Brown: The need for Baltimore’s pass defense to improve hasn’t been talked about enough.
For two years, the Ravens have ranked near the bottom of the NFL in pass defense. In 2025, they were tied for 30th, giving up 247.9 passing yards per game. In 2024, they ranked 31st, surrendering 244.1 yards per game. It’s not simply their pass rush that needs to step up. One-on-one coverage, tackling after the catch, and their lack of playmaking on passes that could have been defended or intercepted have also been problematic.
Head Coach Jesse Minter’s forte is defense. In each of his two seasons as defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Chargers, they ranked among the top five in preventing third-down conversions. He liked using three safety looks in Los Angeles and said he expects to do the same in Baltimore. That’s one reason the Ravens signed Jaylinn Hawkins in free agency to join Kyle Hamilton and Malaki Starks in the safety rotation.
“If you just look at what I’ve done the last couple of years with a guy like Derwin James and the safeties [in Los Angeles], I think we want to be really versatile, and we want to have a lot of different types of pieces,” Minter said.
Re-signing Chidobe Awuzie, who was Baltimore’s most consistent cornerback last season, was a key offseason move. The Ravens believe cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins can play more consistently in 2026, and it’s possible they’ll spend an early draft pick on a corner.
The Ravens ranked No. 6 against the pass in 2023 when they reached the AFC championship game. If Minter’s staff and the players can make Baltimore’s pass defense a strength again, the Ravens should return to being contenders.