BALTIMORE -- The 2025 NFL draft wrapped up on Saturday. The Baltimore Ravens made 11 of the draft's 257 picks, which began with the No. 27 selection on Day 1 of the three-day event.
Analysis of every pick | Updated depth chart
Round 1, No. 27 overall: Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
My take: This is perhaps the best defensive fit of the first round. It was another year where a highly productive and high-character prospect from a major program fell to the Ravens near the bottom of the first round. Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta called Starks the best safety in the draft and described his combine interview as one of the best he's ever seen by the way he dissected tape. "It was like he was a coach," DeCosta said. Baltimore continues to invest heavily in the secondary. The Ravens have now drafted nine defensive backs in the first round, which are the second-most in the NFL since the team's inaugural season in 1996. "In my experience, if you're going to lose a game, an easy way to lose it is by having a bad secondary," DeCosta said. "So we never want to be in that position. That's a bad place to be."
Key stat: The Ravens love players who are movable pieces in the secondary because it helps them disguise coverages, and Starks epitomizes versatility. He is the only player in the FBS to play at least 1,500 snaps at safety and 500 snaps at slot cornerback over the last three seasons, according to ESPN Research. It's huge for Baltimore to gain a safety who can play free safety or closer to the line of scrimmage. The Ravens allowed the fewest points in the NFL (15.4) in its last eight weeks when Kyle Hamilton moved to deep safety. Now, Baltimore can line up either Hamilton or Starks deep. "The good news is the offense isn't going to know who's going to be back there on any given play," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said.
Will he start as a rookie?: That's a likely scenario. Baltimore did retain restricted free agent Ar'Darius Washington, who solidified the defense last season when he started the final 12 games (including playoffs) at safety. But Washington has struggled to stay healthy, playing more than three games once in four seasons. The Ravens lauded Starks' awareness and experience (42 starts), which should put him on the fast track to the starting lineup. "This was a guy that really checked every single box for us in a lot of different ways," DeCosta said. "There were some other players that we coveted it as well, but in the end, he was by far the best guy available for us when we made the pick."
Round 2, No. 59: Mike Green, Edge, Marshall
My take: Baltimore filled its biggest need with the FBS sacks leader (17) who plummeted into the second round. Green was rated as the 18th-best prospect by Mel Kiper Jr. There was less than a 1% chance that Green would be available at the No. 59 spot, according to ESPN's Draft Day Predictor. Edge rusher was one of the Ravens' biggest needs because of the uncertainty surrounding the futures of Baltimore's top two outside linebackers: Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh, both of whom are coming off double-digit sack seasons. Van Noy is now 34, and Oweh is entering the final year of his contract. With Baltimore taking safety Starks in the first round, this marks the first time in eight years that the Ravens used their first two selections in a draft on defense.
Key stat: Even though the Ravens ranked second in the NFL with 54 sacks, they needed to improve at edge rusher because their 33% pass rush win rate was the fourth-worst in the league. Green was one of the most disruptive forces in college football last season. His 22 tackles for loss ranked only behind Abdul Carter, who was selected No. 3 overall by the New York Giants. His 51 quarterback pressures were tied for sixth-most in the FBS. Many believe he addressed how he would perform against top-tier competition when he dominated at the Senior Bowl. The video of Green bowling over Oregon tackle Josh Conerly at the Senior Bowl went viral.
Round 3, No. 91: Emery Jones Jr., OL, LSU
My take: The Ravens addressed their top need on offense by taking Jones. He's a three-year starter known for his run blocking, but he has been effective in pass protection. Jones could get a chance to compete with Andrew Vorhees for the left guard spot, which is the only starting job up for grabs on the NFL's No. 1 offense. In doing so, Jones would have to shift from tackle to the interior. In college, he exclusively played right tackle, lining up for 2,323 of his 2,355 snaps at that spot. He had 27 snaps at right guard and three at left tackle.
Key stat: There's a reason why Baltimore has put a premium on protecting quarterback Lamar Jackson. Since 2019, the Ravens are 64-23 (.736) with Jackson as their starting quarterback and 4-9 (.308) without him. Last season, Jones was strong in pass protection, allowing one sack and 23 quarterback hurries. He is Baltimore's latest investment on the offensive line. Over the last five drafts, the Ravens have selected four offensive linemen in the first three rounds: Ben Cleveland (third round in 2021), Tyler Linderbaum (first round in 2022), Roger Rosengarten (second round in 2024) and Jones.
