Baltimore Ravens head coach Jesse Minter has a lot on his plate in 2026. As he returns to Charm City, he is not only tasked with reviving a defense that looked lifeless last year, but he will have to stabilize a team that fell flat in nearly every facet.
While he’ll have to focus on much more with the promotion from defensive coordinator to head coach, most of Minter’s impact will remain on the defensive side of the football. Great defense leads to offense, though. Minter will be calling the plays this year, and as a result, the rest of the team should be able to flourish.
One area that could feast thanks to Minter’s defensive mastery is special teams. Specifically, LaJohntay Wester is staring down a golden opportunity to break out. He should see far more favorable chances in the return game.
Baltimore Ravens’ breakout weapon could be ready to shine thanks to Jesse Minter
LaJohntay Wester was somewhat underwhelming in his rookie campaign. The 2025 sixth-round pick rarely saw the field as a wide receiver, but it was as a returner where people expected him to make an immediate impact. After a touchdown return in the preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts, those expectations only skyrocketed. Unfortunately, he couldn’t make many game-changing plays like that in the regular season.
Realistically, Wester did fine in 2025. He totaled 198 return yards on punts, averaging 12.4 yards per return, and getting loose for a long of 35 yards. The reason his rookie season looked lackluster wasn’t actually his fault. He only saw 16 chances on punts, and eight of those he took for fair catches.
Simply put, Baltimore’s defense struggled to put Wester in a position to make plays consistently. They forced just 47 punts, which was the fourth-fewest in the NFL last year. Opposing teams averaged 46.32 yards on those punts (fifth-shortest average), resulting in long hang time and better punt coverage downfield. Along with that, Wester had his back against his own goal line far too many times.
That shouldn’t happen with Minter’s defense. His group with the Los Angeles Chargers was among the top-10 defenses in each of the past two years, and with him returning to Charm City, the statement-making stops should be coming with him.
Most notably, we should see way more three-and-outs, which would put Wester in a prime spot to break loose for big gains. We saw what he could do with just the slightest bit of space in 2025, and if Minter’s defense can put him in more comfortable situations, the 24-year-old could blossom into a game-changer.
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