6 Baltimore Ravens with bright futures heading into the 2026 season
Updated Jan. 24, 2026, 4:14 p.m. ET
- The Baltimore Ravens are entering an off-season of change with a new head coach, Jesse Minter.
- General Manager Eric DeCosta faces decisions on 22 unrestricted free agents and will prioritize signing Lamar Jackson to a new contract.
- Several young players, including Malaki Starks and Roger Rosengarten, showed significant promise during the 2025 season.
- The team will look to add youth and playmakers while upgrading the offensive line.
The Ravens‘ off-season of change is now underway. It includes a new head coach, Jesse Minter, who’ll now hire an offensive coordinator and a defensive coordinator, while working to keep key personnel from departing. While the franchise won’t undergo a complete rebuild, Eric DeCosta will need to inject youth and dynamic playmakers on both sides of the football. Over the next month, ahead of the March 9 start of the new league year, the Ravens will take steps to sign Lamar Jackson to a new contract. After a season in which he dealt with countless injuries, Baltimore’s priority should be to upgrade the offensive guard positions.
Baltimore has 22 unrestricted free agents, according to Over The Cap, with big names like Tyler Linderbaum, Isaiah Likely, Kyle Van Noy, Dre’Mont Jones, Alohi Gilman, Chidobe Awuzie, and Ar’Darius Washington among those Eric DeCosta will evaluate.
Now that the 2025 season is over, we’re looking at six Ravens who have a bright future heading into the 2026 season.
OLB Mike Green
Green got off to a slow start, but eventually found his footing down the stretch. Overall, Green played 713 snaps, finishing with a 46.3 grade from PFF, 3.5 sacks, 19 pressures, and 14 quarterback hits. With Minter entering the process, Green’s production should jump tremendously.
DB Keondre Jackson
Jackson, an undrafted standout out of Illinois State, carved out a meaningful role in Baltimore on special teams this season. Jackson saw one snap on defense, but logged 226 special teams snaps, logging a 90.8 grade from PFF, and 13 special teams tackles.
OL Emery Jones Jr.
After missing the bulk of the season with a shoulder injury, Jones Jr. played 48 snaps as a rookie.
DB Malaki Starks
Starks, a 2025 first-round pick from Georgia, started 15 of the 17 games he appeared in this season, logging 1,060 defensive snaps (11th), 84 total tackles (49 solo) and four passes defensed, including two interceptions. Starks finished his rookie season with the third-most interceptions and the fourth-most total tackles on the Ravens’ defense.
Starks may not be Kyle Hamilton, but he was solid, and an improvement in pass coverage (64.9 PFF grade) could take him to a Pro Bowl level.
OL Roger Rosengarten
Last season, Rosengarten earned a spot on the Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie team, alongside No. 5-overall pick Joe Alt of the Los Angeles Chargers. After some early career struggles, Rosengarten took over as the Ravens’ starting right tackle in Week 4 and finished ranked No. 39 at his position by Pro Football Focus (PFF). He had four sacks allowed in 488 pass blocking snaps. This season, Rosengarten’s 76.4 grade was 26th in the NFL, as he logged 1,014 snaps with three sacks allowed.
WR Devontez Walker
A highlight reel when he’s in the lineup, Walker had six catches for 136 yards and three touchdowns on eight targets in 12 regular-season games for the Ravens in 2025. All he does is catch touchdowns, which should be the phrase used to describe Walker’s abilities. Walker has seven catches on 11 career targets, for 157 yards and three touchdowns. Five of his seven catches have gone for over 20 yards. Dating back to his rookie season, Walker’s first three catches all went for touchdowns. Walker may never be the second or third option, but the next offensive coordinator has to figure out more snaps in key situations for the pass catcher.
LB Jay Higgins
Higgins went down with the injury against the Vikings in Week 10 and was placed on injured reserve, but his 2025 season was memorable as he was one of three undrafted rookies to make the Ravens’ initial 53-man roster. Higgins has six tackles and one forced fumble on special teams this season in 11 games.
LB Teddye Buchanan
Teddye Buchanan’s rookie season ended after the talented linebacker was carted off early in the Ravens’ Week 15 matchup against the Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Buchanan was forced to exit, and the Ravens brass initially feared he suffered a season-ending torn ACL. A rookie fourth-round pick, Buchanan injured his right knee on punt coverage in the first quarter and was carted off to the locker room. He left the stadium using a cane. A rookie starter, Buchanan finished with 91 tackles in the regular season with one forced fumble and one pass defended.
He was named AFC Defensive Rookie of the Month for October.”
