The Baltimore Ravens aren’t far off from running it back as a Super Bowl contender in 2025. The offense got a facelift with DeAndre Hopkins, the core is largely intact, and Lamar Jackson is still Lamar Jackson. But there’s one sneaky spot on the roster that needs some love, and that’s the pass-rusher group.
The sack-by-committee approach last year was admirable. It resulted in the second-most in the league (54). Kyle Van Noy led the team with 12.5, and while he was awesome, he just turned 34. Odafe Oweh remains an inconsistent project entering his fifth season. David Ojabo is all but a lost cause. If the Ravens are serious about chasing a ring, they can’t roll the dice on aging legs and unproven potential off the edge. They need a consistent edge presence.
That’s exactly why Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox just dropped a suggestion that actually makes a lot of sense: Trade for Seattle Seahawks pass rusher Boye Mafe.
Boye Mafe would be a great addition to the Ravens' pass rush
Mafe isn’t some overhyped name on a bloated contract. He’s 26 years old, coming off a six-sack season, and heading into the final year of his rookie deal with a $2.7 million cap hit. In other words, he checks a lot of boxes: young, productive, affordable, and has room to grow.
Baltimore doesn’t typically dabble in the splashy trades pool often, which is why it makes a lot of sense... it wouldn't qualify as a splash. It’d be a calculated, targeted move to shore up a clear weak spot in the Ravens' defense. And the timing couldn’t be better.
Seattle just added DeMarcus Lawrence to an edge group that already includes Leonard Williams and Derick Hall. That’s a crowded room. Mafe could be the odd man out. In Baltimore? He’d immediately compete for one of the top options in the rotation. Even if the Ravens do take a pass rusher like James Pearce Jr. in the draft, Mafe could be a massive plug-and-play addition.
Bringing outside guys into a new system isn't always painless. It can take time. Luckily Mafe probably has a decent amount of knowledge on how the Ravens operate defensively, as Knox pointed out:
“Schematically, Mafe should immediately mesh with what Baltimore does defensively. He logged eight tackles for loss and 21 quarterback pressures last season while playing under former Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald.”
Baltimore still holds a solid amount of draft capital and about $6 million in cap space. This doesn’t have to be a blockbuster. It just has to be a move that fills a need, gives the defense another weapon, and shows the Ravens are all-in on 2025.
While this might not be the splashy trade for Myles Garrett, it would still be a smart move—and one that improves the team at little cost, both asset and salary cap-wise. It makes a lot of sense.