracts at the end of the season.
