The experienced nose tackle arrived in the NFL in 2017 as an undrafted player, with the Cincinnati Bengals becoming his first team as a professional. He spent six seasons there before joining the Raven Flock, and later had a stint with the Indianapolis Colts.

Tupou already knows Harbaugh and his physical work methodology firsthand. His most recent experience in the league came on the Ravens’ practice squad, and now he arrives in East Rutherford to strengthen the trenches for the G-Men.

Tupou joins an NFC contender

Since breaking into the NFL, Josh Tupou has carved out a solid role as a dependable interior presence and a key asset on special teams. Utilizing his imposing 6-foot-3, 350-pound frame, the Colorado product nose tackle excels at plugging up the middle, racking up 94 total tackles and 3.0 sacks throughout his career.

While his dirty work in the trenches doesn’t always grab headlines, his knack for absorbing double-teams and shutting down rushing lanes makes him an incredibly valuable, selfless piece for any defensive front.

More options for Harbaugh at the position

John Harbaugh has assembled a deeply physical and highly versatile mix of options at nose tackle, perfectly tailored to anchor the interior of the defensive front line. Locking down the starting role is veteran powerhouse DJ Reader, a premier, elite space-eater whose rare knack for absorbing double-teams and shutting down rushing lanes serves as the ultimate anchor for the run defense.

Providing high-upside rotational depth behind him is Leki Fotu, an imposing 6-foot-5, 317-pound journeyman coming off a active 2025 campaign across Las Vegas and Houston where he continued to prove his reliability as a heavy interior presence. Adding massive, young talent to the rotation are rookies Bobby Jamison-Travis—a highly productive 328-pound Auburn standout who racked up a career-high 36 tackles in 2025—and the towering 6-foot-5, 340-pound Anquin Barnes Jr. out of Colorado.

Together, this specialized rotation offers Harbaugh the perfect blend of seasoned block-shedders and explosive youthful size to consistently choke out opposing run games.

“How I played last season was okay, but it’s not the standard I set for myself,” Starks said, via the team’s website. “I know I can play at a higher level. There were plays I should’ve made and didn’t. This season, I’m expecting to make them.”

The arrival of Jesse Minter as the new head coach — someone who knows how to maximize defensive units — could be a major boost for the former Georgia Bulldogs football player. What is certain is that Starks wants to become a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks, and he has already sent his warning.

Starks’ numbers during his rookie season

Malaki Starks put together a seriously impressive rookie year in Baltimore, quickly locking things down as a vital piece of the Ravens’ secondary. The 2025 first-round pick didn’t look like a newcomer at all, starting 15 of the 17 games he played and logging a massive 1,065 defensive snaps.

He flew all over the field to rack up 84 total tackles (49 of them solo) while showcasing his ball-hawking instincts by snaring 2 interceptions and deflecting 4 passes. For a first-year safety tasked with adjusting to the speed of the NFL, his heavy workload and reliable production proved he’s already playing way ahead of his text-book experience.

Ravens have strong potential at safety

Although the bet on Malaki Starks remains the strongest one, the truth is that the Baltimore Ravens secondary is also well protected by names such as Kyle Hamilton and the recently acquired Jaylinn Hawkins.

“I think this defense is going to take advantage of everyone’s strengths,” Starks said. “Hawk is a great safety, I’m learning so much from him already. Kyle, we all know the things he can do and how he can line up in so many different places.”

A 10-year NFL veteran, Ismail played for the Ravens from 1999 to 2001 and started all four playoff games during Baltimore’s first title run, including the 34-7 win over the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV ― recording a 44-yard catch that set up a field goal from 47 yards out to extend the Ravens’ lead to 10-0 before halftime.

“The Missile” enjoyed the most productive years of his NFL career in Baltimore, recording 191 catches for 2,819 yards and 18 touchdowns in 47 appearances (44 starts). Now an analyst covering his former team, Ismail speaks with Bolavip about the Ravens‘ moves ahead of the 2026 NFL season.

Ismail analyzes the Ravens’ 2025 season

Bolavip: Before we get into the upcoming season, I would like to know your thoughts about last year. What do you think went wrong for the Ravens?

Qadry Ismail: Boy, where do I begin? I think the year started off with extremely high expectations. A lot of the pundits in the media were saying that the Ravens were built to win a Super Bowl. They drafted some really good quality players. They had a ton of guys returning and basically they went into the year with the idea of “this is a Super Bowl or bust” proposition. At the owners’ meeting, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti was like, “Hey, Super Bowl or bust, let’s go. I’m ready.”

Whereas, I think John Harbaugh, who was in his 18th season as the Ravens head coach, he kind of tempered it a little bit. And I think that tempering mindset, in my opinion, when you’re talking about a highly competitive, win-at-all-cost type of league and situations that you present yourself and you present your players with for him to temper it… I think it kind of set the tone for what would transpire once the regular season started.

