Ravens Predictions for the 2026 Season

It has been a long offseason, one that started abruptly when Tyler Loop’s 44-yard attempt in Pittsburgh sailed right signaling the end of the Ravens’ season. The coaching staff is gone. The usual 20-25% attrition rate did not spare Baltimore and fortunately Daniel Faalele was included.

We now turn our attention towards the 2026 season. It has finally arrived. What might be in store for new head coach Jesse Minter and the purple and black? Will Lamar Jackson finally punch his ticket to the Super Bowl? Let’s dive into the RSR Bold Predictions for the Ravens 2026 season…

Tony Lombardi

I’m admittedly bullish on the Ravens but after being wildly optimistic in 2025, I’ve curbed the enthusiasm, albeit only slightly. The Ravens have a lot of new faces, new schemes and a refreshingly new attitude. But it stands to reason, that there will be a learning curve and such curves aren’t always a friend to production. My biggest concerns are in no particular order:

• Depth at corner
• Depth at wide receiver
• Depth at left tackle

Let’s review…

• Marlon Humphrey was bad last season. He’s trending upward this summer, but the Ravens are counting on him to defend the perimeter, and I don’t think he has the chops to do it anymore. They’ll need to scheme protection his way and that makes them vulnerable in other places. Oft-injured Chidobe Awuzie isn’t exactly a benchmark for availability.
• If Rashod Bateman misses time due to off the field issues or worse, if Zay Flowers misses time, the Ravens don’t have reliable veteran depth and that’s a danger zone for an organization that has far more misses than hits at WR. Perhaps Ja’Kobi Lane will be a hit. Fingers crossed.
• Ronnie Stanley is 32 years old. He’s only missed 1 game since the start of the 2024 season. That’s good. But those 33 starts are two more than his total starts during the previous five seasons. If Ronnie goes down for any length of time, is there a player in the building who can fill his shoes?

Every team has similar concerns. How a team manages the valleys of any season oftentimes determines who is left standing in February. So without further ado, here are my Ravens predictions for the 2026 season:

Darin McCann

The 2025 Ravens’ season didn’t go exactly as planned.

Injuries, poor play by former stalwarts, weird breaks going against them and a kick that appeared to be aimed at a concession stand led to a massive coaching shake-up and a reset by an organization that has rarely shown any inclination to a reset in its past. What’s in store for the 2026 Ravens?

No clue. But we’re going to take a shot at it, anyway!

Record: 11-6, AFC North Champions

Breakout Player: Mike Green

Step-Back Player: Derrick Henry

Top Rookie: Vega Ioane

OPOY: Lamar Jackson

DPOY: Kyle Hamilton

Problem Solved: Trey Hendrickson

With Mike Green as my rising star and Trey Hendrickson as my “problem-solver,” it’s easy to see I’m pretty high on the edge group this year. Hendrickson will benefit by being Hendrickson and that’s been enough for him for the majority of his career. I believe Green will benefit by the gravity of Hendrickson, Nnamdi Madubuike and a slew of confusing coverages behind him to buy him another half step.

Henry slipping means he runs for 1,300-plus yards and 10 touchdowns – numbers most teams would knock people over to get in line to add to their roster. I just worry that those 60-yarders might become 40-yarders, and etc. Father Time usually wins, even if Henry has been giving him wedgies the past few years.

The schedule starts easy and gets harder, but I think the Ravens will be one of those teams who look better at the end of the year than the start — my usual go-to theory with new coaching staffs.

Rob Shields

Last year, I started this off asking, “will this finally be the year that the Ravens and Lamar get over the hump?” Well, that same question is the #1 question for all Ravens fans.

We obviously have a very big change this year and it’s one that gives many Ravens fans hope. That of course, is the change at Head Coach and coaching staff overall. Jesse Minter comes back to the Ravens and becomes the team’s 4th head coach in franchise history.  He brings a new staff, led by new OC (and first time play caller) Declan Doyle and new DC, Anthony Weaver. Weaver, like Minter, returns to the Ravens.

The early returns on this coaching staff are nothing but positive. According to the players, the communication is better and the attention to detail is improved.

The offensive players have talked about the creativity in the offense and Lamar seems completely bought in.

The Ravens biggest issue last year, offensively (besides injuries), was the O-line. That didn’t get any better after they lost Tyler Linderbaum to a very dumb contract with the Raiders. To address the line, the Ravens brought back John Simpson to man LG. Simpson is around a league average lineman. He won’t wow us, but we have to hope he can be solid enough. The big addition on the line was first round pick Vega Ioane. All indications are that he is playing like a vet already and he appears to be a perennial Pro Bowl talent. The Ravens also added four pass catching threats in the draft, led by Ja’Kobi Lane, who appears to be a player that could make a huge impact on the offense.

On defense, the team was swarming to the ball in the preseason. They allowed just 13 points total and no one was really able to move the ball.

