The Baltimore Ravens have stayed true to their initial thinking when they drafted edge rusher Mike Green in the 2nd round of the 2025 NFL draft, despite some rookie shortcomings.
Green was 1st-round value in a 2nd-round pick and has the potential to be an elite edge rusher. In 2026, he’s going to get the chance to prove them right.
The Athletic’s Jeff Zrbiec singled Green out as the top “breakout player” for the Ravens, where he could form a destructive edge rusher trio with veteran free agent Trey Hendrickson and rookie Zion Young.
“A second-round pick last year, Green had 3.5 sacks as a rookie while playing more than expected following the Odafe Oweh trade,” Zrbiec wrote. “However, new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver believes Green could have very easily had a 10-sack season and showed the player a video cut-up of all his near misses to prove it. With head coach Jesse Minter and Weaver now leading the defense, the addition of veteran Trey Hendrickson and second-round pick Zion Young on the edge and the potential return of interior disruptor Nnamdi Madubuike, Green could benefit in a big way.”
Ravens Have New Competition at Edge Rusher
The addition of Hendrickson and Young is to be welcomed in Baltimore, where the Ravens were devoid of anything resembling elite pass-rushing talent in 2025.
Part of that came from Madubuike’s season-ending neck injury in Week 2. Part of it came from not drafting and signing the right players.
Green, Hendrickson, and Young could make all of that just a distant memory.
Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon singled out Green as the most important 2nd-year player on Baltimore’s roster in 2026, as the team desperately tries to find elite pass rushers — as evidenced by signing Hendrickson to a 4-year, $112 million contract.
“First-round safety Malaki Starks has a real shot at stardom and is on a promising path,” Gagnon wrote. “Green — the team’s second-round selection — was much quieter as a rookie but has the tools to become a stellar starter. Trey Hendrickson’s presence could free him up to make a major impact in Year 2, but he could just as easily get lost in the shuffle with Tavius Robinson and Zion Young in the mix on the edge as well.”
Minter almost certainly will be the key to unlocking Green’s potential after he had 3.5 sacks as a rookie.
In 2025, as defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers, Minter took a midseason trade for Ravens’ 1st-round bust in edge rusher Odafe Oweh and turned him into a star in just a half-season — Oweh wound up with a 4-year, $100 million free-agent contract from the Washington Commanders.
Rookie 2nd-Round Pick Could Take Green’s Shine
For the 2nd year in a row, the Ravens took a talented edge rusher in the 2nd round who dropped out of the 1st round because of off-field issues. In 2025, it was Green, who was accused of sexual assault multiple times in high school and college.
In 2026, it was Missouri’s Zion Young, who could very well end up being the person who takes Green’s spot in the lineup.
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport predicted Young will win an intense position battle at edge rusher over Green and Tavius Robinson to become the starter opposite Hendrickson.
“This is a legitimate toss-up,” Davenport wrote. “Robinson is the most proven option, logging those 4.5 sacks last year in 451 snaps. Green was drafted for his pass-rushing upside. Young may well be the most talented of the trio. All three will play this season, but with a strong camp, Young’s combination of physicality and athleticism could prove tough to keep off the field.”
Ravens Get Bold Prediction on 6-foot-3, 250-Pound Edge Rusher