And so regular season starts and I think the offense looks good, strong, and sound, but there was some chinks in the armor of the offense. Lamar Jackson clearly being the star player that he is, he was amazing and did some amazing things, but I could see where when it was crunch time and time for them to be at their best, his offensive line failed him.

And because of that failure, the Buffalo Bills got the better of the team. The defense that no longer had Mike Macdonald as their defensive coordinator, they just didn’t look the part. And I think the dysfunction on the defensive side of the football, coupled with the fact that you had an offensive line that just couldn’t get into a strong solid rhythm against an upper tier defense, it just led to a 1-5 start. And that 1-5 start led into a year where Lamar Jackson was in and out of the lineup because of injuries.

I think the way in which their general manager Eric DeCosta did his free agency with certain players, primarily Jaire Alexander, from a cornerback aspect of things who you thought he was going to be really a strong piece to the puzzle for the defense, that didn’t work out.

Cooper Rush, who was Lamar Jackson’s backup, that turned into a very poor move and decision. Tyler Huntley comes in and really sparks the team to a couple victories before Lamar Jackson does get back into the fold.

But the failure for John Harbaugh and his staff, offensively and defensively, to, number one, say the elephant in the room: You just don’t have the right combination at offensive guard on both sides of the ball. You then defensively you can’t make your decision on what you really want to be as a defense. They had a major injury in (Nnamdi) Madubuike with his cervical spine injury and not really sure whether or not he was even going to play again.

I think all of that amounted to an opportunity to still go to the playoffs in Pittsburgh and you miss a 44-yard field goal because you didn’t have pretty much the right management of game play. And what I mean by that is, that shouldn’t have been a 44 yarder. It should not have been over on the, I believe it was the left hash, and I think that they were supposed to kick it on the right hash.

You pretty much put the season in the hands of a, I don’t know how much he was making, $800,000 kicker compared to a 36 and 60 some odd million dollar Hall of Fame running back and quarterback.

I think that there was an abject failure on the coaching and yeah, I think it led to the dismissal of John Harbaugh. Steve Bisciotti was very clear that he didn’t want to have another disappointing year and that empty feeling and so he decided to make a change and now you have Jesse Minter. Hope springs eternal, “The King is dead. Long live the King.”

All right, here we go, Jesse Minter! He’s touted as being a guy who understands defense, but more importantly, he understands relationships, building those relationships and making sure guys understand their expectations. As a team and as an individual, as a unit and as an individual, as a collective group and as an individual.

So whether you’re receiving group, an offensive line group, D-line group, defensive back group, linebacker group, you guys are a collective of individuals that need to understand one another. Whether you’re a unit, defensive side of the ball, offensive side of the ball, special teams side of the ball, you got to understand your assignments and your roles. So collectively, that forms that team and hopefully Jesse Minter can get it done.

John Harbaugh’s firing and eventual move to New York

BV: And how did you feel when John Harbaugh was fired and immediately found a new home on the New York Giants?

Ismail: I think when you have a resume like John Harbaugh, a Super Bowl winning coach, a coach that has sustained excellence in the playoffs ― up until last season, really had a good strong track record of being competitive, and his teams typically are well prepared and all that ― you’re going to gain and garner the interest of other teams.

And obviously with the Giants, their failures to get a head coach to sustain their level of excellence when it comes to their organization and when it comes to how they like to do things, I think it was a no-brainer for them to figure out that John Harbaugh would be a good fit for them.

I think for the Ravens and my personal opinion and feelings, yeah, he was a good dude and I think that there’s nothing that I can say that he did bad to me or anything personal or anything along those lines. But I think that at some point in time, your message gets stale. And as the message gets stale, you’ve got to reinvent yourself. He did it, but I think that in his reinvention he missed the mark, and it showed up in so many ways, in season as well as in the offseason.

The expectations on Jesse Minter and the new coaching staff

BV: Like you said, he spent many years at the helm and before him there was Brian (Billick), who also spent a very long time at the helm of the Ravens. How confident are you in Jesse Minter now to have another long tenure as head coach?

Ismail: Well, Martin, the times that I’ve spent with him, it seems like he’s got it all together. And again, when I say all together, sure, he’s had his growing pains, his ability to kind of go through the fire, and that refiner’s fire, you get some impurities that come to the top, it gets wiped away and then you have a better person, better product.

I think for Jesse right now, it looks like, yeah, he’s able to navigate, if you will, some of the things that are going to be coming his way. And his staff, it looks like his staff is a really cool staff that he put together.

