Things are about to change in a big way for the Baltimore Ravens on offense, according to general manager Eric DeCosta. He announced how the unit will look very different during the 2026 NFL season, under new coordinator Declan Doyle.
DeCosta revealed all to Bryan Nehman of WBAL NewsRadio 1090 and FM 101.5. When asked about what will be different after Doyle took over play-calling duties from Todd Monken, DeCosta replied, “It’ll certainly look different at times. I mean, in the end, there’s only so many different things you can do, but formationally, you’ll see us in three or four wide receivers probably a little bit more. We won’t be using, as you alluded to, a fullback. We’ve got four tight ends on the roster … The idea would be to create a surprise element to the offense where defenses really don’t get a sense for what we’re trying to do on any given play. With a fullback in the game, most of the time, you gonna run the football. With tight ends, there’s still the element of the passing attack and throwing the ball, so I think it’s going to be 12 personnel, 13 personnel, whatever that might be. It’s going to be multiple.”
These words represent more than a minor departure from what the Ravens have done historically. How they moved the ball during 18 years with John Harbaugh as head coach.
The Harbaugh vision was about punishing defenses with smash-mouth running, but DeCosta has outlined something more wide open on Doyle’s watch. A pass-heavy approach DeCosta intentionally paved the way for with many of his 2026 NFL draft picks.
It’s a new way of doing things franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson might love enough to sign his next contract ahead of schedule. Provided DeCosta is right about the Ravens having enough weapons to make this change work.
Eric DeCosta Put Change Into Practice During Draft
DeCosta using five of his 11 picks to draft skill-position players was significant. Especially the decision to double down on taking wide receivers off the board in the third and fourth rounds.
The latter choice is already tipped to challenge the status of incumbent pass-catcher Zay Flowers. Meanwhile, DeCosta also selected a potential replacement for former tight end Charlie Kolar, a late-round pick with a more versatile skill-set.
Getting more dynamic in the passing game was the prevailing theme of many of DeCosta’s picks. It even extends to the backfield, where a sixth-round choice with skills more reminiscent of an All-Pro wideout is set to replace change-of-pace running back Keaton Mitchell.
DeCosta has quietly positioned the Ravens to look very different on offense. It’s a Jackson-friendly change Doyle can put into practice.
Declan Doyle the Key to New Ravens Offense
Doyle’s schemes helped Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams take the league by storm during his second season in the pros. Williams threw for 3,942 yards and 27 touchdowns operating a system underpinned by heavy use of three-receiver formations.
Numbers from Sharp Football Analysis show Doyle’s Bears put three receivers onto the field 52.6 percent of the time last season. The Ravens, by contrast, were bottom of the league standings after using three-receiver sets on a mere 30 percent of their snaps.
Doyle was also more unpredictable mixing pre-snap run looks with post-snap pass plays. Williams used play-action at a 19.9 percent rate, compared with Jackson’s 13.6 percentage of play-action usage.
That’s a somewhat surprising stat given how effectively the Ravens ran the ball with two-time NFL rushing champion Derrick Henry. He’ll face a new challenge after the Ravens pivoted away from their traditional two-back offense by letting All-Pro fullback Patrick Ricard reunite with Harbaugh in free agency and take his bludgeoning lead blocking to the New York Giants.
Henry will now need holes to be opened by misdirection and the multiplicity DeCosta has promised. Fortunately, the Ravens can be more unpredictable, based on how Doyle used a 60.6 percent motion rate with the Bears last season.
Moving tight ends and receivers around before the snap will alter looks and keep defenses guessing about what comes next. That should help Jackson, although the very different Ravens offense DeCosta promises will rest more on the QB’s arm than ever before.
Eric DeCosta Announces Big Change to Ravens Offense