The Baltimore Ravens saw a significant overhaul this offseason, and the most notable shift is the new-look defensive line. Trey Hendrickson, Zion Young, and Calais Campbell are bound to transform the front, and Jesse Minter and Anthony Weaver should coach them to elite-level production.
With that, though, contributors from last year’s roster could find themselves on the back burner, or worse, off the roster ahead of 2026. Guys like Broderick Washington Jr. or C.J. Okoye may run out of time in Baltimore.
And maybe John Jenkins could become a trade candidate in the coming months? Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton sees it as a possibility. In a recent article where he highlighted one trade for each NFL team to consider, he offered the idea of trading Jenkins for a late seventh-rounder. The issue is, he had Jenkins going to the Buffalo Bills.
Eric DeCosta shouldn’t entertain that.
Baltimore Ravens-Buffalo Bills trade idea surrounding John Jenkins isn’t worth it
I’m sure Eric DeCosta wouldn’t hate adding another draft pick to his collection for the 2027 NFL Draft. He’s pretty much the king of stocking picks. However, it’s only a late seventh, and yes, Jenkins is a 37-year-old veteran in the late stages of his career, but he could still provide very important value to a defense looking to find its legs again this year.
Simply put, Jenkins is way more valuable than a seventh-round pick, especially one held by the Bills. He’s one of the more underrated signings last season, but quickly proved to be one of the only consistent defenders in Baltimore. Week in and week out, he was doing his job.
He didn’t necessarily light up the stat sheet; posting one sack and three tackles for loss isn’t really anything special, but he’s a nose tackle. Counting stats will never look flashy at that spot. What was great to see was his reliability, as he appeared in all 17 games, made 14 starts, and plugged the middle of the defensive front to make the Ravens’ run defense at least somewhat decent.
Jenkins also signed a one-year extension just before the 2025 season ended, inking a deal for nearly $2 million. And while Jesse Minter is bringing new plans to Charm City, the organization probably isn’t going to look to move one of their players, who quietly had one of the better showings on the team in 2025.
It’s also important to maintain depth in that defensive line room. Although Nnamdi Madubuike is making progress in his recovery from the neck injury that derailed his 2025 campaign, it remains a major uncertainty whether he’ll be ready to suit up once 2026 kicks off. Jenkins’ presence as a nose tackle would allow guys like Travis Jones and Calais Campbell to kick over and produce in Madubuike’s role if they need to.
Of course, then there’s a whole idea of not making your rival better. The Bills and Ravens have enjoyed a growing rivalry over the past several years, but it’s one that has become a thorn in Baltimore’s side come playoff time. You just don’t send a trustworthy piece like Jenkins to a rival like that unless you’re sure you’re getting great value.
A late seventh-round selection shouldn’t be enough for DeCosta to agree on a trade. Sure, it’s John Jenkins we're talking about, and he probably makes teams just marginally better, but he’s the type of player every team needs. He eats blocks effortlessly, and he’s been able to stay in the league for 13 years for a reason, and entering year 14, he needs to keep suiting up in the purple and black.
Add us as a preferred source on Google