Following the first month of free agency, the Baltimore Ravens\u2019 roster construction for the upcoming season is becoming clearer. Of course, the NFL Draft will have a significant impact on the franchise, as it always does, but certain players are seeing substantial openings in their 2026 roles.<\/p>\n
Under John Harbaugh, there were a lot of players in the doghouse who didn\u2019t see enough playing time. Too many. Thankfully, Harbaugh was fired<\/a>, and the Ravens hired Jesse Minter<\/a>. The 42-year-old head coach should be extremely refreshing, and for players who were stuck in the mud under Harbaugh, they could emerge as key contributors.<\/p>\n Here are three players who remain a mystery but could become steady options in Minter\u2019s first year.<\/p>\n 3 Ravens who could be on the rise under new coaching leadership following free agency movesDevontez Walker<\/p>\n If Devontez Walker isn\u2019t given a more substantial opportunity in 2026, Baltimore\u2019s fanbase is going to be angry. It seems he\u2019s done everything right up to this point, but was never given more than a handful of opportunities under Harbaugh. What made the coaching decisions so annoying was that he was dynamite in that small workload. Literal lightning in a bottle.<\/p>\n Through two seasons, Walker has just seven receptions to his name on 11 targets. Six of those have gone for first downs, and a whopping four have gone for touchdowns. That’s elite efficiency. Every time he touches the football, it\u2019s a big play waiting to happen. It\u2019s truly shocking that he never carved out a bigger role in 2025.<\/p>\n That should hopefully change under Minter. The Ravens desperately need wide receiver help next to Zay Flowers, and they haven\u2019t made additions at that spot in free agency. While they should draft a wideout early<\/a>, Walker could emerge as the big-play threat offensive coordinator Declan Doyle needs in his offense. He\u2019s going to hunt explosive plays<\/a>, and Walker is the exact definition of an explosive weapon.<\/p>\n T.J. Tampa<\/p>\n T.J. Tampa kind of falls into the same boat as Walker. He\u2019s flashed in very limited snaps. The former fourth-round pick hasn\u2019t been exceptional, but for a secondary that was nothing short of embarrassing in 2025, it was criminal that he didn\u2019t get more chances. With a defensive-minded head coach in Minter stepping in, Tampa could see his snap count inflate.<\/p>\n Tampa\u2019s biggest concerns come with his tackling and run defense. It\u2019s safe to say he\u2019s struggled mightily there, posting a 29.6 run defense grade, per Pro Football Focus<\/a>, in 2025. That\u2019s a recipe that\u2019ll get you in Harbaugh\u2019s doghouse. And although Minter may be more strict on defense, he could (and should) still give Tampa enough of a run to at least see what he\u2019s got. The size and talent in coverage are there.<\/p>\n