The Baltimore Ravens have been a polarizing team during this year’s free agency period. They had a big month simply because they signed the best player on the market in Trey Hendrickson. However, they also drew a ton of unwanted hate due to the way they operated in backing out of the Maxx Crosby trade.
In the same breath, Baltimore has also lost a ton of talent. It’s up to 12 players lost at this point. And while they’ve filled the holes with contributors like Jaylinn Hawkins and John Simpson, there remain some significant voids, especially on the offensive side. On the other side of things, it seems like their most heated rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers are pulling ahead.
The Steelers haven’t been hit that badly in free agency and have some big-time starters. According to ESPN’s Ben Solak, Pittsburgh has the most improved roster in the NFL this offseason, while Baltimore sits 23rd in his rankings.
Baltimore Ravens fall behind Pittsburgh Steelers in pivotal offseason
After the AFC North came down to the final seconds in 2025, an ending that saw the Ravens fall short, Baltimore needed a huge offseason. Although they’ve had a strong offseason with additions of Hendrickson, Hawkins, and Simpson, the Steelers have had an absolute masterclass. As much as it hurts to admit, at this point in free agency, Pittsburgh has worked to near perfection.
The Steelers’ free agent class is headlined by Jamel Dean, Jaquan Brisker, Sebastian Joseph-Day, and Rico Dowdle. They also made a low-cost trade for Michael Pittman Jr. For a team coming off an AFC North crown, there’s plenty of reason to believe they could repeat in 2026.
Sure, their quarterback situation with Aaron Rodgers is a question mark, and it took an utter disaster by the Ravens to sneak into the playoffs, but they’ve patched their holes very nicely. You can’t entirely say the same for Baltimore.
Yes, the Ravens resolved their fatal pass-rush flaw with Hendrickson, but Solak’s issue with that was his struggles as a run defender. And that’s a fair point. There needs to be a better run defense option coming soon. Tavius Robinson could be that, but the team needs more depth in that area. They also desperately lack offensive talent.
The wide receiver two next to Zay Flowers remains a pressing need, their tight end depth is horrific after losing Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar, and they don’t have a starting center anymore with Tyler Linderbaum signing with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Of course, the 2026 NFL Draft is right around the corner. Baltimore has long been praised as one of the best drafting organizations in football, prioritizing it more than any other team. Still, there’s a ton of ground to make up on Pittsburgh now.