But I would say he’s like a new battleship. You know, when an admiral commissions a battleship and now it’s no longer on a dock and they send it into the water and there’s the buoyancy of it all and it’s like, “All right, that’s great.” Then the captain of the ship is in charge of it.

You got your first mate and you got all your officers and you got your different people who are in charge of the different things of running the ship. That’s great. But you’re not seaworthy until you really put yourself under the test. And whether it be some sort of conflict that you have to deal with or if it’s some sort of issue at sea with regards to weather, regardless, you’re not seaworthy yet until you’ve gone through those experiences and really tested it.

So right now, yeah, the honeymoon is great. I could say a whole bunch of great things about Jesse Minter, but until he goes into Pittsburgh and experiences that, or plays against Cincinnati and experiences that. The NFC South is the main core of their schedule that they’re going to be playing.

And so with that, okay, how are you going to do when you’re playing against those guys? What does it look like when you’re playing on prime time? What’s going to happen when you have your first critical decision to make and all those things with both him as well as his offensive coordinator and Declan Doyle. We’ll see.

BV: Apart from Harbaugh’s exit and Jesse Minter’s arrival, the Ravens now have Declan Doyle as offensive coordinator and Keary Colbert as the new wide receivers’ coach. How do you think these changes will affect Lamar Jackson this year?

Ismail: I’m curious to see how the Ben Johnson-Sean Payton molding will bring Declan into the conversation of working with Lamar Jackson. And what I saw last year with Caleb Williams and the way the Chicago Bears formulated their offense, it looked great, and he made some incredible plays. I loved the mixture of run and pass. I loved all of it. Declan had a huge hand in preparing the offense throughout the week. It was Ben who called the plays, but now Declan gets an opportunity to be the guy.

And so with the experiences of two strongminded offensive people in Sean Payton and in Ben Johnson in the back of his mind, I think that he’s going to serve the next iteration of the Lamar Jackson era really well.

And then yeah, his assistant coaches on his staff, the Keary Colberts of the world, I know they have their responsibilities of articulating his vision to, in this particular case, the receiving core. They’ve got a really good receiving core led by Zay Flowers.

Again, if you’re looking at Chicago’s offense, if I’m a receiver, I’m drooling, because I’m like, “All right. We’re gonna have some plays that are going to be pushing the ball down the football field.” We’ll have some quick game, but I like how we can run some routes and get an opportunity to make some big plays.

The lack of playoff success with Lamar Jackson

BV: And why do you think Lamar and the Ravens couldn’t succeed in the playoffs yet? What do you think they need to get over the hump once and for all?

Ismail: I think the elephant in the room… There has to be an unwillingness to waver off of what you do best. And I think in the playoffs, whatever the reason, coaching as well as execution, they seem to waver off of what they do best. And teams in the playoffs, they try to take away your strength.

Teams that win in the playoffs, literally, they’re the ones dictating their strength to you. Period. End of discussion. “Oh, you’re going to try to take this away. That’s great. Well, here we go. We’re about to show you why you cannot.”

And I think that’s something that the Ravens, in the Lamar Jackson era, have done at times. They have Tennessee at home, they don’t play well, Tennessee beats them. They go to Tennessee, they whoop up on Tennessee. Buffalo seems to be in an enigma, where you think that they’re going to play extremely well, but they make these critical mistakes and then in the end they don’t execute to win the game.

But they got there because why? They got past the divisional round or the wild card round by whooping up on the Pittsburgh Steelers. You’re a number one seed going up against the Kansas City Chiefs at home. You have an opportunity to just be you. You got a defense that is incredible. You got the number one ranked offense, number one ranked defense, and for the first time in history, the team that failed to get to the Super Bowl, let alone even winning it, you now have to hang that hat on you.

And so with Jesse Minter’s new offense, new defense, new way of doing things, yeah, I think he has to have a resolve that says “whatever we are, we’re going to be that when we get into the playoffs and we’re going to impose our will on the other team.“

Expectations for 2026

BV: The AFC has been very challenging for the Ravens all these years. How far do you think the Ravens will go this year considering all the changes in the conference?

Ismail: The AFC, yes, had been ruled by Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes. I think the shift overall, globally in the league, has been an interesting one where you’re seeing a kind of tipping back towards the defense. And Mike Macdonald is certainly one of the teams that you would say is ahead of the class. Obviously, what the Philadelphia Eagles did the year prior and whooping up on the Andy Reid-led Kansas City Chiefs certainly made the blueprint be evident.

I think bigger picture-wise, when you look at all those teams, whether it be the Broncos, whether it be the Patriots, whether it be, even the Bills to a certain degree, the Texans, they all have a defensive front that if you don’t run the football or if you don’t control the line of scrimmage with your upfront five and the pass protection ability of it and be accurate with the football, you’re going to have a long day. That’s just how it is.

