The Baltimore Ravens have boasted one of the most talented rosters in the NFL over the past two seasons but haven’t quite been able to accomplish their ultimate goal of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy for the first time in the Lamar Jackson era.
Well, NFL Insider believes the team may have a breakout rookie talent who could help improve an already talented defense in 2025.
Mike Green Named a Breakout Rookie Candidate for the 2025 NFL Season
Few teams have drafted better than the Baltimore Ravens over the last 10 years, but this draft haul could be special if USA Today NFL Insider Tyler Dragon’s breakout candidate prediction comes true for the organization in 2025.
Dragon wrote, “Character concerns caused Green to fall to the second round, but he was a first-round talent. Many scouts considered him the second best edge rusher in the draft. Green is an explosive pass rusher who is relentless coming off the edge.”
Dragon is 100% correct by saying the Ravens got a prospect with first round talent in the second round by selecting Marshall EDGE Mike Green at No. 59 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Green was mocked on numerous occasions inside the top 10 picks during the pre-draft process. This likely means some NFL teams had major concerns about Green’s character after being linked to sexual assault allegations on multiple occasions.
Green denied those accusations, but one of those allegations appear to be linked to his departure from the University of Virginia.
Green move to Marshall University led to great on-field production with 17 sacks and 23 tackles for loss, which rivaled the stats we saw from Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter, who was selected at No. 3 overall by the New York Giants.
Is Mike Green the Final Piece of the Championship Puzzle for Baltimore?
The Ravens feel like a Super Bowl or bust team entering the 2025 NFL season. One could argue one of the few positions of need on the roster is an elite edge rusher.
Dragon added, “The Ravens ranked 29th in the NFL in pass rush win rate last year, per ESPN. Kyle Van Noy led Baltimore in sacks a season ago and he is 34 years old.”
Green’s elite sack production in college could give the Ravens the type of pass-rushing specialist who could contribute immediately to this defense in 2025.
Baltimore was able to get after the quarterback last year with both Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh registering 10+ sacks in 2024. Yet, it was the first time in both players careers they managed to cross the double-digit threshold in the sack department in a season.
Van Noy is 34 years old and entering the 12th season of his NFL career, while the Ravens hope Oweh can build off of his career year in 2024.
This makes Green a player who could be pivotal to stabilizing this front seven with a dynamic pass rushing savant to compliment what should be a very productive secondary that got even stronger this offseason with the addition of Georgia S Malaki Starks.
If Dragon’s analysis proves to true, then Ravens defense could have found the final piece to make this unit truly special in 2025.