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The Ravens held their final open practice of organized team activities Tuesday as they ramped up for next week’s mandatory minicamp.
Here are three takeaways from the team’s media availability with coordinators Declan Doyle, Anthony Weaver and Anthony Levine Sr.
Even beyond Hendrickson, Weaver sees solutions for pass rush
Whether it was the cause of the Ravens’ defensive downfall or merely a symptom, the precipitous drop in sacks in the 2025 season was one of the team’s biggest concerns. From second in the NFL (54) in 2024 to tied for third-fewest (30) last season, the toothless pass rush was an area where Baltimore struggled week to week.
Weaver, a new defensive coordinator, recognizes how little the group achieved last year. While outside linebacker Trey Hendrickson was primarily brought in to bring serious muscle to this unit, Weaver sees other options for the group to mature, too.
Among the biggest factors the Ravens are counting on is a second-year leap from Mike Green, a 2025 second-round draft pick who was thrust into a lot more action than expected when Tavius Robinson suffered an early injury. He had 14 quarterback hits last season, good for second on the team, but just 3.5 sacks.
When Weaver was with the Dolphins, he said the team had Green listed among its top two outside linebackers available in the draft. In his film study of Green, he’s seen how close the Marshall standout was to an actual breakout year — in some cases, just fractions of a second behind the throw.
“I made this cut-up for him where I showed him just how close he was to potentially having like a double-digit sack season,” Weaver said. “So it’s not an ability thing. We need … the corresponding coverage to help out. But he is milliseconds away from having double-digit sacks, and we’re going to do everything we can to try to make that happen this year.”
Newcomers also offer some promise. Second-round pick Zion Young has a reputation as a player with a high motor, which Weaver said has held up so far in OTAs: “You see how bad he wants to be great.”
The Ravens also signed Calais Campbell, who will turn 40 this season. A veteran who played for Weaver both in Baltimore and Miami, Campbell has recorded at least five sacks in each of the past four seasons. Weaver joked that Baltimore signed Campbell to give him “somebody that I could relate to a little bit more,” but is high on the presence Campbell brings to the field and the locker room.
“He’s a force multiplier — he’s one of those guys that doesn’t just make our defensive line better; he makes our defense better,” Weaver said. “He makes our team better. And anytime you can inject that type of energy and leadership into a locker room, that’s a win. So I love the guy to death.” – Kyle Goon
Doyle installs his offense around the ‘twitchiest’ athlete he’s ever seen
Doyle has dreamed of what his offense would look like as he’s worked his way up the coaching ranks, but there have always been people who had final say on play-calling over him.
He doesn’t even know if he wants to be positioned on the sidelines or in the box on game days. But he’s already calling plays in practice based on feel rather than relying on a scripted plan.
“I can’t imagine a better preparation to be able to go do that,” Doyle said.
He also plans to use the preseason to try out calling games from upstairs and downstairs.
Despite the remaining uncertainties, wide receiver Zay Flowers said he already has a good idea of what Doyle’s offense will look like. He said it features things he’s never seen before and added that Doyle is exceptional at teaching it.
Weaver called Doyle’s brain a computer while Flowers called him a genius.
There will, of course, be hiccups as they install. Flowers said they’re not stressed about it — they’d rather make the mistakes early on before the games count. It’s why it’s good he and Lamar Jackson are here early, he said, since they have a new staff and a new system to get used to.
Doyle has to get used to Jackson, too. He said that tape couldn’t have prepared him for the reality of Jackson’s game. He called him the “twitchiest” player he’s ever worked with and said they’ve been comparing notes on and off the field.
“It’s been great working with him and getting to know kind of how he thinks and how he sees the game,” Doyle said. “It’s a relationship that is constantly evolving.”
But so far, the introductions are going smoothly with Doyle fitting right in with his players.
“He got the same mentality as us,” Flowers said. “Like, he ain’t playing, but he a dog, though. You can just get that vibe from him.” - Giana Han
Levine and Minter are aligned on restoring the special teams play
This is Anthony Levine Sr.’s first year running the show as the Ravens’ special teams coordinator. This is also Jesse Minter’s first year running the show as head coach.
Under former coach John Harbaugh, the Ravens were one of the NFL’s sharpest and best drilled special teams units. Levine, who played 10 seasons in Baltimore, was one of their longtime linchpins.
But with the defensive-minded Minter taking over and an overhaul underway on offense, would the Ravens’ commitment to special teams change? The early indications are that it won’t.
“Just how Jesse believed in special teams ... everybody else believed in special teams,” Levine said, noting that Minter is “always” in a special teams meeting.
“If I need more time [in practice], he’ll give us more time,” Levine added. “If I say, ‘All right, Coach. We’re done’ — we’re done. .. He’s not there to be like, ‘All right,’ and taking time away from special teams. Not at all. He understands the importance of it. So, I mean, he’s pushing special teams just as much as me.“
Under former special teams coordinator Chris Horton, the Ravens finished 12th in special teams DVOA last season, an improvement on their disappointing 2024, but far from the highs they long enjoyed under Harbaugh.
This year, they’ll be working in a young kicker (Tyler Loop) and a new punter (Ryan Eckley) and looking for production at their return spots. Minter has stressed the phase’s importance this offseason, Levine said.
“He let guys know how important special teams is,” he said. “So it will not be a fall-off because Coach Jesse is not having that. And I’m not either, by the way.” - Jonas Shaffer
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