Ravens could make Haloti Ngata-level splash with rare draft gamble for big fish

The Baltimore Ravens aren’t one to make aggressive moves in the NFL Draft. There are always highly sought-after big fish, but almost always, Baltimore’s front office lets those fish swim to them, rather than hunting them down and reeling them in.

2026 could be different, though. This draft looks weak. As a result, teams could get desperate to move up, and others may be reluctant to move down. The Ravens, who need a game-changer after a disappointing year, should at least entertain the idea of trading up.

If they do that, Miami’s Rueben Bain would be a strong fit. The fanbase has clamored for him, and it’d be a move the organization hasn’t really made since trading up from 13 to 12 to draft Haloti Ngata in 2006. That was the last time they traded up inside the top-15, and it’s a player who could make a similar impact.

Baltimore Ravens should throw it back to old draft mindset to select Rueben Bain Jr.

Bain has the potential to be a day-one game-changer on Baltimore’s defensive front. Their unit had just 30 sacks a year ago, and their current edge duo of Trey Hendrickson and Mike Green looks strong, but one more piece could make them elite. They wanted to pair Hendrickson with Maxx Crosby, and adding another threat off the edge could allow Green to develop into a dominant pass-rush specialist.

As mentioned, Ozzie Newsome and Eric DeCosta have very rarely traded up in the first round during their tenures in the front office. Their only instances have been for Travis Taylor (1999), Kyle Boller (2003), Ngata (2006), Joe Flacco (2008), Michael Oher (2009), and Lamar Jackson (2018).

A trade-up would be a risk; former Raven Michael Pierce isn't too excited about the idea. In those past instances, there are some hits and misses there, but there’s reason to believe that a deal for Bain could end up more like those moves for Ngata, Flacco, and Jackson.

Bain was a game-wrecker with the Hurricanes in 2025. He finished with 9.5 sacks to round out his college career, while also posting an impressive 23.5% pass rush win rate, per Pro Football Focus. He plays with violence and explosiveness, consistently winning with speed-to-power, and went viral for his outstanding bend at his Pro Day.

Based on pretty much everything you see in his game, Bain should go in the top five. However, there have been rumors about a slight slip due to his arm length. His 30 ⅞” arms are well below-average. If he drops anywhere close to the Ravens’ range, DeCosta should be aggressive in calling phones to trade up.

It also helps that Baltimore has a new head coach in charge. They replaced John Harbaugh with Jesse Minter, who is a defensive guru. With a new voice in DeCosta’s ear, Minter could persuade him to go get a future centerpiece for his defense in a player like Bain.

You can probably call it extremely unlikely that the Ravens trade up for Bain, or any player for that matter. However, if their aggressiveness from this offseason translates to the 2026 NFL Draft, then there could be a shift in the front office’s draft philosophy. It’d certainly be a home run if they somehow landed the Miami star.