The Ravens bolstered the trenches in a big way at the beginning of the 2026 NFL Draft. They capped it with another investment in the seventh round, selecting defensive end Rayshaun Benny with pick No. 250.
Baltimore needed to add more youth on the defensive line, with two picks at that position since 2022 and Nnadmi Madubuike's future being optimistic but unsettled.
Here are five things to know about Benny:
His tools make him a versatile development piece.
Benny measures in at a husky 6-foot-3, 305 pounds – a five-technique body that General Manager Eric DeCosta said can be difficult to find.
The Ravens listed him as a defensive end, but he could also be considered a defensive tackle. Either way, he'll likely have a versatile role on the Ravens' defensive line.
He has excellent quickness of the snap and the power and arm length (33 3/8 inches) to lock out offensive linemen. His strength is as a run defender.
Benny jumped out at the Senior Bowl.
Caleb Banks was the first defensive tackle drafted this year at No. 18 overall by the Minnesota Vikings. Part of it was because he was such a monster at the Senior Bowl.
However, Benny may have been even better. Benny was named the biggest winner at defensive tackle by The Athletic’s Dane Brugler.
"Benny was consistently impactful each day, showing both quickness and power to defeat blocks in different ways," Brugler wrote. "More specifically, his ability to run through gaps and his long arms will help him make an impact right away in the NFL."
He had to wait his turn because of other defensive linemen.
A Detroit native, Benny played his entire college career at Michigan after being a four-star recruit and the No. 6 recruit in Michigan.
He had to wait his turn to become a starter because Michigan has been loaded with defensive linemen in recent years – two first-round picks in Mason Graham (No. 5 overall to Browns) and Kenneth Grant (No. 13 to Dolphins) last year, and second-round pick Kris Jenkins (No. 49 to Bengals) in 2024.
Last season, Benny started 13 games and made 35 tackles, including three for loss, and 1.5 sacks. Ravens Head Coach Jesse Minter views Benny as an ascending young player.
He's a 'plug-and-play' seventh-round pick.
It's not often that seventh-round selections are dubbed "plug-and-play" picks, as DeCosta said about Benny.
That speaks to Benny's talent, but also to the fact that he comes to the Ravens with familiarity in Minter's scheme from two seasons together in Michigan.
Benny was also coached at Michigan by Lou Esposito, who has followed Minter to Baltimore as the Ravens' new defensive line coach. Benny's defensive coordinator was former Ravens defensive coordinator Wink Martindale.
That's a lot of strong coaching that gives Benny an advantage when it comes to knowing the playbook and getting on the field early.
Injuries slowed down his progress.
Benny also may have been an earlier pick and a bigger factor at Michigan had he not suffered a broken right fibula versus Alabama in the Rose Bowl.
Minter said that the injury lingered with him during the 2024 season.
