The Ravens won’t kick off the 2026 season for nearly six months.
The reversal of the Maxx Crosby trade won’t go down as one of the organization’s finest moment, but the pivot to signing four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Trey Hendrickson — and recovering two first-round picks — should still go a long way in improving the defense for new head coach Jesse Minter.
With salary cap dollars left to spend and 11 scheduled picks in next month’s draft, general manager Eric DeCosta has plenty of opportunities to continue to shape the roster between now and September. But it’s worth taking inventory of each position group with the early waves of free agency now in the books. Of course, there are plenty of spots to fill on the 90-man offseason roster in the coming weeks.
As we move deeper into the spring and summer, I’ll offer updates complete with projections and thoughts on which players are safely on the team, on the bubble, and among the long shots to crack the 53-man roster by summer’s end. We’ll continue with roster projections throughout the preseason.
Below is a look at where the roster stands as of March 17 with the number in parentheses indicating how many players are in that position group:
QUARTERBACKS (2) — Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley
Skinny: With Cooper Rush being released, Baltimore figures to add a developmental No. 3 quarterback at some point, but the only other question pertaining to this group is whether DeCosta can sign Jackson to an extension in the coming weeks after only putting a band-aid on the current deal with a restructure to create 2026 cap space.
RUNNING BACKS (3) — Derrick Henry, Justice Hill, Rasheen Ali
Skinny: The decision not to tender Keaton Mitchell as a restricted free agent came as a surprise, but his limitations in pass protection and as a special-teams contributor apparently made him expendable. With Henry entering his age-32 season and Hill in the final year of his contract, however, the Ravens should probably be looking to add another running back at some point in April’s draft.
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TIGHT ENDS & FULLBACKS (3) — Mark Andrews, Durham Smythe, Lucas Scott
Skinny: This group looks much different after the free-agent departures of Isaiah Likely, Charlie Kolar, and Patrick Ricard, but Smythe will help fill the blocking void left behind by Kolar and Ricard. With Andrews turning 31 in September and coming off a down season statistically, Baltimore definitely needs to add a legitimate pass-catching threat to the tight end equation.
WIDE RECEIVERS (6) — Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Devontez Walker, LaJohntay Wester, Dayton Wade, Cornelius Johnson
Skinny: You’d like to believe new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle can get more productivity out of Bateman and Walker, but adding another viable option to this group feels like a must. Considering Flowers’ price tag will spike significantly in 2027, DeCosta taking an early-round swing at wide receiver in this draft wouldn’t be remotely surprising.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (11) — Ronnie Stanley, John Simpson, Danny Pinter, Emery Jones Jr., Roger Rosengarten, Carson Vinson, Andrew Vorhees, Corey Bullock, Jovaughn Gwyn, Jared Penning, Gerad Lichtenhan
Skinny: Needless to say, this unit still needs plenty of work in the wake of a disappointing 2025 and three-time Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum signing a record deal with Las Vegas. The Ravens brought back Simpson to be an upgrade from Vorhees at left guard, but finding a starting center — Pinter and Bullock are more realistic as backup options — and serious competition at right guard is a must. Then, it’ll be up to new offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford to get the most out of a revamped group.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (7) — Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones, John Jenkins, Broderick Washington, C.J. Okoye, Aeneas Peebles, David Olajiga
Skinny: Without knowing the status of Madubuike moving forward, it’s difficult to say whether the defensive line needs an impact starter or merely another depth piece. It also remains unclear whether the Ravens will keep Washington, who is coming off Achilles tendon surgery and widely viewed as a cut candidate to clear some cap space.
INSIDE LINEBACKERS (5) — Roquan Smith, Trenton Simpson, Teddye Buchanan, Jay Higgins, Carl Jones
Skinny: With Smith carrying cap numbers north of $32 million this year and next, Simpson entering the final year of his rookie contract, and Buchanan recovering from a torn ACL sustained in December, drafting an off-ball linebacker with an eye toward 2027 is probably an underrated need on DeCosta’s list of roster objectives.
OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS (5) — Trey Hendrickson, Mike Green, Tavius Robinson, Adisa Isaac, Kaimon Rucker
Skinny: A healthy Hendrickson should give the Ravens the kind of high-impact edge rusher they haven’t had in a long time, but adding another legitimate contributor to the rotation is a must with the unproven Isaac, a 2024 third-round pick, having appeared in just four games over two seasons. Green’s development going into his second season will be pivotal in determining just how good this group can be in 2026.
CORNERBACKS (9) — Marlon Humphrey, Nate Wiggins, Chidobe Awuzie, T.J. Tampa, Keyon Martin, Bilhal Kone, Robert Longerbeam, Marquise Robinson, Amani Oruwariye
Skinny: With Humphrey staying put for the final year of his contract and Awuzie re-signing on a one-year deal, this group is probably acceptable for the short term. But given the importance of the position and the fact that both Kone and Longerbeam missed their entire rookie season with knee injuries, DeCosta taking a cornerback or two at any point in next month’s draft wouldn’t be remotely surprising.
SAFETIES (4) — Kyle Hamilton, Malaki Starks, Jaylinn Hawkins, Keondre Jackson
Skinny: With Hawkins arriving as arguably an upgrade from both Alohi Gilman and the oft-injured Ar’Darius Washington as the No. 3 safety, this group may possess the best combination of star power, depth, and untapped potential of any position on the roster. But given the heavy use of three-safety packages in Minter’s defense, adding another depth option seems like a pretty good bet.
SPECIALISTS (2) — Tyler Loop, Nick Moore
Skinny: In addition to replacing 2025 All-Pro punter Jordan Stout, the Ravens would be smart to bring in legitimate competition for Loop, who remains unproven from beyond 50 yards and has had to ponder his heartbreaking miss in Pittsburgh all offseason. With seven scheduled picks over the final three rounds of the draft, the Ravens have more than enough ammunition to add both a punter and a kicker.
