Teddye Buchanan has been named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month for October, continuing a strong debut season for the Ravens' fourth-round inside linebacker.
His month began with a career-high 15 tackles in Week 5 against the Houston Texans, wearing the green dot helmet with Roquan Smith and Kyle Hamilton sidelined. Buchanan played every defensive snap against Houston and had the team's best grade against the run (88.9), according to Pro Football Focus.
Buchanan followed that performance with a combined 15 tackles against the Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Bears, and his 30 tackles in October led the team.
His first quarterback hit came against the Rams, when Buchanan shared a sack with Trenton Simpson in the red zone to thwart a potential touchdown on fourth down.
Moving into a starting role in Week 2, Buchanan became the first Day 3 pick to start on Baltimore's defense within the first two weeks since safety Dawan Landry in 2006.
Buchanan has steadily improved since arriving in Baltimore, and has also contributed on special teams. After spending three years at UC Davis, Buchanan's draft stock soared after he transferred to Cal and had 114 tackles and five sacks last season to make All-ACC First Team. That put him on the Ravens' radar, and now he has become a key member of their 2025 draft class.
Keenly aware of the Ravens' linebacker legacy, Buchanan said earlier this season that he was trying to uphold that standard.
"It's a blessing, for sure, just to have that responsibility," Buchanan said. "It means a lot to me, and I take that very seriously. I know the type of pedigree that the Ravens defense – especially Ravens linebackers – have. For me, that's easy motivation to just do my best on the field."
