The Baltimore Ravens have been reported to be seeking defensive help as the NFL trade deadline draws near. Despite their rough start, they improved to 2-5 with an encouraging Week 8 victory over the Chicago Bears. With an easy road in the coming weeks, the possibility of the Ravens being buyers is only expected to increase.
Reports have indicated that the Ravens are making calls for cornerback help. Even after adding safety Alohi Gilman in the Odafe Oweh trade, the secondary could use some depth, especially given corner Jaire Alexander’s nagging knee injury. Still, that is not the most significant need on Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr’s unit.
Baltimore’s pass rush is one of the worst in the NFL. They have been struggling since the start of the year, and the departure of Oweh and injuries to outside linebackers Tavius Robinson and Adisa Isaac have only worsened the problem. The team's total of nine sacks ranks tied for second-worst in the league, and while the defensive front took strides in Week 8, the pressure remained relatively inconsistent.
General Manager Eric DeCosta should be searching for pass rush insurance on the trade market, and the perfect fit could be New Orleans Saints edge rusher Carl Granderson.
Ravens could trade for Carl Granderson
Sports Illustrated’s Gilberto Manzano put together a list of the top 15 players who could be available at this year’s trade deadline. Granderson made the list at the number 11 spot. Manzano wrote:
“Granderson hasn’t gotten enough attention for how consistent he’s been in New Orleans since entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2019.”
“Saints GM Mickey Loomis could decide to trade him because the team committed to a three-year, $51 million contract extension for Chase Young this past offseason. Also, New Orleans’s salary cap would benefit from moving Granderson’s contract, which has high cap numbers for the next two seasons.”
Baltimore would have to rework their cap space with extensions, cuts, and restructures to make a Granderson move work moving forward. He is set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2028, giving the Ravens a player who could help them both now and in the future. While his cap hit reaches over $18 million in 2026 and 2027, it is a deal worth making.
Granderson has been a consistent threat off the edge since 2020. He has totaled at least five sacks in every season since then, excluding his 2021 campaign, which saw him tally just three sacks.
In 2025, he is off to a solid start with 4.5 sacks in eight games. That number is exactly half of the sacks Baltimore has totaled entering Week 9 and would instantly make him the team’s leading sack getter.
The Ravens would not have to part with too much to get Granderson. A trade package would likely include a late-day two pick or an early-day three pick. With Baltimore desperate for help along the edge and still looking to make a playoff push, they should look into striking a deal with the Saints.