Analyst reveals Ravens' highest offseason priority and it's not Lamar Jackson

The Baltimore Ravens have a long checklist to work through this offseason, and it is crucial for Jesse Minter that the franchise works through that list.

Yes, Lamar Jackson's contract, plus the ability to keep key players like Isaiah Likely and Tyler Linderbaum, are top of the wishlist, but there might be something else.

Given how poor the Ravens' defense was at times in 2025, maybe overhauling the unit for Minter should be seen as a priority.

Well, for NFL.com's Matt Okada, he named repairing the defensive front as Baltimore's highest priority.

"A couple years ago, Baltimore’s defensive front was a strength, anchoring the top scoring defense in the NFL," Okada wrote. "In 2025, it was a weakness. Perhaps through both free agency and the draft, the Ravens should focus on restoring their defensive front at the start of the Jesse Minter era."

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Lamar's contract has to be urgent, right?

Given that the Ravens are staring down the barrel of a $74.5 million cap hit, and the fact that repairing the defensive front will likely mean splashing in free agency, yeah, Baltimore needs more cap space.

And extending Lamar, or restructuring his contract, will help ease his 2026 cap hit.

Of course, in an ideal world, the Ravens would sign Lamar to a long-term deal that would allow the franchise to push money into future years, and in turn, give the front office more ammunition to get the defensive players it needs.

So yes, fixing the defensive front is key, but so too is figuring out how to shrink Lamar's cap hit for 2026.

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