Why Jesse Minter Was a Winner at the NFL Scouting Combine
While draft prospects are judged in part by measurables such as their 40-yard dash times and vertical jumps at the NFL Scouting Combine, coaches and general managers are scrutinized for their performances at the podium during the week.
Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr looked at the "public-facing portion" of the Combine and broke down the winners and losers. Head Coach Jesse Minter was deemed a winner.
"I ranked Minter as my No. 1 coaching hire this offseason, and I'm starting to see the real-life materialization of why," Orr wrote. "Minter had an astute comment on the nature of voluntary workouts, which are a buzzy situation in Baltimore given the attendance, or lack thereof, by franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson. Minter put the onus on the coaching staff to make a voluntary offseason program seem both important and interesting enough to attract players. That means rethinking some of the tired banalities of the sport and, in his words, replacing them with 'high-level stuff.'"
"Minter was hired off the fumes of the Mike Macdonald Super Bowl run, which counted less on quarterback play than we've seen of most Super Bowl teams in recent years and more on a self-sustaining, cerebral defensive front. Minter setting the tone for a similar vibe, is critical for a smooth takeoff in Baltimore."
Three Prospects Who Don't Play Positions of Need the Ravens Could Consider Taking in First Round
The Ravens generally have a best-player-available approach to the draft, but as General Manager Eric DeCosta said earlier this week, "there's a nuance there."
For example, DeCosta said he probably wouldn't take a quarterback or safety with the 14th-overall pick if one happened to be the highest-ranked player on the Ravens' big board.
The consensus is that the Ravens' top needs (in no particular order) are the offensive and defensive lines, wide receiver, edge rusher, and cornerback. The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec explored the Ravens' options at No. 14 for each of those positions, but he also identified players at other positions – excluding quarterback and safety – who could be under consideration if they're available when Baltimore is on the clock.
Here's a look at the three prospects Zrebiec mentioned that fall into the latter category, along with their ranking on The Athletic's draft analyst Dane Brugler's big board:
Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame (No. 3)
"It's hard to imagine that if Love is still available at 14, he wouldn't be close to the highest player on the Ravens' board. He's widely considered a top-five player in this class. Yes, the Ravens still have Derrick Henry, but he's 32 and his salary-cap number rises significantly next year. Keaton Mitchell is a restricted free agent this offseason, and Justice Hill has been mentioned as a potential salary-cap cut, so the Ravens do have some uncertainty at running back. Adding an elite talent like Love would nullify that."
Sonny Styles, ILB, Ohio State (No. 5)
"Styles would also be the quintessential best-player-available pick for the Ravens. They've never hesitated to use assets to fill the inside linebacker position, and Styles roaming the middle of the field with Roquan Smith and Kyle Hamilton would immediately raise the floor for a defense that struggled last season."
Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon (No. 20)
"Sadiq is the top tight end in the draft. No. 14 would probably be a bit early for him, but Baltimore could have a huge need at the position if both Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar leave in free agency."
Likely Makes List of Boom-or-Bust Free Agents
Likely was a popular breakout candidate heading into the 2025 season, but the expected leap didn't happen.
After posting career highs in catches (42), yards (477), and touchdowns (six) in 2024, Likely was set back
by a foot injury during training camp and finished this past season with career lows (27-307-1) in all three categories.
The combination of the 25-year-old Likely's upside and a down year landed him on NFL.com’s Matt Okada’s list of boom-or-bust pending free agents.
"Although Likely's stock isn't nearly as high as it was a year ago, there are still bright spots to highlight," Okada wrote. "Since 2022, George Kittle is the only tight end to rank higher than Likely in all three of the following categories -- catches, yards per catch and touchdowns. Likely's 8.1 career yards per target and 5.9 average yards after catch are both borderline elite. And while he's had more than five targets in just nine career games, he's been extremely productive during those select outings: 51 total catches for 642 yards and six TDs.
"The question is whether he can carry that small-sample production into a TE1 role elsewhere ... and whether a team will give him that kind of shot after a down year. If he does land somewhere, such as New England (with OC Josh McDaniels) or Denver (as Sean Payton's much-needed Joker), and thrives, Likely could be one of the sneakiest (and biggest) booms of the offseason."
DeCosta said earlier this week that it's "definitely" a possibility the Ravens could bring Likely back, but as noted in Late for Work on Thursday, several teams are reportedly "very high" on Likely.
Incidentally, Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, who has frequently been linked to the Ravens this offseason, also made the boom-or-bust list.
"If a front office could guarantee they'd be getting prime Hendrickson for another couple years, he would easily be worth top-10 if not top-five edge-rusher money," Okada wrote. "But his age (he turns 32 in December) and injury history generate more question marks than guarantees. Very few free agents carry a 'boom' potential that would place them among the top two or three at their position. Hendrickson certainly does. But given the investment required to land him, there is also legitimate risk with the veteran pass rusher."
Pundit Says Ravens Should Target Bills Free-Agent Center if Tyler Linderbaum Leaves
ESPN’s Aaron Schatz suggested one free agent signing for each team. For the Ravens, it was Buffalo Bills center Connor McGovern.
"The Ravens are going to need a replacement at center if Tyler Linderbaum leaves town. Why not the underrated 28-year-old McGovern, who quietly had one of the top seasons for a center in 2025?" Schatz wrote. "His 97.2% pass block win rate last season matched Linderbaum for second place behind Kansas City's Creed Humphrey. And McGovern's 72.6% run block win rate ranked third among all centers."
To be clear, the Ravens want Linderbaum back and have offered him a "market-setting deal." If an agreement isn't reached before March 9, when the NFL's legal tampering period begins, Linderbaum will hit the open market.
