The good news for the Ravens is that it’s hard to imagine how they could get it wrong.
I mean, I guess they could have John Cena break a historic record but because he’s a heel now no one really wants to celebrate it. If they did that, that would be awful. But no one would be dumb enough to do that, right?
Sorry, I blacked out for a second there.
The Ravens hold the 27th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft starting April 24. They have lots of needs but no real NEEDS, if that makes sense. Their roster, as constructed, is once again good enough to compete to win the Super Bowl … as long as their quarterback stays healthy.
To be fair, their roster has been good enough to win the Super Bowl the last couple of years. They can of course be good enough-ier.
Kicker is a glaring issue. We still have no idea if they have one, don’t have one until Week 9 or so or don’t have one at all. They might address that during the draft. If they don’t, they’ll almost certainly address it with a priority free agent after the draft. But since it’s been 25 years since the last time a kicker went in Round 1 (and while Sebastian Janikowski did go on to make all of those Pro Bowls), I’m going to choose to work under the assumption that they won’t be going in that direction Thursday night.
And other than kicker, there’s no glaring issue on this roster.
There are areas where the Ravens should focus on at some point during the draft. Andrew Vorhees is the default starter at left guard and they might be quite comfortable with that! Daniel Faalele proved suitable at right guard last year. But addressing the guard position early makes sense, perhaps even as early as Round 1 because the team could stand to improve at either spot. Even a tackle who could play guard and be a backup plan should Ronnie Stanley’s injury issues re-appear could be in play there.
If we debated “biggest need” from a macro vs. micro standpoint, I’d argue cornerback is the Ravens’ biggest micro need and edge rush is the biggest macro need. At corner, the combination of Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins appears solid, but Chide Awuzie is a question mark after last year’s injuries and there’s little experience beyond that. Brandon Stephens’ struggles last year were glaring and yet, I’m still not certain the Ravens have replaced him. It’s probably their most pressing need in the short term.
But from a more macro standpoint, this franchise still hasn’t had a player put together back-to-back double digit sack seasons since Terrell Suggs in 2013 and 2014. In fairness, that statement isn’t quite as dramatic as it seems. Kyle Van Noy is one extra 2023 sack away from having done that in the past two years. He or Odafe Oweh could change this in 2025. But given Van Noy’s age and Oweh’s pending free agency, edge rush must remain a major priority. They might have enough this year, but they still need more in the years to come.
So considering all of that, which of those do I think is definitively the Ravens’ single biggest need going into the draft?
Both. Either one. And not just because I don’t want to answer the question. It’s both because their single biggest need is to generate more turnovers defensively. There’s lots of different ways to do that.
The Ravens generated just 17 takeaways last year, only slightly more than half of the league leaders (the Vikings and Steelers both finished with 33). They had tied for the lead league with 31 just a year earlier. Getting back to that level would go a long way toward best positioning themselves to finally break through and win a Super Bowl. Improving back-end coverage can lead to more chances for disruptive plays in the backfield. Adding to the pass rush could lead to more strip sacks or forced throws.
I’ll admit that while the Ravens looked better defensively with Kyle Hamilton playing traditional free safety in the second half of 2024, I’d still be interested in considering drafting another safety to allow Hamilton the flexibility to move around again this year. And I can’t help but be intrigued by another former Notre Dame safety — Xavier Watts — who was responsible for 15 takeaways (13 interceptions, two forced fumbles) in his last two seasons with the Fighting Irish.
They need more takeaways. They need to create bigger defensive plays. That’s the need. That should be the priority this week.
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