The Baltimore Ravens always make the most out of undrafted free agency. They might utilize that period the most out of any team in the NFL. In 21 of the last 22 years, at least one undrafted rookie has made their initial 53-man roster. In 2025, there were three of them.
That’s outstanding news for the members of Baltimore’s undrafted class this year. The top name? Former Iowa defensive lineman Aaron Graves. Sure, the Diego Pavia move might have stolen headlines because of his name value, but Graves is the Ravens’ richest investment among the group. They gave him $60,000 in guaranteed money.
It’s for that reason that a lot of eyes will be on Graves this summer. The team obviously holds him in high regard, and according to Josh Edwards of CBS Sports, he’s a name to watch in Charm City this offseason. Edwards wrote:
"“The Ravens were expected to address their front in the draft, but they waited until the seventh round to do so. Michigan's Rayshaun Benny will be on a comparable footing as Graves, who was given the team's largest practical guarantee ($60,000). Graves has good size and 11 sacks over the past two seasons. Hawkeyes generally have a business-like approach, and a transition to the NFL should not be overwhelming for him.”"Josh Edwards
Baltimore Ravens' high-valued undrafted rookie enters roster dogfight that might actually be favorable
Aaron Graves deserves that money, and he could certainly repay the Ravens in 2026. He had 16.5 sacks and 35 tackles for loss over four collegiate seasons. The Iowa product also produced some game-changing plays with four forced fumbles across 52 games, three of which came in 2024. He has a knack for making big-time plays.
Clearly, Baltimore loves Big Ten players. And maybe more specifically, Jesse Minter loves that conference. He comes from Big Ten country, calling the shots for Michigan’s defense from 2022 to 2023. Of course, that includes a relationship with seventh-round pick Rayshaun Benny, but it also includes familiarity with Graves, whom the Wolverines played in both seasons with Minter as their DC. That could favor him in the roster race.
As Josh Edwards mentioned, Graves is directly competing with Benny for a spot. While Benny was the player that Baltimore opted to pick late in the seventh round, their investment in Graves suggests that he’s at least somewhere close to Benny in terms of value. The roster battle goes a bit deeper than that, too.
Let’s just name the players in the Ravens’ interior defensive line room. Outside of Graves and Benny, there’s Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones, John Jenkins, Calais Campbell, Broderick Washington Jr., and Aeneas Peebles with very realistic opportunities to make the team come September. That’s six names right there. Baltimore only kept five players at that position last year.
Now, the reason why Graves actually has a pretty decent shot has to do with the situation surrounding two players in particular: Madubuike and Washington.
Madubuike is still recovering from the neck injury that sidelined him for all but two games in 2025. There’s optimism growing, as he’s participated in certain parts of Baltimore’s workout program, but questions remain about when he’ll be ready. If he finds himself on injured reserve early on, that could open up a bigger window for Graves.
As for Washington, he’s been mentioned as a cut candidate throughout the offseason. The team would save $4.01 million by cutting him. He just made his way back from an Achilles injury, so Minter will definitely want to see what he has in the tank, but if it’s anything like what fans have seen from him over the past two years, his time in Charm City could be nearing an end. That might clear another spot for Graves.
There’s no doubt that Graves still has his work cut out for him. The defensive line is loaded with depth, and Graves may actually find himself on the back end of that. However, things could fall in his favor, and if he puts on a show this summer, he has a strong chance to make it 22 of the last 23 years where Baltimore has an undrafted rookie crack the roster.
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