After losing Tavion Robinson ( fractured foot) and Odafe Oweh in Week 6, the Ravens desperately need to add some depth at edge-rushing.
After losing Tavion Robinson ( fractured foot) and Odafe Oweh in Week 6, the Ravens desperately need to add some depth at edge-rushing.
Adisa, a second-year outside linebacker who has a dislocated left elbow, is on the injured reserve. Neither he nor Robinson will be expected back until at least mid-to-late November. The Ravens could benefit from a bigger upgrade in their pass rush before the trade deadline of Week 9, but they urgently need help on the edge to play the next two games. Here are the Ravens’ top options:
On their practice squad, the Ravens have two edge-defenders: Malik Hammand KaimonRucker. They have both been with the team from training camp onwards and should be familiar with the defense. However, they have not yet faced regular-season NFL competition.
Hamm was a promising rookie undrafted in 2023. He has since spent two seasons in the injured reserve due to knee injuries. He returned to play this year but did not impress in preseason.
Rucker was a North Carolina rookie who had a long injury history. He was an interesting prospect, but he went undrafted. Rucker is not a big or athletic player, but he has a high motor, and his long, powerful arms have led him to 18 sacks and over 30 tackles for losses in 35 games across the last three seasons. Rucker, according to Pro Football Focus’s report, had an 18.6% win rate on pass rushes in his last college season. He also showed off in the preseason by registering six pressures in 58 pass-rushing moments and a PRWR of 16.4%. Rucker’s frame makes it difficult for him to be a good edge defender against the run. However, his effort is there and the Ravens could use more help in rushing the passer.
Rucker is the more promising option, as he can add immediate juice to the pass rush. If the Ravens don’t sign a player this week, then they should watch what he does against the Bears.
The Ravens have a limited number of veteran players available at this point in the season. However, there are some veterans that they could consider. On Monday, they worked with Jesse Luketa, Carl Lawson, and Efe Obada. Fans have also mentioned Yannick NGakoue, but it seems that this move would have already taken place.
DeMarcus Walker also makes for an interesting option. In 2023 and 2024, the veteran of seven years started for Bears with seven sacks. He also had 16 tackles for losses in this span. Walker was ranked 42nd out of 93 edge rushing players with at least 200 snaps in pass rush last year. He also ranked 52nd for pass rush win rates (11.1%) among 93 edge rushing players. This season, no Ravens edge rusher will be able to surpass either of these marks.
Walker prefers to line up on the outside, but with his 6’4″, 280 pound frame, he can also move inside. This happened much less often in Chicago than it did during his first five years. He is too big to play in the Ravens 3-4 base formation, but that shouldn’t matter as much at this stage. His ability to provide solid defensive line performance at the NFL level should be more important.
In February, the Bears released him as a cap-casualty. In April, he made several visits but remains a free agent. Walker’s pass-rusher posted a video recently of him working out, which suggests that he is looking to sign this season.
The Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta might be reluctant to make any big moves before their next two games. However, he has the draft capital available to make an inexpensive move immediately.
Titans edge rusher , Arden Key, stands out as a veteran acquisition. Since Brian Callahan was fired, he has been mentioned several times as a potential trade target. However, he is lagging behind his consistent performance of the last four years in terms of traditional stats from PFF and Next Gen Stats. If the Ravens want a veteran player who’s ready to play, then they should hope for Key to show some positive regression.
Compensation should be modest. Baron Browning, Josh Uche and other players were traded last year for six-round draft picks. However, they also brought lower salaries with them to their new teams. Last year, the Titans paid DeAndre Hopkins $2.5 million in order to facilitate his move to Kansas City. They may be willing to reduce Key’s salary to get a late round pick.
The Ravens can also contact the Giants to ask about Victor Dimukeje. The pressure rate he had in 2023 (15.9% according to PFF and 16.7% according to Next Gen Stats) didn’t translate into more playing time for the outside linebacker in 2024. However, despite his similar snap numbers, he still did not get any more playing time. He’s just returned from a torn triceps suffered in offseason training and made his debut for 2025 this past week. It’s too early to say if he will be able to build on his positive progress in the past few years.
This could force him to withdraw from trade discussions, or may encourage the Giants’ depth chart player who is not a good fit for them to get some value. This kind of speculative trade would cost the Ravens less than a late round pick, but would still be more valuable.
It’s also possible that the Ravens would look at other teams’ practice squads to find young EDGE talent. However, realistically it is hard to imagine a player of replacement level being available. The Ravens can poach your favourite draft priors that didn’t make the 53-man roster. My favorites are Mohamed Kamara, and Bradyn Swinson. But this would be an enormous bet on unproven talent.
Would the Ravens be better off pursuing any of these EDGE positions, or would they do a more aggressive upgrade? Tell us in the comments what you think!