Early in the 2025 NFL season, the Baltimore Ravens were viewed as a team far out of the playoff race. At 1-5 after seven weeks, many thought it was time for the Ravens to throw in the towel and focus on reloading in the 2026 offseason. Entering Week 12, they have turned it all around.
After their Week 11 win over the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore owns a 5-5 record and is ready to take control of the AFC North. They are just one game out of first place, and they have a very favorable schedule the rest of the way. It could get competitive with four AFC North matchups down the stretch, but they control their own destiny.
Still, the Ravens are not a top-tier playoff contender. Their flaws are still extremely obvious. The offensive line problem has been debated among fans for the entire year, and while the defense is on a tear, Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr’s unit still needs help.
General Manager Eric DeCosta always puts a major emphasis on building the team through the NFL Draft, and this upcoming draft class has a deep class at a significant position of need for the Ravens. The position in question? Pass rusher.
Ravens expected to add big-time pass rusher in 2026 NFL Draft
Matt Miller, one of ESPN’s NFL draft analysts, recently constructed a mock draft for the 2026 NFL Draft ahead of Week 12. With the 14th pick, he has Baltimore selecting David Bailey, an edge rusher from Texas Tech. Miller wrote:
“Despite getting good value in adding Mike Green in the second round of the 2025 draft, the Ravens still lack impact pass rushers who can operate in space and have only 15 sacks this season (tied for 29th in the NFL).”
“Bailey, who leads the FBS in sacks (12.5) and ranks second in hurries (55), has been a nightmare for offenses since transferring from Stanford before the season. The 6-3, 250-pound edge rusher wins with quickness off the snap, has enough pop in his bull rush to rock back tackles, and shows a relentless motor that leads to second-chance sacks and QB hits.”
Sure, the state of Baltimore’s pass rush is steadily improving since the arrival of outside linebacker Dre’Mont Jones, and the usage of safety Kyle Hamilton close to the line of scrimmage is benefiting the team, as well. The issue lies in the future, though. Jones and fellow outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy are both free agents after this year, and outside of the rookie Mike Green, Orr would be out of players to turn to next year. Bailey would immediately help.
Along with leading the college ranks in sacks with 12.5, he has three multi-sack games in 2025. Those outings were not against slouches either, coming against Houston, Kansas, and Arizona State.
Green and Bailey would quickly become a dangerous one-two punch. Both have exciting motors that would tire out opposing offensive lines, and can provide endless amounts of speed along the edge. While the Ravens certainly need a proven commodity, they may not have the money to find that addition in free agency, making a player like Bailey the perfect fit.
Hopefully, Baltimore is not sitting there with the 14th selection by the time the 2026 NFL Draft comes around, and given their hot stretch, they likely will be picking deeper down the line. However, if the chips fall this way, Bailey would be an obvious pick.