While they might not be completely done signing available veteran players, the biggest wave of free agent acquisitions has passed for the Baltimore Ravens. Their primary tool to fill out the rest of the roster now is the upcoming draft, which is less than a month away.
This year’s free agency cycle for the Ravens has been a rollercoaster. The Maxx Crosby-Trey Hendrickson fiasco dominated headlines. While they added several other players in addition to Hendrickson, the Ravens also notably saw the number of their own free agents depart reach into the double digits. As a result, the team will be relying on a good amount of internal development from incumbent players this upcoming season.
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Who are a few returning Ravens on the roster that could have a breakout year in 2026? Let’s run through some candidates.
EDGE Mike Green
Expectations were high for the Ravens’ second-round draft pick last season. Green, who was a sack artist at the collegiate level, wound up playing a bigger-than-expected role for the team in his rookie year. Shuffling parts at the edge rusher spot forced him to play a heavy dose of snaps in the middle of the season. He showed some flashes as a pass rusher and had nice moments throughout the year. However, he probably would have been better suited to take on a pure rotational pass-rushing role at first and ease into more responsibilities later in the season. The 22-year-old still racked up 14 quarterback hits, 19 pressures, 3.5 sacks and recovered a fumble in 17 games of action. There is still good reason for optimism on Green moving forward, especially after the Ravens added Hendrickson in free agency.
Hendrickson’s presence should draw attention away from the opposite side of the defensive line and help open up pass-rushing opportunities for other edge rushers. Green could be the primary beneficiary from playing alongside — and learning from — one of the best pass rushers in the league, which Hendrickson has been over the past several years. The Ravens may still add another veteran or rookie to this position group, but Green will play a big role regardless. Factor in a new defensive scheme and elite player developer in Jesse Minter as his head coach, and the arrow is pointing up for the rising sophomore edge rusher.
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FS Malaki Starks
Like Green, a big jump in Year 2 will also be expected from last year’s No. 27 overall pick in the first round. Starks was a full-time starter from the get-go in his rookie season at free safety. He exceeded the 1,000-snap mark on the defensive side of the ball. Like most rookie defensive backs, Starks had his share of growing pains, at times being on the receiving end of lapses in the secondary and missed open-field tackles. However, the former Georgia product looked comfortable for much of the season as well. His well-renowned coverage ability as a deep centerfielder in the backend was evident.
Starks was only credited with 46 targets for the year, allowing 60.9% percent of passes thrown his way to be completed and giving up two touchdowns. He totaled 84 tackles, four pass breakups, and two interceptions that came in back-to-back weeks in the middle of the season. Starks has all the foundational traits to be a high-level safety. Under Minter’s tutelage — whose expertise is getting the best out of defensive backs — as well as new incoming secondary coach Mike Mickens, Starks is primed to become a more consistent and big-play impact player in 2026.
LB Trenton Simpson
Sticking with the defensive theme, a sleeper to take a step forward this coming season is Simpson as a potential delayed breakout performer. Simpson has not developed into the consistent starting-level linebacker the Ravens hoped he would be as a third-round pick three years ago. In his rookie and sophomore seasons, Simpson has been a mainstay on special teams but limited as a spot-starter and occasional rotational linebacker. He began last season as a starter but was quickly usurped by rookie Teddye Buchanan. When the latter suffered a torn ACL late in the season, Simpson returned to the starting lineup alongside Roquan Smith.
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Smith is a natural elite athlete at the position and still possesses the size and speed combination to be a good defender. His limited playing time has more so been to inconsistencies with processing and making plays in space. The hope for a delayed breakout season lies in his raw natural abilities and the potential he can thrive in the Ravens’ new defensive scheme. The new defensive coaching staff may be able to get the best out of Simpson and maximize his untapped potential. Furthermore, with Buchanan likely to miss time as he recovers from his ACL injury, a defensive role is there for Simpson to grasp and hold onto.
RT Roger Rosengarten
Another delayed breakout candidate is Rosengarten, who is coming off a solid albeit somewhat disappointing sophomore season. Rosengarten emerged as the team’s full-time starting right tackle during his rookie season and showed a lot of promise as his first year progressed. Expectations were high entering the 2025 year as a result. Rosengarten’s overall PFF grade of 74.1 ranked 26th among offensive tackles, which is plenty respectable, but he didn’t make the Pro Bowl type leap that many anticipated he might.
That potential still exists and could happen in 2026. The Ravens’ offensive line as a whole was shaky for most of last season, particularly in pass protection. Improved offensive line play is a major priority for the team this season. With question marks at two interior positions and Ronnie Stanley’s injury history always a concern, Rosengarten taking a big step forward would pay dividends for the Ravens. The presence of incoming new offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford, widely regarded as a top player developer among his peers, could help Rosengarten become an elite right tackle. Another positive factor is that he’ll likely be playing next to veteran John Simpson now, who should be an upgrade at right guard.
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