The 2026 NFL draft is now in the books, so what should we expect from the 11 players the Ravens selected for the upcoming season and beyond?
General manager Eric DeCosta chose seven players on the offensive side of the ball, which included first-round guard Vega Ioane and two apiece at wide receiver and tight end to give two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson a new batch of pass-catching options. According to DeCosta, this draft class also included the first player ever selected by longtime owner and draft junkie Steve Bisciotti, who tabbed Clemson running back Adam Randall to be the last of three Baltimore picks made in the fifth round.
The Ravens drafted a whopping six players from the Big Ten as part of the third 11-man draft class over the last five years for DeCosta.
Below is an early look at how each draft pick fits immediately and in the long run:
G Vega Ioane
Drafted: First round (14th overall) out of Penn State
2026 projected role: Though head coach Jesse Minter was noncommittal about which side Ioane would play, the popular opinion is that the 6-foot-4, 326-pound lineman will start at right guard after the Ravens signed veteran left guard John Simpson to a three-year, $30 million deal in free agency.
Long-term outlook: Described as “straight from central casting of what you want your guards to look like” by DeCosta before the draft, Ioane became only the second guard to be selected in the first round by the Ravens, joining Ben Grubbs. Future Hall of Famer Marshal Yanda was selected in that same 2007 draft as Grubbs, and the organization has every hope for Ioane to anchor the interior offensive line much like Yanda did for many years to come.
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OLB Zion Young
Drafted: Second round (45th overall) out of Missouri
2026 projected role: Even with the arrival of four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Trey Hendrickson on a four-year, $112 million contract, the 6-foot-5, 267-pound Young should have every opportunity to carve out a role in a rotation that also includes Tavius Robinson and Mike Green, especially on early downs.
Long-term outlook: Though opinions vary on Young’s pass-rushing upside, the power and toughness he shows as a run defender is what really stands out with Minter describing the way he attacks blockers as resulting in “a train wreck.” The Ravens see Young having the potential to be able to move inside in certain pass-rush situations, which would make him another versatile chess piece similar to Robinson.
WR Ja’Kobi Lane
Drafted: Third round (80th overall) out of USC
2026 projected role: With the No. 3 wide receiver job behind Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman open, the 6-foot-4 wideout will compete for reps at the “X” receiver spot, especially when inside the red zone.
Long-term outlook: Skeptics will be reminded of disappointing 2019 third-round pick Miles Boykin, but DeCosta described Lane as “a ball of clay with a lot of upside” and has long coveted a big-bodied target on the outside for Jackson. Lane will need to develop as a route runner, but even if he remains limited in that regard, his catch radius is something you can’t teach when it comes to making contested catches.
WR Elijah Sarratt
Drafted: Fourth round (115th overall) out of Indiana
82026 projected role: Another bigger target listed at 6-foot-2 and 207 pounds, Sarratt will compete with Lane and second-year receiver Devontez Walker for complementary snaps in an evolving passing attack under new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle.
Long-term outlook: It was surprising to see Baltimore use back-to-back picks at wide receiver, but DeCosta expressed intrigue in Sarratt as a physical option to line up in the slot and some pundits view him as the better prospect than Lane. Considering their mostly unimpressive history scouting and developing mid-round wide receivers, the Ravens would be pleased to see one of these two develop into a legitimate starting-caliber option over the next couple years.
TE Matt Hibner
Drafted: Fourth round (133rd overall) out of Southern Methodist
2026 projected role: Given the free-agent departures of Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar, Hibner will compete for snaps when Baltimore deploys 12 personnel as he learns from veteran Mark Andrews.
Long-term outlook: Minter is familiar with Hibner from their days together at Michigan, but it was still surprising to see the Ravens trade up in the fourth round for someone projected by many to go in the final rounds. That said, Hibner tested well this spring and this organization has enjoyed plenty of success drafting tight ends over the years, so the bet is he’ll become a solid contributor sooner than later.
CB Chandler Rivers
Drafted: Fifth round (162nd overall) out of Duke
2026 projected role: The 5-foot-10, 185-pound slot corner will compete for snaps on special teams as he tries to develop into a depth piece in a Minter defense that often uses five or six defensive backs.
8Long-term outlook: DeCosta mentioned Rivers in the same breath as undersized success stories like Lardarius Webb and Tavon Young, and he was a favorite of the scouts after a rock-solid college career. Considering Marlon Humphrey and Chidobe Awuzie are not under contract beyond this season, Rivers is one of several young corners on the roster who can make an impression to earn a more meaningful role for 2027 and beyond.
TE Josh Cuevas
Drafted: Fifth round (173rd overall) out of Alabama
2026 projected role: In addition to contributing on special teams, Cuevas will spend a lot of time learning from veteran blocking tight end Durham Smythe and could get looks as a fullback or H-back.
Long-term outlook: As has often been the case in franchise history, the Ravens took two tight ends in the same draft, which makes sense given the offseason attrition at the position as well as the age of both Andrews and Smythe. Cuevas is versatile and has the potential to eventually fill parts of the voids left behind by Kolar and fullback Patrick Ricard.
RB Adam Randall
Drafted: Fifth round (174th overall) out of Clemson
2026 projected role: Randall’s best path to playing time as a rookie is on special teams as he’s still new to the running back position after beginning his college career as a wide receiver.
Long-term outlook: He obviously has a big fan in Bisciotti, so it’ll be interesting to see how the 6-foot-3, 231-pound Randall develops behind starter Derrick Henry and fellow backups Justice Hill and Rasheen Ali. Given his experience as a receiver, improving in pass protection would go a long way in making Randall an interesting third-down option over the next couple years.
8P Ryan Eckley
Drafted: Sixth round (211th overall) out of Michigan State
2026 projected role: Though the Ravens fellow punter Luke Elzinga earlier this month, you don’t use a sixth-round pick on a punter without having every intention of making him the replacement for 2025 All-Pro selection Jordan Stout.
Long-term outlook: Eckley became the fourth punter to be drafted by Baltimore over its 31-year history, and he joins Sam Koch as a sixth-round selection. If he can have a career half as good as Koch’s 16-year run, the Ravens would be very pleased after losing Stout to the New York Giants in free agency.
DT Rayshaun Benny
Drafted: Seventh round (250th overall) out of Michigan
2026 projected role: The 6-foot-3, 305-pound Benny has the size and arm length to earn snaps at the 5-technique with DeCosta labeling him “a plug-and-play guy” after the draft, which isn’t something you usually say about a seventh-round choice.
Long-term outlook: Minter and defensive line coach Lou Esposito clearly see upside from their days together in Ann Arbor, which makes this a great value pick if Benny develops into a dependable rotation player. The only surprise was Baltimore waiting this long to address the defensive line with Nnamdi Madubuike’s status unclear and Broderick Washington also missing most of last season with injuries.
G Evan Beerntsen
Drafted: Seventh round (253rd overall) out of Northwestern
2026 projected role: After spending parts of seven years in college football, Beerntsen will try to parlay a good final season at Northwestern into a real opportunity to earn a roster spot as part of an offensive line group short on experience.
Long-term outlook: Beerntsen will turn 26 in September, which helps explain why he fell to the final round and makes it difficult to expect much more than him sticking around as a backup. That said, multiple evaluators note how he plays with such toughness and a mean streak as a run blocker, so he could be a fun sleeper prospect to watch over the next couple years.
