The Baltimore Ravens are a bit of an unknown in 2026, but that’s exciting. While their roster remains loaded with talent, their coaching staff saw a massive overhaul, headed by the hiring of head coach Jesse Minter.
The decision to move on from John Harbaugh was very polarizing. Still, it was a much-needed move, and just because Harbaugh is gone doesn’t mean the Ravens are straying too far away from his philosophies. Staples that were part of his teams from 2008 to 2025 remain evident, along with coaches he crossed paths with in Minter, Anthony Weaver, Anthony Levine, and Joe Lombardi.
Those familiarities have taken no time to surface through the cracks this offseason. In a piece for Sports Illustrated, Albert Breer highlighted where each NFL team stands ahead of training camp. He mentioned that Baltimore’s strategy to stick to the blueprint is working out.
"“The Ravens’ hire of Jesse Minter is indeed an indication that the organization didn’t want a total teardown of the John Harbaugh era. And the signs are there that the idea is working—with Harbaugh era draft picks such as Malaki Starks, Nate Wiggins and Roger Rosengarten having big springs in a new setting, and GM Eric DeCosta taking a guy in the first round, Penn State guard Vega Ioane, who has the look of a guy who’d fit any Ravens era.”"Albert Breer
Baltimore Ravens due a familiar (but more effective) boost from Jesse Minter and company
Albert Breer's analysis is great to hear, but there’s actually reason to believe that in addition to a strong floor, the ceiling could be so much higher.
The Ravens needed a shift in tone this offseason, but obviously they didn’t want to shift too far. There’s a case to be made that John Harbaugh lost the locker room. That makes the era change make a lot of sense. However, with a pretty competitive roster already in place, it made sense to also stick with at least a similar blueprint heading into 2026. That’s what Jesse Minter is set to bring, except it could be far more effective than what Harbaugh was implementing in recent years.
Going off the returning contributors that Breer mentioned, Malaki Starks, Nate Wiggins, and Roger Rosengarten may all be able to unlock another gear under Minter and his new staff.
Starks had a fine rookie year, but definitely saw struggles in some capacity. Thankfully, Minter will be able to deploy in a better way than Zach Orr did in 2025, potentially morphing into a ballhawk who shuts down the party in the backend of the secondary.
For Wiggins, after an exceptional rookie year, he hit a slight plateau last year. He allowed the second-most yards in the NFL among cornerbacks. The 22-year-old has done well this offseason and seems ready to break out.
In the case of those defenders, and the defense as a whole, the turning of the page to Minter and Anthony Weaver will have a monstrous impact. The familiarity should keep them comfortable, but knowing that Harbaugh was probably going to keep Orr as the defensive playcaller makes the era change that much better.
Then there’s Roger Rosengarten and the offense. This is where the new era takes a turn, and a much-needed one. Guys like Rosengarten, Derrick Henry, and Zay Flowers were consistent last season, but the rest of the unit's performance was catastrophic. Better injury luck in 2026 should help, but something even better? The presence of an innovative mind in Declan Doyle.
Doyle and the offense are where the Ravens are sort of trying something new, and the move has the chance to expand their ceiling 500 feet. He’s one of the best up-and-coming coaches in the league, and with stars like Lamar Jackson, Henry, Flowers, and others scattered around the field, we could see the offense return to dominance.
Overall, the Ravens needed a recognizable setting with the new coaching staff, but they also needed youth. The ways of Harbaugh and others ran dry, and the additions of Minter, Doyle, and Weaver bring the young mindset that this team needed.
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