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Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans.
The Baltimore Ravens will enter 2026 looking to put a disappointing 2025 season behind them. This upcoming season, the Ravens will look to bounce back to Super Bowl contention form, but over the offseason they will need to plug the roster holes that led to their playoff absence.
One area the Ravens need to improve is the wide receiver position. Throughout Lamar Jackson’s tenure, the Ravens have lacked depth at receiver. Last offseason, the Ravens brought in former All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins to help boost the depth in the receiving room. However, Hopkins had a pedestrian season with 22 receptions for 330 yards and two touchdowns.
Now, the Ravens look to add more weapons for Jackson through free agency or the draft, with some suggesting they should return to the former All-Pro receiver well.
Veteran WR
The Ravens lack a big-bodied wide receiver. On the Ravens’ current depth chart, Cornelius Johnson is the only receiver listed over 6’1 and 200 lbs. Enter Mike Evans.
Evans is 32 years old, and after an injury-plagued season, he didn’t have a 1,000-yard season for the first time in his career. Entering year 13, Evans is hoping to have a bounce-back year, but it might not necessarily be on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as the team could let the veteran test free agency for the first time.
Bleacher Report writer Moe Moton believes the Ravens could be the perfect landing spot for Evans if he hits the open market, as he feels he has a higher upside than the Hopkins signing last year.
“Although Hopkins didn’t move the needle much in another year of decline, Evans may have more left in the tank if he avoids injuries,” Moton wrote. “Hopkins saw a significant drop-off in production between 2023 and 2024. In Evans’ last four outings, he racked up 132 receiving yards in a game and scored touchdowns in consecutive outings.”
Moton also discussed how the Ravens’ $22 million in cap space could allow them plenty of room to fill the void.
Ravens Want Explosive Plays
The Ravens will have a new look offense with the hiring of 29-year-old Declan Doyle as offensive coordinator. Coming from Ben Johnson’s learning tree, Doyle wants to bring explosive plays to the Ravens offense next season.
Clifton Brown of Ravens.com wrote in his February 21 article about Doyle’s thoughts on creating more big plays for the Ravens and the team needing another playmaker.
“Doyle said he wants the Ravens to chase explosive plays on offense,” Brown wrote. “It takes playmakers to do that. Baltimore may lose tight end Isaiah Likely in free agency, which could make drafting another playmaker more of a priority.”
Justin Robertson of Ravens.com, in his February 18 article, further expanded on what Doyle envisions in an explosive offense.
“The way we want our offense to look, the nonnegotiables, are that we are physical, we’re detailed, and we’re explosive,” Doyle said. “… That’s kind of my vision for what the offense is, and that’s what kind of the way me and [Head Coach] Jesse [Minter] have discussed it. Obviously, that can look different ways depending on the personnel. We’re still in the early stages of really stripping this down to the studs and rebuilding it around the personnel that we have here.”
Whether it is Mike Evans, someone in the draft, or a potential trade, the Ravens are looking for playmakers in a revamped offense in 2026.
Chad Gelfand Chad Gelfand is a journalist covering the NFL with focus on the Baltimore Ravens, Seattle Seahawks, and Carolina Panthers for Heavy.com. Gelfand has over six years of writing experience.
Gelfand previously covered the Philadelphia Eagles for Last Word On Sports. He also has experience writing in the worlds of entertainment and wrestling.
Gelfand was an Entertainment writer for the List.com, and a contributor for Fansided’s wrestling website Daily DDT and The Wrestling Estate. Gelfand has also appeared multiple times as a guest on POST Wrestling’s “Bushby and Thompson’s Wrestling Adventure” podcast. More about Chad Gelfand
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