Reported Return of Calais Campbell Gives Ravens Potential to Have Their 'Best Defensive Line in Years'
Calais Campbell has "played like a Raven" for nearly two decades, and now the six-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman will reportedly play for the Ravens once again.
Campbell, who had a three-year stint in Baltimore from 2020-2022, is signing a one-year deal with the Ravens, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The deal is expected to be in the $5.5 million range, per The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec.
Bolstering the interior defensive line was a priority for the Ravens this offseason. The addition of Campbell, along with other developments, has the position group trending up.
"If Nnamdi Madubuike is able to come back from his injury and you can pair him with Travis Jones and Calais Campbell, this could be the best defensive line that Baltimore has fielded in years," ESPN's Mina Kimes said.
It was reported last week that Madubuike's doctors believe he will be able to resume playing this season after recently undergoing next surgery, but there have been no updates from the Ravens.
ESPN's Adam Schefter said he hears Madubuike is "making good progress" and "is in a good spot" to make a return.
"If Madubuike is unavailable or limited in 2026, Campbell should help ease the load on Jones, who had a breakout season last year despite constant double teams," The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer wrote. "Jones is best positioned as a nose tackle, while Campbell can line up over guards or even tackles in pass rush situations."
Campbell, who will turn 40 on Sept. 1, has continued to play at a high level. He had 6.5 sacks and 16 quarterback hits with the Arizona Cardinals last season and ranked third among defensive tackles in pass-rush win rate, per ESPN. Moreover, Campbell hasn't missed a game since 2022.
"Calais' role likely won't be a secret: push forward all 6'9" of himself at the line to move blockers, bat down passes at the line and blot out the sun," Baltimore Beatdown’s Kevin McNelis wrote. "Abandon hope, all ye who enter."
The Ravens' depth on the defensive line includes John Jenkins, Broderick Washington Jr., C.J. Okoye, Aeneas Peebles, and seventh-round rookie Rayshaun Benny.
Pundit Believes Lions Were Team That Backed Out of Trade With Ravens in First Round
General Manager Eric DeCosta said he had talks with a team about trading down in the first round on Thursday night, but the team – which he didn't name – ultimately decided to stay put. DeCosta added during an appearance on “The Lounge” podcast that the furthest he would go back was from No. 14 to No. 17.
According to The Athletic's Mike Silver, the Ravens were set to get a fourth-round pick in this year's draft and a fourth-round pick in 2027, but the other team backed out of the deal.
Pride of Detroit’s Jeremy Reisman believes the Lions, who owned the 17th pick, were the team that called the Ravens about a trade. Detroit ended up standing pat and selecting Clemson offensive tackle Blake Miller.
"First, [DeCosta] mentions this team would have kept them in the teens. That fits because the Ravens would have moved down from 14 to 17 in a trade with Detroit," Reisman wrote. "Additionally, he mentions the compensation of an extra fourth-round pick in the next two drafts. That's certainly notable because the Lions didn't have any third-round picks to trade this year.
"However, the most compelling argument is the trade falling through. Why would an agreed-upon trade fall through at the last minute? Well, look who picked right before the Ravens: the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams made the shocking pick of quarterback Ty Simpson, and it's quite possible that caught the Lions off-guard as much as it did everyone else. And, as [Lions GM Brad] Holmes' openly admitted, once the Rams made their pick, Detroit no longer had an interest in a trade up, knowing that Miller— or another talented player — was much more likely to land at 17."
It would have been nice to get additional picks, but the Ravens ultimately got a player they highly coveted in Penn State guard Vega Ioane, who DeCosta said was his favorite prospect in the draft.
"It didn't really materialize at the end, and the other team decided they wanted to make the pick and clarified things for us," DeCosta said. "It was easy for us to turn the card in at that time."
Ravens Have Third-Highest-Ranked 2026 Draft Class
The Ravens' draft class continues to get love from pundits.
NFL.com’s Gennaro Filice ranked all 32 classes, and the Ravens came in at No. 3 with an A- grade.
"Vega Ioane and the Ravens were one of the most common mock matches throughout the entire draft cycle. The pairing just made too much sense to not come to fruition at No. 14 overall," Filice wrote. "In Round 2, Baltimore landed another perfect fit in Zion Young, a violent edge rusher who absolutely plays like a Raven.
"With a need for more size in the Zay Flowers-led receiving corps, Eric DeCosta grabbed a pair of big-bodied pass catchers with divergent strengths: Ja'Kobi Lane is the downfield ball-winner with the sizzling highlight reel, while Elijah Sarratt is more in tune with the dirty work at intermediate range. All in all, this feels like another draft in which Eric DeCosta checked off needs with solid culture fits."
Filice named fifth-round cornerback Chandler Rivers as a sleeper pick for the Ravens.
"Kyle Hamilton and Marlon Humphrey can both man the slot in a big-nickel role, but Rivers could soak up snaps in this area as a sticky cover man whose competitive edge belies his 5-9 1/2, 185-pound frame," Filice wrote. "The 22-year-old started 45 games at Duke and tested well in Indianapolis."
On a related note, NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter included Rivers and fourth-round tight end Matt Hibner among 16 Day 3 picks who could get regular starts this season.
"Mark Andrews returns, but TEs Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar departed in free agency, leaving the door wide open for Hibner," Reuter wrote. "His plus athleticism and catch radius will make him a threat down the seam and in the red zone."
Patrick Ricard on Leaving the Ravens: 'Almost Like You're Mourning'
Six-time Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard had spent his entire nine-year career in Baltimore and never envisioned playing anywhere else before deciding to follow John Harbaugh to the New York Giants this offseason.
Ricard, who got his start with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent out of Maine, signed a two-year deal with the Giants to become the highest-paid fullback in the league.
Ricard reflected on the emotional toll it took on him to leave the Ravens during an interview with NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
"I actually started crying just thinking like, 'Wow, I'm not going back to Baltimore,'" Ricard said. "Like that part of my career, that part of my life is over. … I've always told people that I've always wanted to retire as a Raven, be there my whole career just because of how much it means to me. But that just didn't happen, and I'm OK with it. I'm accepting of it, but it's almost like you're mourning."
