The Baltimore Ravens need help on the interior defensive line — it’s hard to say otherwise with NFL All-Pro Nnamdi Madubuike’s return still uncertain and a “Who’s That Guy?” cast of guys waiting in the wings.
That opens up an opportunity for an unknown to come in and grab a roster spot, with CBS Sports NFL Reporter Josh Edwards singling out 6-foot-4, 292-pound former All-Big Ten pick Aaron Graves as the 1 undrafted free agent who might make that happen.
“The Ravens were expected to address their front in the draft, but they waited until the seventh round to do so,” Graves wrote. “Michigan’s Rayshaun Benny will be on a comparable footing as Graves, who was given the team’s largest practical guarantee ($60,000). Graves has good size and 11 sacks over the past two seasons. Hawkeyes generally have a business-like approach and a transition to the NFL should not be overwhelming for him.”
Graves was a 2-time All-Big Ten pick who had 11.0 sacks and 14.5 TFL over his final 2 seasons.
Slow 40-Yard Dash Time Doomed Draft Stock
If you are looking for a reason why Graves wasn’t drafted, you don’t have to look far — he ran a stunningly slow 40-yard dash at Iowa’s Pro Day at 5.32 seconds.
Unless you’re an offensive lineman, that time alone almost guarantees you’re not getting picked.
NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein correctly predicted Graves would be a priority free agent.
“Two-year starter with consistent production in the key categories,” Zierlein wrote. “Graves lacks NFL-caliber size, length and athletic-testing numbers, but he fills stat columns, using hustle and know-how to find the action. He finished his career with an impressive sack total (16.5) but he’s not a consistent quick-win rusher and those numbers are unlikely to translate. He struggles to hold his ground against double-teams/angle pressure as a run defender, while his lack of length hurts his consistency with block shed and tackling.”
Madubuike’s Status Keeps Ravens in Limbo
There is no bigger question surrounding the Ravens headed into 2026 than the status of Madubuike, who suffered a severe neck injury in Week 2 of the 2025 regular season that cost him the final 15 games.
First-year Ravens head coach Jesse Minter played it pretty close to the chest following OTAs on May 27.
His presumed return, to this point, has been shrouded in mystery other than that he underwent neck surgery in April — some 7 months after his initial injury.
“Nnamdi Madubuike is ‘trending in a great direction’ as he recovers from neck surgery, Jesse Minter said,” The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shafer wrote on X. “But no timetable for his return to practice, or for Teddye Buchanan’s. Buchanan is ahead of schedule, though, in his return from knee surgery.”
Madubuike, 6-foot-3 and 305 pounds, has been 1 of the NFL’s dominant interior defensive linemen over the last few years. He earned Pro Bowl honors in 2023 and 2024 and was named NFL All-Pro in 2023.
“DL Nnamdi Madubuike is in Baltimore ‘working’ and ‘doing certain parts’ of the offseason program, per Jesse Minter,” The Baltimore Sun’s Sam Cohn wrote on X on Wednesday.
Ravens Praised for Signing 6-foot-4, 292-Pound All-Big Ten UDFA