In terms of new additions, the Ravens bring in old rival Trey Hendrickson to lead the defensive line in hopes to bring the sack numbers back up. Pass rush was very bad last year. Along with Trey, the Ravens drafted Zion Young, a player many thought would go in Round 1, in the second round. It sounds like he may not make a huge pass rushing impact this year but hopefully he can help to free up others. Jaylinn Hawkins was brought in to be the third safety, which will allow Kyle Hamilton to freelance. We saw this with Alohi Gilman last year but he couldn’t cover. Hawkins should be an upgrade.  The team also welcomes back Nnamdi Madubuike, who looked like he may be done for his career after a neck injury. We will see if he is able to play Week 1 but even if not, it sounds like he will be back soon.  Along with Mads coming back, the Ravens welcome Calais Campbell back. Campbell continues to be a guy that wreaks havoc on the line. He gets pressure on the QB and does a good job pushing the pocket in the run game.

I am very encouraged by this team. I felt they had an excellent offseason and training camp has been great overall.  But, the team isn’t without its issues. I am worried about the offensive line. Ronnie Stanley will constantly worry me as long as he is there. I think he can be fine against most edge rushers but the younger, faster guys will give him issues. We heard about this in training camp when they had the joint practice with Minnesota. He reportedly gave up three sacks to Turner. We also will always have to worry about his health.

Ravens K Tyler Loop had an inconsistent training camp. The Ravens clearly like him but are they putting too much faith in him?  I think that’s a fair question to ask.

And of course, we don’t know how Minter will be as an in game coach and we don’t know if Doyle can call a good offense.  Overall, I’m confident in these guys but we still have to see it.

Record prediction:  12-5; AFCN winner and 2 seed.

Playoff prediction: I feel they make it to the Super Bowl this year but I do have them losing to the Rams. I think they have been held back by Harbaugh and his staff in recent years. Lamar has to be better but I think he was also held back in some ways by the staff. He still has his own issues he has to conquer in January.

Breakout player: Ja’Kobi Lane. He is the obvious answer here. If he can carry over his preseason momentum, Lamar may have the best weapons of his career to throw to.

Team MVP: Obviously Lamar is the answer here but if I were to go beyond the obvious guy, I would go with Kyle Hamilton. I think he has an outside chance at DPOY and Minter is going to have him playing  at the highest level of career, which is pretty scary to think about.

Jason Woolbert

Well. Last year I wrote we can send the Ravens to the Super Bowl every year until they make it. This season it’s not so easy. We don’t know what this new coaching staff has in them. There’s a bunch of hype and positivity, sure, but you can say that about an awful lot of teams starting relatively fresh. What we can say is, it became painfully clear John Harbaugh was no longer the answer, so the Ravens rolled the dice and we’ll see if they come out seven.

Record: 12-5. This time I used a web site and picked every regular season game for every team. Said record is where the Ravens ended up. It would be good enough for the division win and the 2 seed in the AFC. I have them splitting vs. Pittsburgh and Cincy for a 4-2 division record, with losses to Buffalo and Houston on the road and Dallas in Rio.

Floor: Last season the Ravens hit my floor on the nose at 8-9. Lamar wasn’t down for the season but he was injured. I see no reason to deviate from that so it stays put. I ask the Ravens to please get off the floor.

Ceiling: Any team featuring a healthy Lamar Jackson at QB has a championship ceiling.

Team OPOY: Stay upright, Lamar.

Team DPOY: Kyle Hamilton remains my pick. Jesse Minter did a great job with Derwin James and that will be Hamilton’s role. You can argue Trey Hendrickson, who has the ability to go off for 15+ sacks.

Team ROY: Boy was I wrong last season picking Mike Green, but nobody had Teddye Buchanan as the answer. I hope this class goes more to form because we really, really need Olaivavega Ioane to be a stalwart out of the gate. He’s the pick. Eyes will be on Ja’Kobi Lane of course.

Breakout Player: This one’s up for grabs with a number of interesting candidates. Malaki Starks improved as his rookie season progressed and is a good choice. Buchanan hopefully has a full season to get some national notoriety. My vote will go to Aeneas Peebles who looks much improved this summer. He will get snaps this time and he will do something with those snaps.

Biggest surprise (Good): Roquan Smith is going to bounce back this season. He looks in great shape and he’s going to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Mike Macdonald style defense.

Biggest surprise (Bad): Do you know who led the Chicago Bears in receiving in Ben Johnson’s offense last season? Colston Loveland, with 713 yards. The Ravens will likewise not have a 1000-yard receiver this season under Johnson’s protege. It doesn’t mean they’ll have a poor passing offense, but chances are the ball will be spread around and it will lead to the usual complaints from Ravens fans about “not having a real WR1” even if they win the title.

