The Ravens are looking to make impactful moves on Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft after selecting offensive lineman Olaivavega Ioane on Day 1. Potential targets include edge rushers Zion Young and T.J. Parker, as well as receiver Denzel Boston.
The Ravens arenāt in a terrible spot at with the No. 45 pick in the second round tomorrow. They wonāt have to wait long before taking their pick. But some first-round caliber players snuck their way out of Day 1 and general manager Eric DeCosta certainly has enough picks on Day 3 to go up a couple spots to get a guy he covets. **** (No. 16 on ) stands out immediately to me as one of my favorite edge rushers in this class and an excellent fit for the Ravens. Thereās concern about the Ravensā run defense off the edge with and a young leading the room. Young is a violent run defender who sets a great edge and attacks blockers with ferocity. He could work across from early his rookie year, keeping Hendrickson and Green fresh for passing downs. Young is a little limited in his pass rush right now without elite burst, but with a more defined plan and better hand usage, he has the power to develop into a real force off the edge. He already can bull rush well and power his way to the quarterback. Heās a guy who can slide inside on passing down with Hendrickson and Green working outside. **** (No. 15 overall) is another nasty edge defender who gets violent in the run, whoās maybe not as consistent as Young in run defense, but could offer slightly more juice in the pass rusher sooner. Parker has a couple more moves in the tool bag and is ready to pass rush off the edge more than Young, but he still needs to find a secondary plan and more counters when his main moves, a cross chop and power, donāt land. He also doesnāt offer as much versatility sliding inside as Young does to pair with Hendrickson and Green, but too many edge rushers isnāt exactly a problem in todayās NFL. Lastly, a receiver who got first-round hype but just didnāt push through, **** (No. 25overall) is the classic X receiver ā fans are always looking for. Lacking any real elite long speed or burst, Boston wins with excellent releases off the line, smooth route running, and a ridiculously high contested catch rate and low drop rate. He wonāt wow after the catch and will struggle against man at the NFL level due to his athletics, but Boston is an ideal steady-handed presence with size and catch ability, the likes of which Lamar Jackson has never had on the outside.
The Ravens selected offensive lineman Olaivavega Ioane from Penn State with the 14th pick.
Potential targets include edge rushers Zion Young and T.J. Parker, and receiver Denzel Boston.
Jermod McCoy is considered risky due to medical concerns, including a torn ACL and a new degenerative knee issue.
Zion Young is viewed as a strong edge rusher who can improve the Ravens' run defense and provide versatility in pass-rushing situations.
IPL 2026: Dhruv Jurel and Yashasvi Jaiswal steal the show in RR practice ahead of their match against SRH.
Lewis Steele is back at Liverpool to fill the gap left by a club legend.
Don't miss the boxing doubleheader this weekend with Inoue vs. Nakatani and Ramirez vs. Benavidez!
Michael Malone transitions from NBA champion to UNC Tar Heels head coach.
Jim Furyk to captain the US team in the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor.
See every story in Sports ā including breaking news and analysis.
Itās not a Ravens draft without at least discussions around defensive backs in the early rounds. The Ravens donāt necessarily need one with Nate Wiggins, Marlon Humphrey and Chidobe Awuzie leading the way with T.J. Tampa, Bilal Kone and Robert Longerbeam behind. But, as someone important once said, you can never have enough cornerbacksā¦ A first-round talent who slipped due to medical concerns, the Ravensā picking **Jermod McCoy** (No. 21 overall) would be intriguing. McCoy is arguably the most talented cornerback in this whole draft and a top-10 player in terms of pure talent, but a torn ACL in early 2025 had teams questioning his medicals early. Now, a second, separate (and reportedly degenerative) knee issue has popped up that could potentially cause McCoy to miss some, if not all, of the 2026 season. When healthy and playing, McCoy is a top corner with an incredible ability to stay hip-to-hip with the best receivers in the league. If drafted and healthy, he would immediately come in as the Ravensā best corner, including rising star Nate Wiggins. The Ravens just have to assess their risk with the medicals. McCoy isnāt worth using picks to trade up for, but if he falls into their lap at 45, he may be too good to pass up, even with the medicals. **DāAngelo Ponds** (No. 51 overall) is an outside cornerback who doesnāt look like one. At 5-foot-8, most wouldnāt guess it, but Ponds is one of the most violent and attacking corners in this draft. Outside of his height, he has every single tool to be a solid outside corner: top-end speed (4.36-second 40-yard dash), instincts, an insane amount of competitiveness and hyperawareness to the ball, not to mention a 43-inch vertical that allows him to compete with bigger receivers. Despite his size, he uses excellent wrap up technique and ferocity to compensate when tackling; he only missed two tackles all of last year, per Pro Football Focus. Overall, Ponds also has the ability to slide inside and become one of the best nickels in the NFL immediately, while offering outside versatility down the line. It should open up the Ravensā secondary to move their pieces around, including keeping Marlon Humphrey fresh. **Keionte Scott** (No. 38 overall) is another nickel corner who played a hybrid nickel/safety role in college. His coverage skills can be lacking because of this, but heās capable of playing an aggressive downhill nickel role, similar to that of a better, more disruptive Arthur Maulet. Scott is aggressive everywhere in the box and the line of scrimmage, throwing his cornerback body around like a linebacker. Whether it is blitzes, triggering on short routes, chasing down run plays from the backside, attacking the catch point, or finishing tackles, Scott does all the physical sides of the game at an elite level.