Round 4, No. 129: Teddye Buchanan, ILB, California
My take: Buchanan made his mark at the NFL combine by recording the highest vertical jump (40 inches) among linebackers. He will compete with Trenton Simpson for the starting weak-side linebacker spot next to Roquan Smith and should become a core special teams player. The Ravens needed to reload their depth at inside linebacker after they lost two veterans in free agency: Malik Harrison (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Chris Board (Giants). Both totaled 540 snaps at inside linebacker last season. Buchanan was a first-team All-ACC performer who led Cal with 114 tackles and 12 tackles for loss. He is the third player from Cal to get drafted by the Ravens, joining quarterback Kyle Boller (first round in 2003) and cornerback Marc Anthony (seventh round in 2013).
Round 5, No. 141: Carson Vinson, OT, Alabama A&M
My take: Vinson is a developmental offensive tackle who was the only HBCU player invited to the NFL combine and Senior Bowl this year. He is the second offensive lineman to get drafted by the Ravens this year (Jones, Round 3) and projects to play both guard and tackle. A four-year starter at left tackle, Vinson allowed two sacks last season. His wingspan was measured at 84 3/8 inches, which was the fourth largest among offensive linemen at the combine. It's on par with the wingspan of LeBron James. Vinson is the first player from Alabama A&M to get drafted since 2011, when defensive tackle Frank Kearse was selected in the seventh round.
Round 6, No. 178: Bilhal Kone, CB, Western Michigan
My take: General manager Eric DeCosta said last week that Baltimore would take a cornerback in this year's draft, and the Ravens got Mel Kiper Jr.'s 101st-rated prospect with the 178th pick. Baltimore has three proven cornerbacks in Marlon Humphrey, Nate Wiggins and Chidobe Awuzie. But the No. 4 spot is up in the air between T.J. Tampa, Jalyn Armour-Davis and now Kone, who primarily plays on the outside but has spent some time in the slot. Last season, Kane led Western Michigan with nine passes broken up. He added 70 tackles and one interception.
Round 6, No. 186: Tyler Loop, K, Arizona
My take: The Ravens drafted a kicker for the first time in their 30-year history, which creates more uncertainty about Justin Tucker's future in Baltimore. Tucker is being investigated by the NFL for sexual misconduct, and team officials said they would wait to make a decision until the league finalized its investigation. Loop has one of the strongest legs in this draft. He has converted 6 of 9 attempts from 50-plus yards, including making a 62-yarder last season. At the NFL combine, Loop hit 13 of 14 field goal attempts (93.3%) and finished by making a 60-yarder. The Ravens had been the only team in the NFL not to draft a kicker.
Round 6, No. 203: LaJohntay Wester, WR, Colorado
My take: The Ravens addressed their most under-the-radar need in return specialist. The Ravens struggled in punt return last season, ranking 16th with a 9.7-yard average and using a total of four different players. Wester is a speedy returner who averaged 12.2 yards on punts last season, including a 76-yard touchdown. At the Shrine Bowl, his acceleration was 6.2 yards per second squared, making him the second-fasted on offense since the Shrine Bowl partnered with Zebra Sports. Wester has a connection with Baltimore, playing under Ravens running back coach Willie Taggart at Florida Atlantic.
Round 6, No. 210: Aeneas Peebles, DL, Virginia Tech
My take: Baltimore added some explosiveness in the interior pass rush with Peebles, who was projected to go as early as the third round. His 25 pressures were tied for the most among ACC defensive tackles. Peebles also recorded the FBS' fastest time to pressure among defensive tackles at 2.44 seconds. The Ravens desperately needed to add a defensive lineman because Baltimore has only three proven ones (Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones and Broderick Washington) after the retirement of Michael Pierce this offseason.
Round 6, No. 212: Robert Longerbeam, CB, Rutgers
My take: This marks the fourth time in the last five years that the Ravens have selected multiple cornerbacks in the same draft. Longerbeam has ball skills, leading the Big Ten with 30 passes broken up since 2021. He is projected to play slot cornerback because he's 5 feet 11, 174 pounds. Longerbeam is only the second player from Rutgers to get drafted by the Ravens, joining running back Ray Rice (second round in 2008).
Round 7, No. 243: Garrett Dellinger, G, LSU
My take: Dellinger is the third offensive lineman drafted this year by the Ravens, which are the most Baltimore has selected in seven years. He is an experienced interior offensive lineman with 30 career starts (including 24 at left guard). Dellinger is also extremely disciplined, getting flagged just twice for penalties in 1,937 snaps.