And so I think for Jesse Minter, he’s going to implement some of those philosophies that we see across the AFC and across the NFC. I think that’s going to be great for this defense and I believe they’re going to give the offense an opportunity to have short fields. As opposed to always having to, you know, relinquish the ball and now you’ve got to go 70-80 yards. I think this team will be opportunistic. I think this team will be giving the Ravens offense a lot of short fields which is going to be advantageous to the team as a whole.

BV: Rushing was very important the year you won the Super Bowl. How important do you think that Derrick Henry will be, or that at least he should be this year for the Ravens?

Ismail: I think the running game and what Derrick Henry presents is just incredible. Top-notch. Unbelievable. And I say it because of this: Anytime you’re an offensive line and you’re having trouble when the wind blows and you’re trying to block air and you’re missing, that’s a problem. Let that sink in a little bit.

So I think this year with Declan Doyle, I think what he has is Dwayne Ledford, their offensive line coach, and I think Eric DeCosta by drafting Vega Ioane as a right guard, bringing in John Simpson as the left guard, still up for debate what it’s going to look like at center, but for running game purposes, if I am Derrick Henry, I’m like, “All right, bet. Here we go. We’re going to do some things.”

Now, they don’t have the traditional pullback any longer. They have let Pancake Pat Ricard go and they’re going to bring in a multi-look uh tight end group. But besides that, I think that yeah, it’s imperative that they run the football, run it effectively, and I think that they will.

The Lamar Jackson – Michael Jordan analogy

BV: And what do you think of Lamar running with the ball? Do you think that he should do it less, just to protect himself, or do you like when he suddenly scrambles and gains yards on his own?

Ismail: He’s the greatest dual-threat quarterback to ever play the game. So, why would I want to take a strength away from the greatest to ever do it? Did Michael Jordan set the tone early in his career by dominating at the rim? Yes. Did he change up from a longevity aspect of things and do his fadeaway jumper? Yes. Did he come back to dominating at the rim when he needed to? Absolutely.

My point in that analogy is this: Lamar Jackson early in his career did what he needed to do for his strength and for what the team needed. He has certainly evolved into the player that he is today. And I think the next phase of his game is to be like Jordan in that fadeaway jumper. What does that look like? Because you also need to have that dominant go to the rim style of play, too. That’s where I think I’m excited to see what it’ll look like in Declan Doyle’s offense.

BV: Would you have liked to play with Lamar?

Ismail: God, yes! Absolutely. In my career, I played with Warren Moon, Hall of Fame quarterback who in my mind I don’t ever remember him throwing a bad ball ever. I played the latter part of my career with Peyton Manning and that was an awesome thing as well from a pure, just let’s take advantage of the defense, period. Now, well, let’s go to the line of scrimmage and let’s have the entire playbook at our disposal and we’ll change the play so the defense can’t hone in on us. Those two quarterbacks were just incredible, incredible, incredible.

Now, if I were playing with Lamar, my goodness. I would absolutely love it. I think it would be amazing. I think the early iteration of Lamar where he was more leaning towards running the football rather than throwing it, I probably would pass on that.

But the Lamar Jackson that has, I don’t know how many perfect passer rating games he has, but I know he’s like, if not number one or at least top two of all time, I want to be a part of that. That guy who, man, he slings it, and he will find you.

I want to be a part of that guy and yeah, I want it where teams are so nervous that he’s going to run that you’re in man-to-man situations and let’s eat! As a receiver, you should be drooling because you know all you need to do is make one guy miss to have a big play on your hands.

Ismail’s experience playing with great QBs

BV: You recently mentioned Peyton Manning, you also overlapped with Brian Johnson and even Dan Marino during your stint with the Dolphins. What was your experience with them, and who was the one who impressed you the most?

Ismail: Hall of Fame wise, Warren Moon, I had a good amount of success with. Dan Marino, I wasn’t nowhere near in the conversation of playing on the team with him, he and my good friend OJ McDuffie had a really awesome connection. I mean, that was his guy and OJ was on point with it.

Dan was just incredible arm talent. I mean, say what you want about today’s quarterbacks, but Dan was doing it back in the day where you had to take some vicious hits as well as your receivers weren’t just running free wide open across the middle, because you had guys that were able to take your head off, and it was just a different game back then, but he thrived in it. So that to me says an awful lot.

I loved playing with Peyton. You can put yourself in a position where if it’s cover two and you got a man route, I mean, it’s easy to change it, but not many quarterbacks have the IQ to change it. Payton had the IQ to change it at a moment’s notice. So, I loved that about him. And it was just fun playing with him. Again, like I said with Warren, you just never had a bad ball and he was just fun. That was amazing, playing with him.

