It was painfully obvious that the Baltimore Ravens’ defense wasn’t up to standards last year. They weren’t even close. They failed to hold up their end of the bargain time and time again, in a lost season that culminated in an 8-9 finish.
This offseason, there’s been a heavy emphasis on improving the defense. While Baltimore lost a ton in free agency, they also gained a ton of talent on both the coaching staff and the roster.
There’s still time for more defensive additions in the 2026 NFL Draft, but the unit already shows promise. It began with hiring Jesse Minter, and the signings of Trey Hendrickson and Jaylinn Hawkins address major flaws.
On an episode of Up & Adams with Kay Adams, Hawkins spoke about coming to Baltimore, and specifically joining forces with Kyle Hamilton. It sure sounds like the whole defense is about to eat.
“I’m looking forward to just coming in there, being a vessel, as well as giving out game. Learning from [Kyle Hamilton], him learning from me,” Hawkins said.
“If somebody does something real well, and I do something real well, and we complement each other real well, then it works out,” Hawkins added. “It’s about putting the puzzle together. So if we complement each other in that way, then…looking forward to going out and doing damage.”
Baltimore Ravens could be nearing a return to defensive dominance
On paper, the 2025 iteration of the Ravens’ defense looked strong coming into the season. However, they tripped over themselves and fell flat on their face. Most of the reasons for the atrocious play can be traced back to the game planning by former defensive coordinator Zach Orr, and Baltimore made sure to fix that.
The move to bring in Minter adds a brilliant defensive mind to lead the coaching staff into the foreseeable future. He was one of the best defensive coordinators in the game over the last two years, and now, he’s ready to continue that rise as a head coach.
Thankfully, Minter will be calling the plays. It’s his speciality, and he should have the defense firing on all cylinders. Whether it be the pass rush or the secondary, he should have a fun time drawing up schemes to best utilize his players, especially after the additions of Hendrickson and Hawkins.
What Hendrickson brings to the table is quite obvious. He’s a prolific pass rusher who’s going to give you double-digit sacks. The Ravens’ pass-rush woes were clear last year, posting just 30 sacks, and in response, they add an elite threat off the edge. Hendrickson’s presence should help the entire defensive front blossom.
The more intriguing acquisition might be Hawkins. He’s been a bit of a late bloomer, breaking out in 2025 with the New England Patriots, his sixth season in the NFL. What makes him so great is his ability to play every role well.
As Hawkins mentioned, he’ll pair well with Hamilton. He can align in different spots on the field and do damage in pass coverage and run defense. He’s a well-rounded chess piece who should help a leaky secondary return to form.
The defense already looks night and day compared to last year, and while we did a similar song and dance last offseason leading up to the regular season, there’s plenty of reason to believe that this time will be different. The coaching and veteran additions should be the key difference maker.
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