The 2026 NFL Draft was a busy weekend for the Baltimore Ravens. General manager Eric DeCosta and the Ravens front office made 11 selections, adding a wave of young talent to new head coach Jesse Minter’s roster. An uneven 2025 campaign was the end of the line for longtime head coach John Harbaugh, Minter’s predecessor, who spent 18 years at the helm.
The focus for 2026 is simple: get back to the top of the AFC North en route to a Super Bowl run. Quarterback Lamar Jackson and the Ravens offense will have a new play caller: incoming offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, who served as Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson’s coordinator last year. Now, Doyle will lead an NFL offense as its primary play caller for the first time in his career. His predecessor, Todd Monken, accepted the Cleveland Browns’ head coaching role.
DeCosta, Minter, and Doyle need to add more talent around Jackson, a two-time MVP. While the former Heisman Trophy winner has had a ton of regular-season success, that has yet to carry over to the postseason. Zay Flowers had a breakout year at wide receiver, yet fellow first-rounder Rashod Bateman hasn’t met expectations. The Ravens also lost number two tight end Isaiah Likely in free agency.
Drafting wide receivers Ja’Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt in the third and fourth rounds could help. So could the selections of tight ends Matthew Hibner (fourth) and Josh Cuevas (fifth round). Guard Olaivavega Ioane was the Ravens’ first-round pick, so he’ll likely slide right into the starting offensive line. There’s one more big move DeCosta should make to give Jackson the best supporting cast he’s ever had. Picking up the phone and asking the Dallas Cowboys for what it would take to bring receiver George Pickens to Charm City.
Ravens brass needs to surround Lamar Jackson with more weapons
In addition to the Ravens draft additions, Andrews, Flowers, and Bateman, Jackson also has one of the NFL’s best running backs in the backfield alongside him, Derrick Henry. Devontez Walker and LaJohntay Webster return to the receiving corps as well. Flowers’ breakout season led to a second Pro Bowl nod, locking him in as Jackson’s top receiver.
Bringing Pickens in could change that. The Cowboys sent their third-round pick this year, plus a fifth-rounder in 2027, to Pittsburgh last offseason to bring him to Dallas. The former second-rounder set career highs across the board, with 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns. His first career Pro Bowl nod also led to an Offensive MVP performance in the games. Best of all? The ex-Georgia star was an AP Second-Team All-Pro selection as well.
So, it’s safe to say that Pickens wouldn’t be cheap. The price would likely start with at least a second-rounder plus another pick, likely a third or fourth rounder. A 2027 second-round pick is likely to be more valuable than most years, because the projected class is much deeper than this year’s. If the Ravens sent their 2027 second and fourth round picks to the Cowboys, that could be just enough to bring Pickens to M&T Bank Stadium. If that’s the cost, then DeCosta needs to complete a deal as soon as possible. Once it’s done, pay the man to be Jackson’s sidekick for the next five to seven seasons. That’s how the Ravens can get back to the top of the mountain in 2026.
The 2026 NFL Draft was a busy weekend for the Baltimore Ravens. General manager Eric DeCosta and the Ravens front office made 11 selections, adding a wave of young talent to new head coach Jesse Minter’s roster. An uneven 2025 campaign was the end of the line for longtime head coach John Harbaugh, Minter’s predecessor, who spent 18 years at the helm.