Baltimore Ravens’ Biggest Offseason Needs for 2026

It’s only been a few weeks since Tyler Loop walked off the Acrisure Stadium turf with his head down, the sound of 65,000 Steelers fans roaring in his ears. The rookie kicker had just pushed a 44-yard field goal attempt wide right—a kick he’d made hundreds of times, a kick Next Gen Stats said he had a 79 percent chance of converting. Instead, the ball sailed into the Pittsburgh night, taking Baltimore’s playoff hopes with it.

Fourteen seconds earlier, Isaiah Likely had made a spectacular 26-yard catch that should’ve set up the game-winning kick and clinched the AFC North crown. Instead, the Ravens finished 8-9 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2021, scarcely believable for a team that online betting sites had made a +650 second-favorite to claim the Lombardi in preseason. Two days later, John Harbaugh was gone after 18 years, fired by a franchise expecting far more.

Of course, the show must go on, and the playoffs have continued without Baltimore. With Super Bowl LX drawing ever closer, the latest NFL futures at Bovada currently make the Seattle Seahawks the short-priced +150 favorites to win it all. Now, the show must go on at M&T Bank Stadium as well.

Ravens GM Eric DeCosta now sits in his office, staring at a depth chart with holes everywhere and a $74.5 million Lamar Jackson cap hit that handcuffs nearly every decision he wants to make. So, what offseason needs have to be addressed, and how will he do it? Let’s take a look.

Heartbreak for the Ravens, but Aaron Rodgers gets one more shot in the NFL playoffs

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— Bovada (@BovadaOfficial) January 5, 2026

Edge Rusher

This isn’t just Baltimore’s biggest need—it’s a position that already has alarm bells ringing. The Ravens traded Odafe Oweh to the Chargers mid-season in October after the former first-round pick had managed zero sacks through five games, swapping him and a 2027 seventh-rounder for safety Alohi Gilman and a fifth-round pick. Oweh had posted a career-high 10 sacks in 2024, but he vanished in 2025, and DeCosta cut bait.

Trey Hendrickson from Cincinnati is sitting there as the dream scenario if Baltimore can afford him. The 31-year-old defensive end missed 10 games in 2025 with a core injury that required surgery, but he’s been an absolute menace when healthy, maintaining a pressure rate of at least 17 percent over the past four seasons and consistently ranking in the top 10 among defensive linemen.

Hendrickson got a raise to $29 million for 2025 after a contentious standoff with the Bengals, and Cincinnati’s probably not bringing him back. Bleacher Report projects a three-year, $78 million deal for Hendrickson in free agency. Can the Ravens swing $26 million annually for a 31-year-old coming off an injury-plagued season? Maybe, if they restructure Jackson’s deal and cut some veterans. But it’s a gamble.

David Bailey from Texas Tech might be the best pure pass rusher in the 2026 draft, and he could well still be available when the Ravens are on the clock at number 14. Multiple mock drafts have Bailey going to Baltimore, and it makes perfect sense. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound edge rusher posted 81 pressures, 15 sacks, and a 21.6 percent pass rush win rate during Texas Tech’s playoff run.

Here’s the problem: Bailey’s an exceptional speed-to-power converter on passing downs, but scouts worry about his run defense. He plays with poor pad level and limited leg strength, making him vulnerable against the run. Is that a luxury Baltimore can afford when they need someone who can play all three downs?

Offensive Guard

Patrick Mekari walked out the door in March 2025, signing a three-year, $37.5 million deal with Jacksonville while Baltimore watched. He had played every game in 2024, logging 90 percent of the offensive snaps as a versatile Swiss Army knife who could slide anywhere along the line. Now he’s gone, and the Ravens re-signed Ben Cleveland on a minimal one-year deal as a Band-Aid. Cleveland isn’t the answer long-term. They need a Marshal Yanda type—someone who can anchor the interior for the next half-decade and open holes for Derrick Henry while keeping Lamar upright.

Trey Smith from Kansas City is the dream, but he was franchise-tagged in 2025, and Kansas City’s doing everything possible to keep him. Chris Lindstrom from Atlanta is the more realistic target—a mauler with excellent technique who can start Week 1 and play at a Pro Bowl level. Connor Williams is another veteran who’d stabilize the position if he hits free agency. Olaivavega Ioane from Penn State ranks 17th on Kiper’s board and projects as a physically imposing guard with immediate starter upside. If he’s sitting there at 14, it’s tempting, but reaching for a guard when David Bailey’s available feels like a gamble.

Center

This is where it gets dicey. Tyler Linderbaum, Baltimore’s three-time Pro Bowl center, hit free agency after the Ravens declined his $23.4 million fifth-year option last offseason. That decision made sense at the time—the fifth-year option treats all offensive linemen the same, which would’ve made Linderbaum the highest-paid center by $4 to $5 million annually. But now he’s about to test the market, and the Giants and Jets are circling like sharks.

Linderbaum has said he “absolutely” wants to stay in Baltimore. That’s nice. It doesn’t change the math. He has a market value of around $17.7 million per year on a four-year, $70.8 million deal, which would make him the second-highest-paid center behind Kansas City’s Creed Humphrey at $18 million annually. Adjust Humphrey’s 2024 contract to the current cap, and the number jumps to $20.8 million—that’s what Linderbaum’s agent is going to demand.

So DeCosta’s got two choices: pay Linderbaum what he’s worth, or watch him walk to the Big Apple and scramble for a replacement. Connor Colby from Iowa State or Jake Majors from Texas could be Day 2 picks who develop into starters within a year. Lloyd Cushenberry from Tennessee is a trade option who’d cost a third-rounder.

But here’s the reality: you don’t let three-time Pro Bowl centers in their prime walk out the door. The Ravens pride themselves on retaining core franchise players, especially former first-rounders who are among the league’s best at their positions. If Linderbaum leaves, it’s because DeCosta couldn’t figure out the cap gymnastics to keep him. And that’ll hurt for years.

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