Seeking a Super Bowl trip, the Baltimore Ravens have a reason to believe they can get there. But their roster isn’t perfect. So here is the perfect trade the Ravens must complete after the 2025 NFL free-agency frenzy.
The Ravens took care of some offseason needs by re-signing left tackle Ronnie Stanley and bringing in free-agent wide receiver De’Andre Hopkins.
However, the Ravens lost cornerback Brandon Stephens to the New York Jets in free agency. They also released Arthur Maulet. Therefore, secondary depth is an issue the Ravens need to address.
Ravens should trade for CB Jamel Dean
Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Jamel Dean (35) celebrates after a fumble recovery in the second half against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
The Ravens still have All-Pro Kyle Hamilton roaming around while Ar’Darius Washington, T.J. Tampa, Jalyn Armour-Davis, and Marlon Humphrey add to the mix.
However, adding an experienced cornerback would give the Ravens an important step forward on the defensive side of the football. Dean is 28 years old and has six years of NFL experience. He has eight career interceptions.
Dean is coming off a solid season where he received an overall grade of 75.1 from Pro Football Focus. That ranked him No. 25 among 222 cornerbacks in the league. And his coverage grade of 74.9 ranked at No. 22.
Dean’s important to the Buccaneers’ defense drew a highlight when the team lost to the Commanders in the playoffs. Dean left the game with an injury, and head coach Todd Bowles pointed to the significance of losing him, according to joebucsfan.com.
“It was huge from some of the things we try to do and wanted to do,” Bowles said. “Kind of did a good job getting the fourth down stop in the red zone. Then it came back on fourth down and they got the touchdown there.”
Unfortunately for Dean, he has struggled with injuries. He missed five games in 2024 and four in 2023. And, as mentioned, he didn’t make it through the playoff game. Losing a key player at the wrong time can make things very difficult for a team with high expectations.
The Ravens understand their need in the secondary. And it’s the whole scheme, players and coaches. Head coach John Harbaugh recently added Chuck Pagano to the staff and said it’s an important upgrade, according to baltimoreravens.com.
“It is exciting to add Coach Chuck Pagano to our defensive staff and continue to develop and grow our young and talented secondary,” Harbaugh said. “Chuck brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and coaching talent to our team. He has deep ties to the program and is excited to get to work.”
And Pagano likes what he has seen from the overall defense., according to his comments on the Pat McAfee Show.
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“This thing's turning into a juggernaut again,” Pagano said. “You don't want to see this group.”
What would Dean cost the Ravens?
That’s one of the good things about this move. The Ravens could probably get Dean for one of their sixth-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. They could move the No. 183 overall selection for Dean. At worst, the could give up their fifth-round pick, which isn’t much higher at 176.
The Ravens wouldn’t be able to get anything better than Dean with one of those picks.
A couple of players going in that range would likely be Alabama’s Malachi Moore and South Carolina’s O’Donnell Fortune. Moore has potential, as described by nfldraftbuzz.com.
“Put the tape on and you see a defensive back who processes the game at a high level,” NFL Draft Buzz wrote. “The kind of player who could find his role in an NFL defense's sub-packages from day one. The league's shift toward versatile safeties who can match up in man coverage while still handling deep responsibilities plays right into Moore's skillset, even if he might not be a walk-in starter.
“What jumps out watching Moore's film is his feel for coverage – the way he baits quarterbacks, his understanding of route combinations, and his ability to close space in zone coverage. Teams running pattern-match coverages will appreciate his ability to process information pre-snap and adjust on the fly. His experience in Saban's NFL-style defense means he's already speaking the language of pro football, which should help him contribute early in sub-packages.”
As for Fortune, the word is similar.
“The tape shows a corner custom-built for the modern NFL's emphasis on pattern-match coverage,” NFL Draft Buzz wrote. “Fortune's anticipation jumps off the screen. Watch him bait quarterbacks by showing soft coverage before closing explosive gaps to make plays on the ball. His background as a safety bleeds into his cornerback play, particularly in quarters coverage where his spatial awareness and route recognition skills create turnover opportunities.”
Those are good reports, but Dean offers the experience. He not only has many regular-season snaps under his belt, but also has appeared in 10 playoff contests. Also, he has a Super Bowl ring, earned with the Buccaneers during his second season in 2020.