The Baltimore Ravens and general manager Eric DeCosta have an uncanny knack of finding diamonds in the rough.
While consistently picking at or near the bottom of the draft order, the Ravens seem to always find the help they need in both the draft and free agency to help them remain one of the best teams in the league year in and year out.
And this offseason, DeCosta might've done it again.
After the dust settled from the festivities of the NFL Draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the Ravens signed Iowa Hawkeyes All-American linebacker Jay Higgins as an undrafted free agent.
Ravens Nation LIVE noted Higgins' resume over the past two seasons:
Higgins was a unanimous All-American and Big Ten Linebacker of the Year in 2024. he led the FBS with 295 total tackles over the 2023 and 2024 seasons. He posted 124 tackles, four interceptions, nine passes defended and two forced fumbles in 2024 while being the only Power Five player in 2024 with 100-plus tackles and four-plus interceptions.
What a steal as an undrafted free agent.
NFL Spin Zone revealed his potential to become a starter:
Not only did the Ravens find a diamond in the rough after the NFL Draft by bringing in Jay Higgins, but they might have legitimately found a future starter," NFLSZ wrote. "Higgins is entering a position battle in Baltimore at the off-ball linebacker position, where they should be relatively open for business next to Roquan Smith. Higgins was a football magnet for the Hawkeyes, and it's not like productivity found him.
"He found ways to fly to the football consistently, and with so much talent around him in Baltimore, there's every reason to expect he will thrive at the next level."