While their offense certainly needs a couple of upgrades, the Baltimore Ravens should be scavenging for defensive help from start to finish this offseason. Their defense was flat-out embarrassing in 2025, and after hiring a defensive genius in Jesse Minter as their head coach, it’s evident they’ll prioritize that unit.
The Ravens aren't going to allow themselves to slip into the same failures in 2026. That starts with improving a stalled pass rush group that finished last year with a mind-numbing 30 sacks. That’s not the type of play you usually see from a Baltimore defense, and they need a near-complete revamp in that area.
The hottest name thrown around on the pass rush front is Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby. While Crosby could be an instant game-changer and has been connected to Baltimore, it’d cost an arm and a leg to trade for him. If they don’t nab a superstar, general manager Eric DeCosta could look to build a deep and sturdy outside linebacker room. Seattle Seahawks outside linebacker Boye Mafe should be a player to watch if that’s the case.
Ravens may want to take a look at Boye Mafe in free agency
Of the free agents available, Mafe isn’t the most notable, but he is one of the more talented pass rushers available. Sure, his 2025 stats don’t look great on his resume; posting just two sacks is underwhelming, but that’s not to say he didn’t produce.
According to ESPN Analytics, Mafe scored an impressive 19% in pass rush win rate with 34 wins over 182 plays. That was good for the eighth-best in the NFL last season, and he nearly had the same amount of wins as players like New York Giants outside linebacker Brian Burns (35) and Houston Texans defensive end Danielle Hunter (38). Mafe’s numbers also comfortably outplayed anyone on Baltimore’s edge last year.
Mafe was still an important piece in Seattle, but took a bit of a step behind fellow pass rushers Demarcus Lawrence and Uchenna Nwosu in snap count. If he landed in Charm City, he would step into a starting role opposite 2025 second-round pick Mike Green, at least as it stands right now. That’d put him in a pretty good spot to return to the production we saw from him in 2023, when he posted a career-high nine sacks.
If Mafe doesn’t re-sign with the Seahawks, there may not be a better landing spot than the Ravens. Just as he was able to learn under defensive mastermind Mike Macdonald in Seattle, he could find similar guidance under Minter in Baltimore.
Jesse Minter has helped take pass rushers to the next level in his short career as defensive coordinator. Last year was the most obvious case, developing outside linebacker Odafe Oweh into a legitimate threat off the edge. Oweh had zero sacks in his first five games with the Ravens last year, but after being traded to the Los Angeles Chargers, he finished with 7.5 sacks and added another three in the team’s playoff loss. Minter’s leadership could have a similar effect on Mafe if the potential pairing comes to fruition.
Mafe is currently projected to sign a three-year contract worth nearly $38 million with a salary of $12.2 million, per Spotrac. He could sign for a little bit more than that, but regardless, that's honestly not a bad contract, especially given the lucrative state of the pass rush market.
If the Ravens can’t get in on the superstar realm of the offseason market with players like Maxx Crosby and Trey Hendrickson, Mafe would be a really good start to rebuilding their abysmal pass rush unit.
You don't always need superstars. You need the right guys. And Mafe could be one of them.