Ravens Have NFL's Second-Best Roster Based on Rankings of All 32 Teams' Position Groups
ESPN’s Mike Clay ranked each position group for all 32 teams and used the data – which was weighted by positional importance – to form an overall ranking.
The Ravens came in at No. 2 overall, behind the Los Angeles Rams, and were No. 1 at safety.
"Kyle Hamilton is one of the league's best defenders and only entering his age-25 season," Clay wrote. "He led all NFL safeties in pass-rush attempts last season; he finished top 10 at the position in tackles, passes defensed and tackles for loss. Hamilton is joined in the back end by 2025 first-round pick Malaki Starks, who was solid as a rookie. And the Ravens signed Jaylinn Hawkins, who was solid as an every-down player for the Patriots last season. All three players played at least 950 snaps in 2025."
The Ravens also were ranked in the top five at quarterback (No. 4, behind the Buffalo Bills, Rams, and Kansas City Chiefs) and interior defensive line (No. 2, behind the Seattle Seahawks).
Baltimore's lowest ranking was at wide receiver (No. 25).
The Ravens had the NFL's top roster in last summer’s ESPN rankings but didn't make the playoffs. Lamar Jackson and other Ravens leaders have said this offseason that they aren't interested in paper rankings hype.
Ray Lewis Says He Nearly Convinced Peyton Manning to Sign With Ravens
Linebacker Ray Lewis and quarterback Peyton Manning had classic battles against each other during their illustrious careers, as two of the greatest ever at their positions matched wits and physical skills.
The mutual respect between the Hall of Famers developed into a friendship, and Lewis revealed that they came very close to being teammates in Baltimore at one point.
Wait, what? Manning in purple and black?
"I was literally 30 seconds from Peyton Manning saying yes to come to Baltimore," Lewis said on an episode of the “PDB Podcast” from 2025 that recently resurfaced. "Me and him sat in Hawaii, and we're sitting at the bar, and we stayed there for hours, and I'm saying, 'Look, if I put you on one side, you leave me on the other side, and me and you go at this thing together. I sold him, I sold him, I sold him, I sold him. Then at the last minute, he ended up staying home."
Lewis never mentioned when the conversation took place, but 2004 seems logical. Hawaii hosted several Pro Bowl games in which Lewis and Manning appeared together, including the one in February 2004. Manning was set to hit free agency after six seasons with the Indianapolis Colts.
Ten days after the Pro Bowl, the Colts applied the exclusive franchise tag to Manning. That put an end to Lewis' recruitment effort because no other team was allowed to negotiate with Manning.
Manning signed a seven-year contract extension with the Colts that made him the highest-paid player in the league at that time.
Pundit Says Interior Offensive Line Remains Ravens' Biggest Concern
As noted in Late for Work on Thursday, Pro Football Focus' Gordon McGuinness said a healthy Jackson and new coaching staff are the main reasons to be optimistic about the 2026 Ravens. McGuinness has subsequently identified their biggest concern.
"The interior of the offensive line is still a question mark," McGuinness wrote. "On one hand, Vega Ioane and John Simpson should be upgrades over Daniel Faalele and Andrew Vorhees, but Ioane's lack of NFL experience means the Ravens may have to accept some growing pains. They also lost center Tyler Linderbaum to the Raiders in free agency. While the addition of Ethan Pocic helps, he is still a step down from a player who ranked fifth among all centers in PFF overall grade last season."
McGuinness' contention that there is some uncertainty about the interior O-line is valid, but there's also reason to believe the unit will be much improved.
It's true that Ioane may have an adjustment period going from college to the NFL, but the first-round pick has shown this offseason why he is regarded as one of the most NFL-ready players from this year's draft class.
Simpson is a proven veteran who has started every game the past three seasons (2023 with the Ravens, 2024-25 with the New York Jets).
Regarding the center position, the loss of Danny Pinter is a tough blow. Pinter, who will miss extended time after reportedly suffering a torn patella tendon during Wednesday’s joint practice with the Minnesota Vikings, had been taking most of the first-team reps.
However, Head Coach Jesse Minter likes what he's seeing from both Pocic and Jovaughn Gwyn, who are both competing for the starting job.
Gwyn had a strong preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. Pocic, a nine-year veteran with 97 career starts, has been working his way back from an Achilles injury suffered in December. Minter said after Wednesday's practice that both had good showings against the Vikings' defense.
