The Baltimore Ravens walked away from the 2025 NFL Draft with one of the deepest and most balanced classes in the league—but not every pick came without its fair share of skepticism. In a recent roundup, CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards listed Cal linebacker Teddye Buchanan as the most questionable pick of Baltimore’s draft haul.
“Buchanan has good size and the production had been there in his time with the Golden Bears,” Edwards wrote. “But he did not look comfortable in coverage and the size did not always show up on tape.”
Fair enough. But calling Buchanan the most questionable pick says more about the exercise and how strong the rest of Baltimore’s draft class was than it does anything about Buchanan himself. Because the more you look at this pick in context, the less questionable it actually feels.
The Ravens needed another linebacker—and Buchanan checks all the right boxes
This wasn’t a confusing pick. It addressed a position Baltimore had to reinforce. With Chris Board and Malik Harrison gone and Trenton Simpson still trying to prove he can lock down a starting role, the Ravens had every reason to add more talent to the linebacker room. Buchanan fits the mold: athletic, versatile, and ready to contribute on special teams from Day 1. Sounds like a win.
At 6-foot-2, 233 pounds, Buchanan tested like a top-tier athlete at the Combine, earning a 9.42 RAS. His 4.60 40, 40-inch vertical, and 10-foot-5 broad jump all hint at the type of rangy, explosive linebacker Baltimore covets. On the field, he’s not just a tester—he racked up 114 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, five sacks, and four pass breakups in his only season at Cal after transferring from UC Davis. The only question we have is how much of that elite production can he bring to Charm City ASAP.
Yes, he’s raw. His run fits need work, and he can get caught over-pursuing. However, his movement skills in space, ability to cover ground, and ball skills give him a clear role in a defense that thrives on versatility. He also knows what it means to wear purple and black:
"I'm going to give everything I've got to this organization. I think about Raven linebackers, obviously Ray Lewis kind of epitomizes what a middle linebacker was for me growing up. I'm super-excited to learn from guys like Roquan (Smith) and just pick their brain."
So is he the most questionable pick in Baltimore’s draft? Probably only if you’re being forced to pick one like it feels Edwards did. More likely, this is another mid-round swing on a high-upside athlete who happens to fill a position the Ravens needed to address anyway.
If this is what passes for questionable, the Ravens should keep making questionable picks every year.