But you’re going to think, this is where my success was with two quarterbacks. One was Elvis Grbac and the other was Tony Banks. And both of those guys, while not Hall of Famers, like it felt great to have the moniker of being their go-to receiver, to being the number one threat and that playmaker for those guys. That to me was amazing. So yeah, I would say in my time, those people really stood out to me.

Analyzing the current game

BV: You recently mentioned some changes in regard to today’s quarterbacks. How much do you think the game has changed from your era to today? Not only at quarterback, but also at wide receiver.

Ismail: Quarterback, I mean, well, the rules are now where you just have so much more protection. You know, it used to be like a badge of honor to go across the middle, and you just get hit by the safety, and you kind of get up and brush yourself off, and your body is like, “Oh my goodness, I just got lit up. But I’m not going to let him know that.” And you just sit there and you try to be tough and you just got hit. Now you can go across the middle and you’re not going to get laid out and leveled like you did back in the day.

So yeah, I think the game has certainly changed. The press coverage, man-to-man coverage, the way it used to be compared to now, the defense will be defensive holding or defensive pass and interference. Although they have strengthened the pass interference as well, nowadays, oh man, I feel like this era of football resonates with me more than my era of football. I respect it.

I respect those guys, the numbers that they put up, you know, the Marvin Harrisons, the Chris Carters, the Jerry Rices, the Randy Mosses, the Isaac Bruces of the world. I mean, I’m naming some dudes right there. You know, those were my vintage of guys. And man, the numbers they put up were just incredible. The Michael Irvins of the world, they were ballers and just tough, tough, tough receivers, great route runners, smart players. For me, I felt like I would have played so much better and more aggressive in this style of football, in this era.

BV: And who are your favorite wide receivers today?

Ismail: I would say Jaxon Smith-Njigba just jumps off the page at me. I mean, he kind of has that old school style to him, you know? He just reminds me of some of those route runners that I just mentioned. He has a flair for the dramatic. He can just make catches, you know, kind of Larry Fitzgerald back in the day made catches for the Arizona Cardinals. You know, Jaxon Smith kind of looks like that guy who can do that.

I like Zay Flowers here at the Ravens. I think he’s a dynamic playmaking kind of a guy. The guys that came before this current group were the Julio Jones of the world, the Odell Beckham Jrs, the Andre Johnsons, the Reggie Waynes. I mean those dudes, I appreciate their game too. Those some big boy receivers that commanded the presence on the field, commanded the attention of the defense.

I think a guy who had a brief moment of fun in the sun if you will was AJ Brown for the Philadelphia Eagles. I appreciate his game. I kind of like DeVonta Smith, Smitty, as they like to call him up in Philadelphia. To me, the way he plays, with his stature and size, but his toughness and his just his smart football IQ and his ability to make catches. Like goodness, I really appreciate his game as well.

So yeah, there are some guys there that came before this era and then this current group of dudes, the Mike Evans of the world, the big, tall receiver that just year in and year out just shows up. I’m curious to see what he’s going to do with the 49ers, but he continually shows up. I like this group of receivers and what they bring to the table.

Ismail’s memories from Super Bowl XXXV

BV: What do you remember about Super Bowl 35? What did it mean to you, and how much did it forge your bond with the Ravens?

Ismail: That entire year was interesting. Interesting in this regard: it was one of the greatest years of my career, but it was the most challenging of my career.

I had the best teammates ever assembled on a team and it was led by Rod Woodson, Shannon Sharpe, and Ray Lewis. We had a mixed bag of just funny, eclectic, crazy dudes from the Tony Siragusa, the Sam Adams, offensively, Shannon Sharpe, we had just like a weird mix of dudes and it worked, and we had a coaching staff that just blended all of us together.

I think it was challenging for me as an individual because I came off of my first 1,000-yard receiving year. I was ready to do it again. We had to change at quarterback. Trent was a guy who was just going to manage the game. He wasn’t going to do anything outside of the game that was going to put the team in harm’s way, which is what we needed. Once Jamal Lewis got going, it was like, “yo, here’s our formula. Here’s what we’re going to do.”

But selfishly, I had a high grade two MCL sprain that really set me back as far as just my play, the ability for me to be a speedster and make big plays. While I did make plays, while I was the team’s leading receiver and all those things, my numbers weren’t where I wanted them to be and just my play overall, like I knew that, “man, I’m not at 100 because of this knee injury.” And I knew it, and it was frustrating, and it was tough, and it was hard, like recovery and everything. That year challenged me so much mentally. Yeah, it was the hardest year ever.

