Ravens’ new depth chart after Maxx Crosby trade is borderline unfair

The Baltimore Ravens’ defense was on life support in 2025. The secondary was atrocious, and the pass rush was stagnant. On Friday, they may have gotten shocked back to life with Baltimore’s trade for edge rusher Maxx Crosby.

There aren’t many players who can completely flip a unit’s struggles around, but Crosby may be one of them. A legitimate pass rusher can significantly help the secondary, and with the hiring of defensive-minded head coach Jesse Minter, there’s reason to put faith back in the Ravens’ defense in 2026.

The Ravens already had talent in the building. They were just lacking an elite pass rusher. When you can’t pressure the quarterback, the other areas of the field fold. That should change by acquiring Crosby. There’s a whole lot of potential in this new-look unit.

This doesn’t even include defensive lineman Travis Jones and cornerback Marlon Humphrey, who could be in line to bounce back next year.

Baltimore Ravens’ defense turns over a new leaf with Maxx Crosby addition

The same was said about Baltimore’s defense ahead of the 2025 season. They had all those former first-round picks in the secondary, the interior defensive line looked ferocious, and they had two pass rushers coming off double-digit sack seasons. Unfortunately, the pass rush couldn’t replicate its success, injuries tore through the group, and former defensive coordinator Zach Orr showed incompetence from Week 1 to Week 18.

Things should look different this time around. Every elite defense needs a tremendous pass rusher, and the Ravens have that now in Crosby. Players like Humphrey and defensive lineman Nnamdi Madubuike will also hopefully be 100 percent, and 2025 NFL Draft selections like Malaki Starks and Teddye Buchanan should be far more comfortable in their sophomore campaigns, as well as Mike Green, who should eat alongside Crosby.

The defense should be far more formidable. It seems like there’s talent there that can take over games on every level. The interior defensive line can wreck opposing run games, the pass rush should vault to a high level, the linebacker group is stout, and the secondary has a ton of potential. And it doesn’t hurt when you have a fierce safety like Kyle Hamilton, who can literally do it all.

Clearly, general manager Eric DeCosta saw where he failed last year, and he wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. He brought in some elite defensive minds between Minter and defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, and the trade for Crosby is clear evidence that the front office and coaching staff wanted a more lively pass rusher in the building. The blockbuster for the former Las Vegas Raiders star is a complete game-changer.