The Baltimore Ravens were praised for carrying one of the most talented rosters in the NFL prior to the 2025 regular season kicking off. Over the past two weeks, they have quickly proven everyone right.
Whether it’s starters on the offensive or defensive side, special teamers, or depth pieces scattered around the field, Baltimore has nearly everything you would want in a Super Bowl contender. In the chaos of it all, many talented rotational options have flown under the radar. One of those is rookie defensive tackle Aeneas Peebles. Pro Football Focus (PFF) is giving Peebles the recognition he deserves, though.
Peebles played a key role in Baltimore’s Week 2 win over the Cleveland Browns. Following the week, he joined Browns’ defensive end Adin Huntington on the interior defensive line of PFF’s Week 2 Rookie Team of the Week. This is Peebles’ second straight week making the list. Jim Wyman of PFF wrote:
“Peebles made this list last week, almost strictly based on his pass rushing. But his outing in Week 2 was more balanced, as he recorded 65.0-plus PFF grades as both a pass rusher and run defender. He secured a 14.3% pass-rush win rate, including a pressure, while adding a run stop.”
Aeneas Peebles cracks coveted PFF rookie list for second straight week
After an NFL debut that saw him play 12 snaps on defense, Peebles saw a steady improvement in snap count. He played 22 defensive snaps in Week 2, and repaid the coaching staff’s faith in him with a 71.6 defensive grade, per PFF.
Despite being a sixth-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, scouts knew Peebles possessed the chops to be a dynamic pass rusher from the interior. It was his play as a run defender that had people worried. At just 6-foot, 289 pounds, Peebles’ ability to hold up against elite rushing attacks was questioned. However, as Wyman wrote, Peebles is developing in all phases, and he could be on his way to becoming a go-to option in Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr's defense.
Fellow defensive tackle Broderick Washington Jr. has been disappointing since signing his three-year $15.75 million contract extension back in 2023. This year, he is off to another rough start, posting just a 41.7 overall grade, per PFF, and an abysmal 30.0 grade in run defense. If he cannot figure it out soon, Peebles will continue to cut into his snaps.
We are only headed into Week 3, but Peebles is already becoming an underrated game-changer in Baltimore. The team’s defensive front is headed by two-time Pro Bowler Nnamdi Madubuike and rising star Travis Jones, but the elite duo needs another running mate. Peebles could be that guy.