Yet there was something to say about going each and every game and just winning, and winning, and winning, and winning, and winning. And getting into the playoffs and winning, and winning, and winning, and hoisting up the AFC Championship Trophy out in Oakland and you’re looking around like, “Wait a minute. What’s next?” Oh, oh, we’re going to Tampa. We’re going down and we’re gonna be playing against the New York Giants. “Oh, wait a minute. They’re going to the Super Bowl?” Like I thought we were gonna play the Minnesota Vikings.

The jersey behind me is the jersey that I wore in the Super Bowl with the grass stains on it and all that. And I got the Wheaties box over here. You ain’t getting a Wheaties box as a runner up. You only get a Wheaties box if you win. So to be on it, to be a part of it, it was amazing. And yeah, got the hardware to show it. So fun, fun, fun, awesome group of men to win a championship with.

WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH QADRY ISMAIL ON BOLAVIP US:

“I mean, change can be good,” the running back said via The Athletic. “We’re all excited for everything. Everything is new, so we’re all just trying to learn, but also enjoying it, taking it day by day, not trying to get too overwhelmed, but just being present in the moment.”

Harbaugh left the Ravens Flock with a Super Bowl title under his belt as he heads to the NFC East. Now, Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and company will have to adapt to a new system, although the hope of remaining among the league’s top contenders is still very much alive.

What does Jesse Minter bring to Baltimore?

Jesse Minter’s return to Baltimore, replacing none other than Harbaugh, brings a highly respected, data-driven methodology that emphasizes aggressive versatility and elite game-planning. Having previously served on the Ravens’ defensive staff between 2017 and 2020 before implementing a top-tier defensive system with the Los Angeles Chargers, Minter relies on a teaching-heavy, collaborative working style that players absolutely love to play for.

Because he is a defensive-minded head coach, his arrival won’t directly alter the offensive play-calling mechanics, meaning he won’t be micro-managing the ground game to artificially boost Derrick Henry’s stats.

However, Minter’s signature ability to field a suffocating defense will inevitably hand the ball back to the offense with excellent field position, creating plenty of clock-killing opportunities that could indirectly keep King Henry’s rushing numbers sky-high.

Henry’s outstanding 2025 season the Ravens

Derrick Henry put up absolute monster numbers in 2025, racking up 1,595 rushing yards and crushing 16 touchdowns on 307 carries. To take things to the next level, the goal isn’t just about forcing a higher volume of touches, but heavily capitalizing on efficiency and capitalizing on ideal field position.

By letting the offense wear down tired defensive lines late in games, King Henry is in a prime position to break even longer runs, maximize his yards per carry, and easily shatter his previous regular-season benchmarks.

The positive buzz surrounding the rookie was solidified by a glowing practice report from Ryan Mink. “Caught several passes in 11-on-11 drills on Monday, including a diving snag over the middle. Cuevas also had a red-zone catch in traffic during Thursday’s session,” Mink wrote.

Cuevas could provide a significant boost to the Ravens’ offensive schemes under the creative direction of new head coach Jesse Minter. His ability to find soft spots in the zone will be vital for a unit looking to modernize its passing attack during the 2026 NFL season.

How good was Josh Cuevas in college?

Before joining the Ravens as the No. 173 overall pick, Josh Cuevas was a dependable target for the Alabama Crimson Tide, where he recorded 37 receptions for 411 yards and four touchdowns in 2025. His collegiate journey also included productive stops at Washington and Cal Poly, where he once posted a massive 678-yard season with 6 touchdowns.

His unique skill set allows him to help the Ravens’ offensive identity by playing multiple positions across the line of scrimmage. By adding a young, athletic threat, Baltimore can keep defenses off balance while supporting their established veteran stars.

The Ravens’ offense could perform significantly better in 2026 as young players like Cuevas blend with seasoned veterans. This combination of fresh talent and experience should lead to a more explosive and efficient scoring unit this upcoming season.

“Lamar has been one of the leaders of the offseason program. A couple things going on yesterday and today. I do expect him to be back soon. We’ve had some great conversations. [I] know when he’s going to be back, and I’ll probably leave that between me and Lamar,” Minter said during his press conference.

The lack of clarity surrounding the quarterback’s absence created quite a bit of uncertainty. However, there was also no indication of a potential injury to the signal-caller, which certainly would not have been a positive development for the team.

The Ravens fell short of reaching the playoffs last season, and they have taken matters into their own hands to change the course of the franchise. Despite having one of the deepest quarterback rooms in the NFL, the organization continues to place its trust in Jackson to finally deliver the long-awaited Super Bowl title.

Jesse Minter’s options in the QB room

Under new head coach Jesse Minter, the Baltimore Ravens are currently carrying an unusually crowded five-man quarterback room, anchored by superstar Lamar Jackson and locked-in veteran backup Tyler Huntley. With depth charting tightly behind the top two, the real battle lies at the bottom of the roster, where Skylar Thompson, acquired from the Pittsburgh Steelers, undrafted Heisman finalist Diego Pavia, and Joe Fagnano are competing for a depth spot.

