NFL executives offer strong endorsement of Ravens star defender with top-10 vote despite 2024 step back originally appeared on A to Z Sports.
The Baltimore Ravens defense boasts a number of needle-moving talents. It’s a part of what makes them such a challenging unit for opponents to prepare for.Â
The Ravens endured some transitional pains early in 2024 without coach Mike Macdonald calling the defense. His departure, plus the exodus of several assistants in order to take promotions elsewhere across the league, led to a lull in production for the first half of the year. Some tinkering in the secondary allowed the pass defense to stiffen down the stretch and by the end of the year, Baltimore was playing defense as good as anyone in the league.Â
The Ravens were smothering, allowing less than 285 yards of offense to seven of their final nine opponents, including in their divisional round loss to the Buffalo Bills. Make no mistake about it — this football team is engineered in the trenches. And, in a recent poll of executives, coaches and decision-makers across the league by ESPN, one of Baltimore’s cornerstones up front got a big time vote of confidence.
Mandatory Credit: Jessica Rapfogel-USA TODAY Sports
Ravens’ Nnamdi Madubuike voted seventh-best DT in football
“Still a quality player, but he wasn’t as dominant as the [2023 sack numbers] suggested…I think the defensive coordinator change was significant in creating one-on-one opportunities.” – AFC Executive
“Still has elite burst and explosion,” – NFL personnel evaluator
Nnamdi Madubuike endured a statistical regression in 2024 versus his massive breakout numbers of 2023. He logged half as many sacks and quarterback hits this past season, which resulted in a drop in this annual poll from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler from fifth to seventh.Â
It’s still a strong showing for a defender firmly in the prime of his career. And, with a little bit of luck and more experience for Ravens defensive coordinator Zachary Orr, the Ravens front may well find the matchups it needs to isolate Madubuike more on passing downs again in 2025. If that’s the case, expect a repeat appearance in 2026, with Madubuike potentially finishing higher than this year’s placement on the list.
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This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Jul 8, 2025, where it first appeared.