It hardly qualifies as a position of need, but hear me out. Roquan Smith hasnāt been the same player since 2023. Teddye Buchanan is coming off a major knee injury. Trenton Simpson hasnāt really found his spot as a full-time inside linebacker. There are questions here, and the argument that linebackers arenāt premium positions doesnāt hold as much weight. The cyclical NFL is continuing, as teams put more resources into running the ball once more, and RPOs are becoming a vastly normal thing in the NFL. The middle of the field is vital in todayās NFL game, and you need guys who can finish plays. Preferably, those who create splashes while doing so. Enter Heisman finalist, **Jacob Rodriguez** (No. 61 overall). A do-it-all middle linebacker who can play the Will or take over for the Mike eventually, Rodriguez is capable of all the tasks required in the NFL. Filling gaps in the run, taking on blockers, covering zone, man coverage against backs, and creating havoc around the line of scrimmage and on blitzes. The best part is that Rodriguez does it with an electricity the Ravens defense has lacked in recent years. They have struggled to generate turnovers when it really matters; meanwhile, Rodriguez forced 13 fumbles and caught six interceptions with 14 passes defensed in his collegiate career. You canāt tell me that doesnāt sound enticing. The Ravens are likely looking to move on from an aging and declining Roquan Smith. They should at least consider Rodriguez if heās there at 45.
There have been countless Day 2 wide receivers who make immediate impacts on their teams in the last couple of years of the NFL, but the Ravens have participated much in that market. It might be time for them to do this this year and once again, thereās an overload of guys worthy of taking. Thereās a good mix of talent in this list that the Ravens could get in the second or third rounds. **Chris Bell** (No. 43 overall): Bell is a tough one to nail down. He suffered an ACL tear in November of 2025, putting his 2026 NFL season at risk. Reports are that heās already running and jumping but for an explosive receiver like Bell, getting back to 100% is vital to his game. Itās unknown what his rookie season could look like, and that might matter to the Ravens in a win-now mode more than some other teams that arenāt competing like that yet. When healthy, Bell is a perfect X-receiver for the Ravens: a stocky 6-foot-1, 220-pound receiver who wins more with athletics and build than technique and route running right now. Heās capable of boxing out and bodying corners for the ball while having excellent yards-after-catch ability. It will be about whether or not the Ravens are confident in his medicals and what his impact in 2026 for a win-now team will be. **Malachi Fields** (No. 75 overall): For a team that arguably already has its WR1 and is looking to extend him soon, Fields is a great compliment to Zay Flowersā skillset. Fields will likely never be a high-volume receiver in the NFL due to his inability to separate, but he does everything the Ravens could use right now. The 6-foot-4 receiver can give Lamar Jackson a big target to throw to by winning with his size, strength, and technique at the top of routes and catch points. While not an elite NFL athlete, Fields can threaten defensive backs on vertical routes, while being able to sink his hips just enough to create throwing windows with his catch radius on routes where he can snap off. Fields should be available at #45, but the Ravens would be hard-pressed to expect him to go much further if they pass on him there. **DeāZhaun Stribling** (No. 77 overall): Stribling has been a consistent riser through the draft process these last few months and has really been cemented as a second-round prospect in the last few weeks. Heās not the most well-rounded route-running prospect, but his athletic ability, combined with his mindset to compete for the ball should allow him to impact the Ravens early as an outside X-receiver while the coaching staff works to unlock more of his game. Stribling was highly productive through a though SEC schedule in 2025 and only had one drop in the season, all while doing the dirty work as a run blocker. The Ravens could get Stribling at #45 or possibly risk a trade back to grab him in the 50s. **Ted Hurst** (No. 88 overall): Hurst is a likely third-round receiver who will need development at the NFL to become truly impactful, but has the potential to make splash plays in a limited role his first couple of seasons. An impressive athlete, running a 4.42 40-yard dash with a 1.55 10-yard split, an excellent time considering his 6-foot-3, 210-pound frame. Hurst has the movement skills to form a full route tree with great hip sinkage and efficient footwork. His biggest problem is his drops, but he still managed to find himself with 1,965 yards and 15 touchdowns during his two years at Georgia State. The Ravens should be able to grab Hurst at pick #80.