Carrying five quarterbacks through the summer is highly impractical for practice reps, meaning at least two of them will certainly be cut before the regular season, with the survivors likely fighting for a single No. 3 spot on the practice squad.

First challenges for the Ravens

The Ravens will wrap up their offseason with OTAs on June 1, 2, and 4, followed by Mandatory Minicamp on June 9–10, before rookies report to Training Camp in mid-July and veterans arrive on July 21.

From there, Baltimore transitions straight into a demanding opening stretch of the regular season, starting with a road opener at the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, September 13 (Week 1), followed by their home opener against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, September 20 (Week 2), and culminating in a historic international matchup against the Dallas Cowboys in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, September 27 (Week 3).

This ranking comes directly from NFL insider Jordan Schultz, who meticulously evaluated every team’s matchups to determine who has the smoothest path to the postseason. In his detailed list, Schultz placed the Ravens in the 6th position for the easiest schedule, while the Chiefs sit in the 10th spot, suggesting both teams could see a high win total this year.

The schedule for Baltimore includes early tests against teams like the Saints and a unique Week 3 trip to face the Cowboys at Maracanã Stadium. Meanwhile, the Chiefs will kick off their campaign under the bright lights of Monday Night Football against the Broncos, followed by a home game against the Colts.

Analyzing the path to the 2026 playoffs

For the Ravens, the middle of the season features a heavy dose of divisional play and a challenging road trip to Buffalo in Week 8. However, facing opponents like the Panthers and Jaguars in the second half of the year should allow Lamar Jackson and company to stay fresh.

The Chiefs’ schedule is bolstered by a Week 5 bye and several high-profile matchups at Arrowhead Stadium, including visits from the Jets and the 49ers. While road games against the Bills and Bengals in the winter will be tough, having the Patriots and Raiders at home during the final stretch provides a clear runway for Patrick Mahomes to navigate another deep playoff run with minimal resistance.

Ultimately, these rankings suggest that the road to the Super Bowl may once again run through Baltimore or Kansas City thanks to their balanced calendars. While no game in the NFL is a guaranteed victory, having a schedule ranked among the bottom third in difficulty gives these elite rosters a larger margin for error as they battle through the physical grind of an 18-week regular season.

They once again face a demanding AFC North schedule, but the team’s list of opponents also includes several heavyweight matchups against contenders from across the conference and beyond.

The road schedule could be even more challenging. Trips to face teams like the Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions will test Jesse Minter‘s roster, which remains built to compete for a Super Bowl.

Who will the Ravens face during the 2026 NFL season?

The Baltimore Ravens will face all three AFC North rivals twice during the 2026 season, while also taking on the AFC South and NFC South as part of the National Football League’s rotating scheduling formula.

They are scheduled to play eight home games and nine road games because AFC teams receive the extra away game in even-numbered seasons. That means the team will once again deal with several difficult road environments while trying to stay among the AFC’s top Super Bowl contenders.

Baltimore’s home schedule includes several marquee matchups at M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens are set to host the Los Angeles Chargers in one of the top AFC non-division games of the year.

The Ravens will also play outside the US as they will take on the Dallas Cowboys in Brazil in Week 3, giving them one of the NFL’s marquee international games of the 2026 season.

Home opponents

• Cincinnati Bengals
• Cleveland Browns
• Pittsburgh Steelers
• Jacksonville Jaguars
• Tennessee Titans
• Los Angeles Chargers
• New Orleans Saints
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Away opponents

• Cincinnati Bengals
• Cleveland Browns
• Pittsburgh Steelers
• Houston Texans
• Indianapolis Colts
• Atlanta Falcons
• Carolina Panthers
• Buffalo Bills
• Dallas Cowboys

“I think I would be surprised, but prepared for it, if that’s what they choose to do to us for the fifth straight year,” Zac Taylor said while awaiting the release of the schedule on Thursday. It is clear that the coach wants to bring this game to Cincinnati this season.

On November 25, 2025, during Thanksgiving, the Bengals managed to secure a 32-14 victory at M&T Bank Stadium, snapping a three-game losing streak in primetime against the Ravens. Will the league finally grant them a divisional classic in 2026 at The Jungle?

Bengals look for a revamped and healthy season

Bengals finished the 2025-26 season with a disappointing 6–11 record. A major factor in this outcome was once again the health of Joe Burrow, who missed a significant portion of the season due to a severe Grade 3 turf toe injury and ligament damage suffered in Week 2, which ultimately required surgery.

