While they’re entering new leadership with the hiring of head coach Jesse Minter, the Baltimore Ravens will likely stay committed to their usual offseason process. They may get more aggressive in free agency given the pressing needs facing the team in 2026, but they’ll continue to build through the draft as they always have under general manager Eric DeCosta.
The Ravens have been praised as one of the best drafting teams in the NFL. The outstanding drafting philosophies of Ozzie Newsome and DeCosta have spoiled fans. They almost always stay at their spot and wait for the board to fall to them, and it almost always works out in their favor.
In the 2026 NFL Draft, there’s not much reason to believe that it’ll be any different. This year’s draft is weaker, and they’re sitting in their sweet spot at pick 14. In Bleacher Report’s post-Super Bowl mock, the Ravens do what they do best: sit and pick.
The Bleacher Report Scouting Department has them selecting Clemson defensive lineman Peter Woods in this mock draft. Brent Sobleski writes:
“The Baltimore Ravens have a long history of being built around a physical defense. New head coach Jesse Minter comes from a defensive background. While quarterback Lamar Jackson is the driving force behind the team's success, the Ravens get back to basics in order to improve upon last year's bottom-10 defensive performance.”
“Clemson's Peter Woods was once viewed as a top-10 prospect, but he didn't have the dominant final collegiate season many expected. When the Ravens see value with high upside, they tend to strike.”
Matt Holder added that Woods would give Baltimore some stability on the defensive line, as they stare down an uncertain future with All-Pro defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike.
Ravens draft Peter Woods in recent mock draft
Even if Madubuike is available next season, the Ravens will likely have to address the trenches. Broderick Washington Jr. is expected to be cut to clear cap space, and while the team re-signed John Jenkins, he’s mostly a run stuffer. Woods would bring versatility as a stout run stuffer with a high ceiling as a pass rusher.
Woods has never been overly dominant as a pass rusher, at least when it comes to tallying sacks. He had just two sacks in 2025 and finished his college career at Clemson with five total sacks. However, at 6-foot-3, 315 pounds, he feasts in the run game.
Regardless of what the stats say, Woods has intriguing potential as a pass rusher. He’s a powerful player who can wear down the interior and collapse the pocket, but also possesses impressive first-step explosiveness and freakish athleticism. With that kind of profile, he seems like a low-risk, high-reward type of pick.
Of course, the outside linebacker spot is perhaps the biggest need this offseason. The Ravens had just 30 sacks in 2025, but it all starts in the trenches. A talented group like Travis Jones, Madubuike, Jenkins, and Woods along the interior would eat up blocks and open up favorable matchups for Mike Green and company on the outside.
Overall, Woods may be the exact player DeCosta is targeting with the 14th selection. And it could be a huge steal.