The Baltimore Ravens are fairly boring come draft time — they aren't ones for fireworks. They draft for substance, projection, and fit. That’s what makes this 2025 rookie class so compelling — it may not have the biggest names, but top to bottom, it looks like one of Eric DeCosta’s most impact-ready hauls in years... which is kinda crazy to think.
There's no denying this is a team built to win right now... like right now. But unlike some contenders who might have to wait for their rookies' impact, the Ravens expect theirs to play right away. Malaki Starks isn’t here to sit. Mike Green doesn't feel like a long-term project. And sixth-rounders like Tyler Loop and LaJohntay Wester? They’ve got jobs to win in Week 1. That’s just the way the cookie crumbles.
So when Clifton Brown of BaltimoreRavens.com broke down how every draft pick could make an early impact — not just the Day 1 and 2 guys — it only reinforced what Ravens fans were already thinking. This class wasn’t built to wait. It was built to work.
Multiple rookies could end up in real roles by Week 1
The headliner is obvious. Malaki Starks has top-10 talent and landed in the perfect spot to showcase it. With Kyle Hamilton back in his rover role, Starks becomes the last line of defense in a secondary that’s now brimming with range, versatility, and downhill violence. He should be an every-down player from the jump.
Then there’s Mike Green — the FBS' sack leader last season, walking into a Ravens system starving for a go-to sack artist. If pass rush coach Chuck Smith can get him going, Green has double-digit sack potential as a rookie. Fortunately, he won't need to be the guy on every snap — at least not now. He just needs to do what he did at Marshall: bend, burst, finish.
And no matter what you do, don’t overlook the Day 3 value. Tyler Loop is the most important pick — the first Baltimore-drafted kicker being asked to replace a Hall of Famer on a Super Bowl contender. No pressure. Wester? He might be the favorite to win the punt return job. Carson Vinson and Emery Jones Jr.? Both will have every shot to crack the O-line rotation. And Aeneas Peebles has a clear role as a sub-package interior disruptor.
Top to bottom, this class doesn’t just fill future needs. It fills now needs and now wants... which is sweet. If even half of these guys hit early, Baltimore’s already-loaded roster just got a whole lot deeper. And that thought should terrify everyone else.