The Baltimore Ravens are doing something they haven’t done in a while: starting over. New head coach. New offensive coordinator. New defensive coordinator. New special teams coordinator. Oh, and a two-time MVP quarterback who, shockingly, decided to actually show up for voluntary workouts this year. Progress.
Three weeks of OTAs are now in the books, and while no one’s handing out Super Bowl rings based on non-padded practices, enough is going on in Baltimore to pay attention. The Ravens are clearly trying to rebuild their identity and so far, the early returns are more encouraging than anyone might have expected.
Here’s what stood out so far at OTAs and after Day 1 of Mandatory Minicamp.
Ravens Finally Have a Pass Rush Again, Or At Least the Plan for One
Let’s not sugarcoat what happened in 2025. The Ravens went from second in the NFL in sacks (54) to tied for third-fewest (30) in a single season. That’s not a slump. That’s a cliff. So yeah, new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver had his work cut out from Day 1.
The big splash was trading for Trey Hendrickson, and by all accounts, the man has looked exactly like someone Baltimore paid top dollar for. He was constantly in the backfield during 11-on-11 drills, using inside moves, quick bursts, and bull rushes to beat tackles who probably don’t love practicing against him every day.
Head coach Jesse Minter called him “very, very, very pleased,” and when a head coach repeats the word “very” three times, that means something.
But Weaver isn’t putting all his eggs in the Hendrickson basket. Second-year outside linebacker Mike Green is the guy everyone should be watching closely. He had 14 quarterback hits last season but only 3.5 sacks. Weaver actually put together a film cut-up for Green, showing him just how close he was to a double-digit sack season.
Milliseconds away from breaking out. Literally milliseconds.
If the coverage holds up behind him, Green could go from “solid rotation piece” to “legit problem for quarterbacks” in a hurry.
And then there’s second-round rookie Zion Young, who Weaver says shows up every day like he’s trying to prove something. Which, as a rookie trying to make an NFL roster, is probably the right energy.
Oh, and Calais Campbell, who will be 40 years old this season, is back. Because apparently age is just a number when you’ve posted at least five sacks in each of the past four seasons.
Weaver called him a “force multiplier.”
Hard to argue with that.
Ravens’ Offense Has a New Coordinator Who Might Actually Be Different
Declan Doyle is not your typical offensive coordinator. He’s the guy who spent years climbing the coaching ladder, waiting for the moment he could finally call plays his way. Now he has that moment, and he’s not wasting it.
Wide receiver Zay Flowers, who is not exactly shy with his opinions, called Doyle a “genius” and said the offense features things he’s never seen before. Defensive coordinator Weaver said Doyle’s brain is “a computer.”
These are players and coaches who see a lot of football. When they’re talking about a play-caller like that, it’s worth noting.
Doyle is already calling plays in practice based on feel, no script, which is either bold or reckless depending on how it goes in September. He’s also still deciding whether he wants to be in the press box or on the sideline on game days. Unclear if he’s figured that out yet. He plans to use the preseason to experiment. Very reassuring.
What is reassuring: Lamar Jackson is buying in. Jackson showed up for OTAs this year, something that wasn’t a given, and called the new staff “a breath of fresh air.”
He’s learning new terminology, building a rapport with Doyle, and the two have been comparing notes on and off the field. Doyle said tape couldn’t have prepared him for what Jackson actually looks like in person.
He called him the “twitchiest” athlete he’s ever worked with.
That’s a compliment. A weird one, but a compliment.
The Ravens offense ran with tempo, breaking out of huddles quickly and playing with urgency during scrimmages. For a team that spent the last few seasons watching the play clock die before they could even get set, that’s a meaningful change.
Ravens Rookie Class Is Already Turning Heads
The Ravens invested heavily in the wide receiver position in the draft, taking Ja’Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt in back-to-back rounds. Both have made plays early.
Lane has shown the ability to pluck passes away from his body. Sarratt has used his route-running and quick cuts to get open. Neither is wearing pads yet, so let’s not crown anyone, but the early signs are positive.
Second-round edge rusher Zion Young keeps coming up in conversations about players who look the part physically. His size, arm length, and ability to set the edge have caught people’s attention. Running back convert Adam Randall is still learning his new position, but has flashed in the open field.
These are guys worth tracking.
Ravens Special Teams: Don’t Sleep on This Unit
Here’s a storyline most people will skip right past: Anthony Levine Sr. is now the Ravens’ special teams coordinator, and the early indications are that Jesse Minter takes this phase of the game just as seriously as John Harbaugh did.
Levine said Minter is “always” in a special teams meeting.
Always. That matters.
The Ravens finished 12th in special teams DVOA last season, which sounds fine until you remember this franchise used to routinely rank among the best in the NFL under Harbaugh. Levine played 10 seasons in Baltimore. He knows what the standard is. And with a new young kicker in Tyler Loop and a new punter in Ryan Eckley, there’s room to grow or stumble. Levine made clear he’s not interested in a fall-off. Neither is Minter.
The One Thing Ravens Fans Should Be Watching
The center competition is still unsettled. Minter said there are three players he wants to see get starting reps at the position, and a different center lined up with the first team at every open media practice. That either means the Ravens are doing their due diligence or they genuinely don’t have a clear answer yet.
For a team counting on Lamar Jackson to run a tempo offense with a new coordinator calling plays on feel, having a shaky center situation is not ideal. This is the thing to watch heading into mandatory minicamp and eventually training camp. Everything else looks encouraging. The center spot is the question mark that nobody’s pretending isn’t there.
The Ravens are new. The staff is new. The system is new. And after the 2025 season they just came off of, new might be exactly what this team needs.
