OTL: 4 Potential Breakout Candidates for the 2026 Ravens

After an offseason of change in Baltimore, the Ravens are poised to have some standout names on both sides of the ball as they head into the 2026 season.

As the offseason program begins, the arrival of head coach Jesse Minter offers a golden opportunity for Baltimore’s young talent to prove itself to a revamped coaching staff.

The franchise is no stranger to breakouts from its young talent.

A season ago, Ravens defensive tackle Travis Jones notched career highs in sacks, pressures, hurries and tackles, all while being ranked the sixth-best defensive tackle in football by Pro Football Focus.

In 2024, wide receiver Zay Flowers took that next step as he eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career.

Baltimore also developed a rookie breakout that season in cornerback Nate Wiggins, who allowed the fifth-lowest passer rating among cornerbacks with at least 400 defensive snaps.

Every year, the team sees a key young contributor take the leap.

So, who could join Jones, Flowers, and Wiggins as the next breakout star of the Baltimore Ravens in 2026?

Devontez Walker, WR

It’s Week 2 of the 2025 season and the Ravens are hosting the Cleveland Browns.

Early in the fourth quarter, Lamar Jackson finds a streaking Devontez Walker for a 24-yard touchdown, giving Baltimore a 27-10 lead.

For Walker, it marked his third career catch—and also his third career touchdown.

A fourth-round selection out of North Carolina in the 2024 NFL Draft, Walker has been buried on the depth chart to start his career, beneath the likes of Flowers, Rashod Bateman, DeAndre Hopkins, and Nelson Agholor.

Now, with Hopkins not expected to return to the team in 2026 and Bateman coming off a career-worst campaign, the 24-year-old speedster seemingly has a clear path to Baltimore’s WR3 role.

And, he has shown the flashes to do so.

Walker didn’t produce much in his rookie season. He was featured in just 20 offensive snaps and collected just one catch, a 21-yard touchdown against the New York Giants.

And although the former Tar Heel was not granted a major boost in playing time as a sophomore, he made the absolute most of his limited opportunities.

Walker tallied 136 receiving yards and three touchdowns on just six receptions throughout the 2025 season. Among wide receivers to be targeted at least five times in the season, his 22.7 yards per reception ranks fifth.

He led all wide receivers with at least five targets in passer rating when targeted (156.3).

A small sample size, yes, but, before 2025, the Ravens had just one receiver average 22 or more yards per reception (min. five targets) since 2010–Sammy Watkins in 2022.

Walker’s blazing speed and efficiency with the little targets he has received thus far, make him a compelling over-the-top option for Jackson and Baltimore’s offense.

Roger Rosengarten, OT

The Ravens’ offensive line hurt more than it helped last season.

But, a lot of that cannot be attributed to former second-round pick Roger Rosengarten.

Grading out as PFF’s 49th-ranked run blocking tackle in his rookie season, Baltimore’s starting right tackle in each of the last two years grappled to start his young career.

The 23-year-old made strides in 2025, however.

Rosengarten boosted his run blocking grade by just under 14 points, moving from 49th to 22nd among qualified offensive tackles. He also allowed one fewer sack than he did in 2024.

They may be baby steps, but moving forward, the Ravens’ right tackle has the chance to get even better.

Rosengarten was one of eight offensive tackles last season to play over 1,000 snaps and allow three or fewer sacks. He was also one of seven tackles to exceed 1,000 snaps and allow under 30 pressures.

The potential is there.

Baltimore’s revamped offensive line could also boost his progress.

The team signed veteran guard John Simpson to a three-year contract and reports suggest they will prioritize the offensive line in the upcoming draft.

So, as the unit improves and Rosengarten continues his track record of making improvement, the former Washington Husky could have a robust 2026 campaign in store.

Mike Green, EDGE

A number of outlets have mentioned 22-year-old edge rusher Mike Green as a prime breakout candidate for the Ravens.

This one is no different.

Green, a second-round pick out of Marshall last year, struggled to apply consistent pressure in his rookie season, as did most of his teammates on Baltimore’s defensive line.

The Virginia native was graded as the worst edge rusher in football by PFF (min. 500 defensive snaps).

Don’t let that fool you, though. Green brings heaps of potential to the table.

His 17 sacks as a junior college set the single-season sack record at Marshall. He also posted a Sun Belt-leading 56 pressures, helping his squad achieve a conference championship and earning the 2024 Sun Belt Player of the Year award.

Green’s most captivating trait is his explosiveness, which will be a lot more noticeable with the arrival of his edge rushing counterpart, Trey Hendrickson.

Hendrickson, a four-time Pro-Bowler with the rival Cincinnati Bengals, has accrued the third-most sacks over the last three seasons (39.0).

In each of his first three seasons with Cincinnati, the starting edge rusher on the opposite side has posted more than 40 pressures. That would be a step up from the 34 that Green produced as a rookie.

For that same reason, it is worth mentioning that Tavius Robinson, a fourth-round pick out of Ole Miss in 2023, could also experience a similar-level breakout in the upcoming season.

Robinson, 27, has shown flashes in his first three years as a Raven, but has yet to put the puzzle pieces together.

Hendrickson could be the key t everyone’s ascension in Baltimore’s young pass rush tandem.

The rare burst and bend that Green possesses, however, is something that the defensive-minded Minter could take advantage of in 2026. And it could lead to a serious boost on the stat sheet for the 22-year-old pass rusher.

Malaki Starks, S

The safest bet for a Ravens breakout candidate in 2026 is last year’s first-round draft pick, safety Malaki Starks.

Hailing from a Georgia Bulldogs defense that won a championship in his freshman season, Starks is poised to be a chess piece in Minter’s new defensive system.

The 22-year-old safety was a terrific run defender in college, and it has translated into the big leagues.

Starks earned a 79.9 run defense grade by PFF—14th among qualified safeties—and collected 84 combined tackles in his rookie season.

The youngster’s coverage ability is what raised questions among fans and analysts.

Starks allowed 381 receiving yards on 27 receptions as a rookie, his 14.1 yards per catch allowed tied for 15th-worst among qualified safeties. Additionally, his three touchdowns allowed were tied for the most on the team, though he had two interceptions to minimize the damage.

The former first-rounder was a member of a Ravens secondary that took blow after blow in 2025.

The team allowed 247.9 passing yards per game last season, tied with the Indianapolis Colts for the second-most in the league.

Lucky for Starks, however, Minter is in town.

Baltimore’s new head coach has a track record of maximizing the output of his defensive backs. Plus, he has a secondary background, which includes being the Ravens defensive backs coach in 2020 during his first stint with the team.

With the Los Angeles Chargers a season ago, Minter helped generate career seasons for safeties Derwin James and Tony Jefferson.

James tied a career high for single-season interceptions, allowed his best passer rating since 2022 and allowed just one touchdown in a season for the third time in his seven-year NFL career.

Jefferson, a 34-year-old veteran who was out of football two years ago, recorded a career-high four interceptions and 34.5 passer rating allowed in 2025.

Good things happen when you’re a safety in Minter’s system, and the same will likely apply for Baltimore’s promising first-round safety.

The post OTL: 4 Potential Breakout Candidates for the 2026 Ravens appeared first on Russell Street Report.

Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2026/04/13/out-to-lunch/breakout-candidates-26/