Heading into the 2026 season, Burrow’s primary focus is on durability and staying on the field, especially after a grueling stretch of recent setbacks that include a torn wrist ligament in 2023 and a strained calf that hampered his early performance that same year.

Confirmed opponents for the Bengals in 2026

After a disappointing season, all efforts are focused on turning things around immediately. Although the exact dates are still unknown, the Cincinnati Bengals already know their opponents, and their trips away from Paycor Stadium look promising for what lies ahead.

Earlier this offseason, the Las Vegas Raiders agreed to send Maxx Crosby to the Ravens in exchange for two first-round picks. The move ultimately fell through after Crosby failed his physical due to concerns regarding a meniscus repair, a twist of fate that directly impacted the Buccaneers.

Jason Licht, general manager of the Bucs, revealed that the failed trade was a “blessing in disguise.” Had the trade been finalized, the Raiders would have held the No. 14 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft—one spot ahead of Tampa Bay. Licht believes the Raiders would have likely selected Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr., whom the Buccaneers ultimately secured at No. 15.

“Then I think going back to free agency when, you know, the Raiders-Ravens trade didn’t work out, I think that in some way I’d like to think helped us a little bit. I was a little afraid if the Raiders made that trade, Spytek, he and I are very close, he was taunting me a little bit, hey, we’re sitting right in front of you, I know what you need,” Licht said “And then, you know, Crosby goes back to the Raiders, then the Ravens are sitting there again with their pick, and I know they love their edge rushers, too, so that had me nervous.”

There is a lot of uncertainty regarding Rueben Bain Jr.

Prior to the 2026 NFL Draft, Rueben Bain Jr. was regarded as a top-10 prospect. However, concerns over his arm length (measured at 30 7/8″) caused him to slide down the board to the 15th overall pick.

Scouts describe Bain Jr. as an explosive, NFL-ready edge rusher. Nevertheless, critics believe his lack of length might hinder his ability to disengage from veteran offensive linemen at the professional level.

Bain Jr. famously dismissed these concerns by comparing himself to Mike Tyson, noting that while Tyson wasn’t the longest fighter, “when you felt him, you felt him.” Now, he must prove scouts wrong on the field and show the teams that passed on him that they made a significant mistake.

Will Maxx Crosby be traded?

With the Ravens backing out of the deal, Crosby remains with the Raiders for the 2026 season. While he had reportedly envisioned a future outside of Las Vegas, those plans are now on hold.

Crosby remains an elite pass rusher, but he must deliver an outstanding 2026 campaign. Given the injury concerns raised by Baltimore, he needs a healthy season to prove his long-term value, or his time in Las Vegas may truly be reaching its end.

According to Ian Rapoport, the Ravens are signing Thompson, meaning they will boast a five-man quarterback room. At least for the time being. Roster cuts could—and likely will—be made as the year progresses. Lamar Jackson will command the huddle, with Tyler Huntley expected to be the second-string quarterback.

The third and emergency quarterback throughout the 2026 NFL season will most likely be decided throughout rookie camp, minicamp, and training camp between Joe Fagnano, Diego Pavia, and Skylar Thompson. Both Fagnano and Pavia were signed as undrafted free agents (UDFA) by Baltimore.

Ravens’ QB situation

Although Jackson is the franchise’s solution at quarterback, Baltimore knows better than to leave the position unattended. Jackson is under contract through the 2027 NFL season thanks to the five-year, $260 million extension he signed back in 2023. However, his contract includes a potential out next offseason, per Spotrac, and the Ravens are searching for other answers in case Jackson shocks the world and leaves Charm City.

The signings of UDFAs Pavia and Fagnano serve that purpose. Though his off-the-field issues concern several teams, Pavia was a Heisman Trophy runner-up for a reason, and he might prove to be a reliable quarterback in the NFL. Pavia isn’t the tallest, biggest, or fastest prospect, but he plays with the heart of a lion. One would be amazed to realize how often that proves to be a difference-maker in the league.

If neither UDFA experiment (Pavia and Fagnano) works out, the Ravens can resort to Huntley. Obviously, keeping Jackson in town is priority number one, but Baltimore is still weighing all its options. With a stacked QB class coming up in 2027, the Ravens may have a Plan B to a potential departure from Lamar after all.

More about Skylar Thompson

Thompson was a seventh-round selection by the Miami Dolphins in 2022. Although he signed with the Steelers in 2025, Thompson’s last career appearance came in 2024. So far, he’s played 10 career games, with only 721 passing yards, one passing touchdown, and three interceptions to show for it.

Despite his limited playing time, Thompson has playoff experience under his belt. With Tua Tagovailoa injured, Thompson was named the starting QB for the Dolphins in their Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills in the 2022 postseason. Despite the high-stakes scenario, that was arguably his best game of his career. Thompson threw for 220 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.