OTL: A Burning Question for Each Defensive Position Group

A year ago, the Baltimore Ravens suffered through a second consecutive season of poor defense.

The team ranked 24th in defensive yards allowed per game (354.5), a season after placing 10th in the category.

From the days of Ray Lewis and Ed Reed to the current tandem of Roquan Smith, Marlon Humphrey and others, Baltimore’s franchise identity has long been centered around a dominant defense. That was not even close to the case under defensive coordinator Zach Orr in 2025.

Amid missing the playoffs for the first time in four years, the Ravens allowed 23.4 points per game a season ago, which ranked 18th in the NFL.

But, hope is alive.

The hiring of head coach Jesse Minter, who brought in former Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver for the same role in Charm City, highlights a new defensive landscape.

The Los Angeles Chargers placed top 10 in both total defensive yards allowed per game (285.2) and points allowed per game (20.0). It’s safe to say that if anyone can turn around Baltimore’s lackluster defense, it’s Minter and company.

With that in mind, here are some burning questions for each defensive position group as we inch closer to the Ravens’ 2026 training camp.

OTL: A Burning Question for Each Offensive Position Group

Interior DL

How much can the defensive line rely on Madubuike’s return?

Ravens Flock was blessed this offseason by the news of a Nnamdi Madubuike return after the former Pro-Bowler suffered what appeared to be a career-ending neck injury.

The 28-year-old recorded 2.0 sacks and seven tackles in less than two full games for the Ravens last year before being sidelined.

The team will have veterans Travis Jones and John Jenkins returning, but they won’t be the only familiar faces.

Baltimore signed six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Calais Campbell, who spent 2020 through 2022 with the team. Campbell, 39, is entering his 19th season aiming to be a veteran leader on a defensive line that struggled without Madubuike.

Is that enough to boost the interior d-line?

Jones will need to take the next step as Madubuike eases into his role as the centerpiece of Baltimore’s defensive line.

Edge

Who emerges as Baltimore’s No. 2 edge rusher opposite Trey Hendrickson?

After the Maxx Crosby debacle early in the offseason, general manager Eric DeCosta and the front office honed in on Cincinnati Bengals free agent edge rusher Trey Hendrickson. Entering his 10th NFL season, the four-time Pro-Bowler is aiming to be Baltimore’s first pass rusher with double-digit sacks since 2024.

With much of the attention of opposing offensive lines directed toward Hendrickson, the edge rusher spot opposite of the 31-year-old holds a great deal of importance.

The Ravens boast a trio of young and fiery options to fill the role: Mike Green, Tavius Robinson and Zion Young.

Because of his draft position and abilities as a prospect, Green likely holds the inside track to receiving the most snaps among the three candidates. The 22-year-old led the squad in pressures (34) after being selected in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of Marshall.

That, however, does not necessarily subtract from the potential of Robinson or Young.

Robinson has the most experience among the three, with 44 pressures across three seasons with the Ravens. Baltimore selected Young with the 45th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft after his monster 53-pressure season with the Missouri Tigers.

Minter has a history of squeezing greatness out of young and developmental edge rushers. So, no matter the player rushing alongside Hendrickson, good things should be in store under the revamped defensive system.

Linebacker

Can the team find stability at linebacker alongside Roquan Smith?

Baltimore does not yet know who will start alongside former All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith.

The frontrunner appears to be Teddye Buchanan, who is entering his second year after tearing his ACL late in the 2025 season. But, former third-round selection Trenton Simpson also showed flashes of promise throughout the team’s previous campaign.

Smith is coming off one of his weaker seasons, allowing the highest single-season passer rating of his eight-year career (102.3). The 29-year-old, however, has still shown an ability to play at an elite level.

The question becomes, “Can the rest of the room stabilize around him?”

Though his coverage could use polishing, Buchanan displayed a strong presence against the run. The 2025 fourth-round pick, who was named to PFWA’s All-Rookie Team last season, also proved to be a very efficient tackler at the professional level.

On the other hand, Simpson is exiting the best season of his young career, though he was only featured in 406 defensive snaps. The 25-year-old was also a compelling run defender, but also allowed just six yards per reception all season.

Baltimore’s young tandem of linebackers alongside Smith will play a crucial role in the stability and success of the defense. Whether they outright choose one starter or use a committee-based approach, the two youngsters are presented with the opportunity of their careers.

Cornerback

Will another season of the same group breed the same underwhelming results as last year?

The Ravens fostered a lot of roster movement this offseason, but cornerback remained one of the few positions that was largely unchanged.

Baltimore added rookie Chandler Rivers in the fifth round of this year’s draft, but the team’s starting trio of Nate Wiggins, Marlon Humphrey and Chidobe Awuzie will likely be the same, barring any unforeseen changes.

The hope is that better results will be in store for the unit under a new defensive system.

Humphrey allowed a league-worst 909 receiving yards allowed last season. His partner in crime, Wiggins, was not far behind, ranking ninth with 656 yards allowed in 2025.

The Ravens as a whole tied the Indianapolis Colts for the second-most passing yards allowed per game last season at 247.9, a number they had not reached since allowing 278.9 passing yards per game back in 2021.

Awuzie, however, was a pleasant surprise for Baltimore’s struggling defense a season ago, grading out as PFF’s ninth-best cornerback. The 31-year-old veteran allowed an 86.0 passer rating in 14 games for the Ravens.

The team is hopeful that the arrival of Minter, who commanded a Los Angeles Chargers defense that allowed the fifth-fewest passing yards per game last season (179.9), will turn a glaring weakness into a triumphant strength.

Safety

How effective will the three-safety look be in Jesse Minter’s new system?

The Ravens’ safety room heading into 2026 is headlined by Kyle Hamilton, arguably the best player in the league at his position. Hamilton is followed up by second-year Malaki Starks and the newly signed Jaylinn Hawkins.

This is probably the team’s most promising safety corps of the decade. And the presence of a defensive mastermind in Minter only increases the hype.

Starks orchestrated a solid turnaround after a slow start to his rookie year while Hawkins quietly had one of the best seasons by a safety last year. The talent is present.

Can they live up to the hype?

Baltimore’s new head coach guided a 34-year-old Tony Jefferson to arguably the best campaign of his career last season in Los Angeles. The sky seems to be the limit for the Ravens’ new-look safety room.

Which of these burning defensive questions do you think is most crucial to the team’s success in 2026?

The post OTL: A Burning Question for Each Defensive Position Group appeared first on Russell Street Report.

Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2026/07/13/out-to-lunch/defensive-questions/