OTL: The Return of Teddye Buchanan

From the jump, Teddye Buchanan was handed a larger role than most fourth-round rookies around the league.

Drafted out of Cal with the 129th overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, Buchanan made his first professional start against the Cleveland Browns in Week 2 of last season.

Three months and 12 starts later, the former Golden Bear suffered a season-ending torn ACL against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 15, a brutal finish to what was a rather encouraging rookie campaign.

Though his status for the Ravens’ Week 1 contest with the Tennessee Titans is in jeopardy, Baltimore head coach Jesse Minter reassured fans that the 23-year-old linebacker is “ahead of schedule” in his offseason recovery.

And after an 8-9 season that saw the team’s defensive unit fall short of its usual standard in almost every category, Baltimore is in dire need of reliable contributors. The promise Buchanan exhibited in his first year showed Ravens Flock why he can comfortably be a key factor in a revitalized defense.

Buchanan’s Rookie Season Overview

Since 2020, there have been three linebackers drafted in the fourth round or later to be named to the annual PFWA All-Rookie Team. Buchanan – along with Minnesota Vikings’ Ivan Pace Jr. (2023) and Detroit Lions’ Malcolm Rodriguez (2022) – is one of them.

The California native earned the nod after his 93-tackle performance in 14 games for the Ravens (6.6 per game). Buchanan was tied for 67th among all NFL defenders in total tackles while also logging 0.5 sacks and a forced fumble.

Tackling efficiency was the youngster’s bread and butter in 2025. He posted an 8.6% missed tackle percentage, which ranked 14th among AFC linebackers last season (min. 400 defensive snaps).

Buchanan earned Pro Football Focus’ 14th-highest tackling grade among NFL linebackers and seventh-highest among AFC linebackers (75.9). He was a force to be reckoned with, closing up gaps swiftly with his 6-foot-2, 235-pound frame.

The former fourth-round pick was named the Defensive Rookie of the Month for October, a month in which he recorded 38 tackles in four games (9.5 per game). He became the first Ravens player to earn Defensive Rookie of the Month honors since C.J. Mosley in December 2014.

Buchanan’s best game of the season came that month, a 15-tackle effort as the Houston Texans manhandled Baltimore in a 44-10 rout in Week 5.

His best moments as a rookie coincided with his All-Pro teammate Roquan Smith, who also fostered some of his best football of the year in October.

Between Weeks 2 and 10, Buchanan had at least six tackles in every game, accumulating 14 defensive stops in that span.

Buchanan did deal with coverage issues last season, though a number of them could potentially be chalked up to schematic failure from the team’s former defensive coordinator Zach Orr.

However, the young linebacker allowed 269 yards on 31 receptions (8.7 per reception) in his 14 games of 2025, which translates to a 100.6 passer rating allowed over the entire season. Buchanan ranked 33rd among NFL linebackers in passer rating allowed (min. 400 defensive snaps).

His worst coverage effort came in Week 4 at Arrowhead stadium when the former fourth-round pick allowed 41 yards and a touchdown on three catches to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Buchanan’s fluidity and spacing in coverage will carry the biggest room for improvement as he continues his offseason recovery process.

Buchanan’s Potential Impact In 2026

The Ravens do not necessarily need a superstar opposite Smith. Instead, they need Buchanan to take a second-year leap that complements the former first-round pick out of Georgia.

Smith broke his three-year consecutive All-Pro streak in 2025, though he did earn his fourth straight Pro Bowl honors. The 29-year-old tallied 130 tackles a season ago, his lowest total since posting 101 in 2019 with the Chicago Bears.

Smith also dealt with his fair share of inconsistency in coverage, allowing 442 yards and a touchdown on 49 receptions throughout the season. The former All-Pro allowed an 80.3% catch percentage in 2025, his worst since 2021.

Though it is difficult to admit after Smith has been the anchor of Baltimore’s defense for three and a half seasons, the veteran showed slight signs of regression last season. While he can still maintain an elite level of play, film revealed Smith was moving at a much slower pace than the team is used to.

That makes the presence of a young and fiery linebacker like Buchanan so much more significant. Though, he still needs to earn his position adjacent to the four-time Pro-Bowler.

Baltimore also has Trenton Simpson, a third-round pick out of Clemson back in 2023. The 25-year-old made the most of his opportunities when Buchanan went down late in the season.

In his last three starts of the season, Simpson allowed an 82.3 passer rating while totaling 20 tackles. The former third-rounder was initially selected in hopes that he would be the heir to linebacker Patrick Queen, who left the team to sign with the rival Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024.

However, Simpson’s coverage woes throughout the season were enough to bump him below a rookie Buchanan on the depth chart. Now, the two young linebackers are set to enter a fresh 2026 season under a revamped defensive staff with Buchanan likely the frontrunner to start upon returning from injury.

Should he be named a full-time starter, Buchanan truly has the potential to skyrocket into a playmaker for the Ravens. His recovery and early-season development will be a leading storyline on Baltimore’s very reputable defense.

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Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2026/06/29/out-to-lunch/otl-the-return-of-teddye-buchanan/