After passing on Reuben Bain for Vega Ioane at 14th overall, Ravens fans are raring for another edge rusher to pair with Hendrickson and Green. I donāt blame them, I feel it too. In todayās NFL, itās not just about your first four rushers on the field, but the next four you have on the bench behind them. We listed two guys above who are of very high quality that the Ravens would have to trade up for. But here are some names the Ravens could snag at #45 who could make an impact as well. **Gabe Jacas** (No. 41 overall) One of the important things about the Ravens finding an impactful rookie edge in this area is play against the run, with limited ability on the roster right now in the room outside of Tavius Robinson. Jacas uses violent hands, body leverage and a high motor to be a solid run defender that should translate at the NFL level, with some growing pains on plays directed at him with some trickery. The pass rush juice is there as well, with get off, bend and power moves such as an effective long-arm rush. The violent hands work on cross-chops, with the bend showing up in speed rips. He needs to develop a better rush plan with more creativity to stop tackles from guessing his path with more ways to counter inside, but the juice to become a productive pressure-generator is there. **Dani Dennis-Sutton** (No. 31 overall): Dennis-Sutton is a great immediate high-floor player who fills a run defense role while offering limited production in the pass rush, but does offer versatility to slide inside and win against guards with speed-to-power. His hands are violent, sudden, and steady workers that keep him in his gaps during run plays. Heās the player who fills his gap and does his job to muddy things up to allow somebody else to make the tackle around the line of scrimmage. In pass rush, Dennis-Sutton uses his hands in a multitude of ways, including rips, swims, clubs, chops, and stabs, but they currently arenāt deployed effectively and accurately enough to be consistent winners, especially without consistent counters and a plan to mix them up effectively. He has the ability to develop this. **R Mason Thomas** (No. 49 overall) Thomas is a pass-rush only specialist at this point in his career and an effective one at that. Get off that helps win off the line, great bend around the corner of the pass rush arc to get to the quarterback. Instinctive rusher who can vary his tempo and rush moves to make them effective in beating tackles multiple times a game. He lacks true hand fighting, but is effective in using quick hands to slip by blockers when running the arc or performing inside counters using footwork. The hand fighting, such as clubs, chops, stabs, isnāt a part of his game; he uses his hands more for swims, rips, and slips, relying on speed and footwork to beat tackles then hands to finish. Heās ineffective as a run defender right now, outside of āpass rushingā his way into penetrating run defense.
This is the part Iāve struggled with. Iāve been drafting a center in almost every mock Iāve done at pick #80. But while writing this article, I think Iāve really found out I want the Ravens to focus on finding an edge or corner with one of their Day 2 picks. That leaves one other pick between wide receiver, tight end, defensive tackle, and center. I think Iād be more likely to lean towards center or wide receiver here. Centers like **Jake Slaughter**, **Logan Jones**, and **Sam Hecht** (Nos. 72, 86, and 50 overall, respectively) are NFL-ready guys who donāt have the biggest ceilings but should easily be able to find themselves starting their rookie years. But those guys could also slip into Day 3 with most teams not prioritizing pure centers. The Ravens could also easily nab themselves **Trey Zuhn** (No. 68 overall) at #115 in the 4th-round if one of those centers isnāt there and have a massive center competition between Zuhn, Corey Bullock, Emery Jones, and Danny Pinter. As far as tight end and defensive tackle, it sounds like the Ravens could have handshake deals with David Njoku and maybe D.J. Reader. That makes me willing to push those needs down to Day 3 as well. Grabbing a defensive tackle like **Landon Robinson** (No. 90 overall) who has a ton of pass rush juice for a Day 2 pick, and one of the many Y tight ends to be a blocker feels like an easy plan. If the Ravens do look at those positions on Day 2, **Eli Stowers** (N. 58 overall) and **Max** **Klare** (No. 67 overall) are the obvious receiving threat tight ends the Ravens could grab at #45, while **Sam** **Roush** (No. 119 overall)is arguably the only in-line Y tight end worthy of Day 2. As far as defensive tackle, the two names that stand out to me are **Lee** **Hunter** (No. 34 overall) and **Gracen** **Halton** (No. 28 overall). Hunter is likely to go in the second round, but Iām not sure if he would be worth the pick at #45 for the Ravens because his projection ties mostly into run stuffing, with likely limited pass rush at the NFL level, mostly winning the occasional one-on-one rep with an unprotected center or undersized guard. Halton is a fantastic athlete with a high ceiling as an interior pass rusher. But due to a part-time, limited snap role in college paired with less-than-ideal length, his range of outcomes is very wide. The Ravens might find him at #80; they may not get a shot even at #45. But heās a name to watch.