In spite of a revamped coaching staff the Ravens still have as good a chance as any AFC team to represent the conference in the Super Bowl. The paper juggernaut lives in the NFC and so does the defending champion. Stay relatively healthy and the talent on their roster will carry them through the regular season. After that, we just have to hope the team can be more adjustable in their play calling once the other team has them figured out.

Nick Polinsky

Like the ending to the 2024 season and the 2023 season, the way the 2025 season wrapped up was brutal. Everything seemed to be a hassle all season yet the opportunity was still there for the taking come Week 18. It was a missed kick that created a domino effect, with no playoff success meaning John Harbaugh was out the door. A new wave has been ushered in and this Ravens squad seems to be much better equipped and much better prepared than it was during this time last year.

Record: 12-5, 1st in AFC North

Breakout Player: Trenton Simpson

This seems like the classic contract year breakout for a Ravens defender, he’s had a great camp and fits much better in this new defensive scheme.

Most Improved: Tavius Robinson

Tavius has been solid in the past but 8 sacks from Robinson is well within the realm of possibility

Best Surprise: Jaylinn Hawkins, HM: Marlon Humphrey

I feel like Hawkins will play well above his 2-year $10 million contract that he signed this offseason. Humphrey had a really solid end to camp and him stepping back into the spotlight would be huge.

Worst Surprise: Zion Young

This year may be an adjustment period in the limited snaps he’ll get for the big edge rusher who’s used to winning with power.

The pieces seem to be in place for a deep playoff run, but we’ve learned not to get ahead of ourselves in the past.

Drew Kordula

Record: 12-5

This Ravens team has a (relatively) easy schedule and you can slice and dice it any which way to convince yourself they should get to 11 or 12 wins. They should make the playoffs and then we buckle up for some anxiety-inducing weeks.

Defensive MVP: Trey Hendrickson

I’m not sure Hendrickson will get the numbers on paper worthy of a defensive MVP, but I believe his impact on this defense will be immeasurable. He will take pressure off others on the defense (I’ll get to one of those in a second) and create opportunities for Minter to get creative on defense.

Offensive MVP: Zay Flowers

Obviously if Flowers is in this conversation, so will be the guy throwing him the ball. However, I’m going to believe the hype behind Declan Doyle forcing the ball into Zay’s hands a bit more than his predecessor. Last year he had over 1,200 yards and I look for him to approach 1,500 this season.

Breakout player: Mike Green

The addition of Hendrickson will open the door for someone on the other side to walk through it and contribute this season. I’m hoping that someone is Mike Green and he can finally live up to some of the hype.

Most disappointing: Derrick Henry

Henry is getting up there in age for a running back and has a ton of mileage on his body. At some point he’s going to start breaking down and unfortunately I think it may be this season. Although he put up solid numbers last season, he didn’t pass my eye test at times. I see him regressing a bit in 2026.

Top Rookie: Vega Ioane

I’m taking the easy answer here. Vega is a monster and I’m thoroughly excited to watch him make some pancakes for me on Sundays.

Vermont Raven

Derrick Henry leads the NFL in rushinig.

Ja’Kobi Lane has the 2nd most receiving yards on the Ravens.

Ravens defense is in top 5 in the league in both yards and points allowed.

The Ravens start at least three kickers this year, after finding out that Loop nor Jake Moody are the answer.

Ravens finish 12-5 and win AFC North.

Lamar Jackson wins another MVP award.

Ravens finally break through and win the Super Bowl.

John Hughey

I can’t remember the last time there was a buzz like this, surrounding a Ravens season. Jesse Minter’s staff has brought a new energy to the building that’s become almost contagious to fans alike. The ceiling and expectation in Baltimore is winning a Super Bowl, but can Jesse Minter become just the third head coach in NFL to do so as a rookie?

Ceiling: 12-5; Super Bowl

Floor: 7-10; Miss Postseason

OPOY: Lamar Jackson

DPOY: Kyle Hamilton

Biggest Breakout: T.J. Tampa Jr

Biggest Let Down: Ronnie Stanley

ROY: Matthew Hibner

The Ravens are viewed as contenders whenever Lamar Jackson is under center. I’ve said it often in these articles recently, but I’m siding with history, and expecting an MVP-type season out of Lamar. Just like he told me in response to my question at training camp, “the sky’s the limit” with this offense.

Ronnie Stanley is my choice for potential biggest let down this season. Stanley has struggled to stay healthy over the years, and hasn’t really returned to that All-Pro status we all saw in 2019. The Ravens can’t afford a below mediocre season out of their LT, who still has this season and next remaining on his 3-year contract.

It may be a “hot take,” but if Matthew Hibner can put up production similar to Charlie Kolar in year-one, the Ravens might have found one of their tight ends of the future. I’m not as high on Josh Cuevas or expecting much out of Durham Smythe in 2026, but Hibner’s pass catching ability could help him put up some solid production in his rookie campaign. We’ve seen what the Ravens can do with late round tight ends, and I believe Hibner is next in line.

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