The Baltimore Ravens hold the 27th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and, as usual, there’s no obvious direction for them to go. That’s not a bad thing. It's actually more of a gift than a curse.
The roster is in a good place. The needs are more about depth and long-term planning than plugging holes. But if there’s one thing that feels inevitable right now—it’s that this is going to be a defense-heavy draft for Baltimore.
Walter Nolen. Derrick Harmon. Donovan Ezeiruaku. James Pearce Jr. Any one of those names would make sense late in the first round as the Ravens reload up front. And don’t rule out someone like Carson Schwesinger, Darien Porter, or Benjamin Morrison on Day 2. With the core in place and the Super Bowl window wide open, Baltimore has the chance to reinforce the identity they’ve been leaning into for years.
That identity? Fast, physical, and built around one of the 10-best players to build a defense around: Roquan Smith.
Roquan Smith just got labeled as a top-10 player to build a defense around
NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks recently released his list of the top 10 defenders to build around heading into 2025. Smith landed at No. 8 overall, and Brooks didn’t mince words when describing what makes the Ravens linebacker so unique:
“Off-ball linebackers are rarely viewed as essential pieces to a championship puzzle, but Roquan Smith is a unicorn, a sideline-to-sideline menace with outstanding instincts, awareness and diagnostic skills. The three-time All-Pro is a tackling machine with underrated pass-rushing skills (21.5 career sacks) as a blitz specialist. He’s a disruptive presence on the field and leader of a Ravens defense that strikes fear in the hearts and minds of opponents – an ideal second-level cornerstone.”
This is what Baltimore has in Roquan. A tone-setter. A leader. A linebacker whose presence unlocks the rest of the defense.
This offseason alone, the Ravens watched Chris Board and Malik Harrison leave in free agency. Brandon Stephens signed with the Jets. Arthur Maulet and Marcus Williams were released. Michael Pierce retired. Brent Urban’s still unsigned. That’s a lot of veteran presence gone in one offseason, and a lot of leadership and experience stripped from every level of the defense. There might not be a better time to bring in a new wave of defenders who can grow under Smith’s guidance—because if you’re going to rebuild the next great Ravens defense, you’d be smart to start with the guy at the center of it all.
Brooks naming Smith as one of the league’s most buildable defenders isn’t just praise—it’s a blueprint. You don’t waste a player like that. You double all the way down. You add pass rushers and downhill defensive linemen that let him run free. You find safeties and corners that give the front time to win. And you make sure the second level stays strong, even as the roster turns over.
With the 2025 draft just weeks away, don’t be surprised if Eric DeCosta leans into what’s already working. Smith is the Ravens’ centerpiece. Now it’s just about stacking the rest of the pieces around him.