New Ravens coach Jesse Minter's success hinges on these 10 players

The new era is official, as Ravens head coach Jesse Minter has assembled his full staff for the 2026 season. The Ravens are in Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine ahead of the start of the new league year on March 9.

Minter will hit the ground running with high expectations, as the Ravens are among the teams with a projected win total of 10+ games. There will be changes to the roster and key personnel, but the infrastructure for a potential Super Bowl contender is still in place. Minter will need to improve the offensive line and add talent at edge rusher, defensive tackle, and cornerback.

With the new league year fast approaching, we're looking at the ten players currently on the roster most critical to Minter's success in Year 1.

Lamar Jackson

Despite missing four games due to injury, QB Lamar Jackson finished with 2,549 yards, 21 TDs, 7 INTs, and a 103.8 passer rating (No. 4 in NFL). His 8.1 net yards per pass attempt tied for the NFL's third-highest rate. Now, it'll be on Declan Doyle (OC) to truly unlock Jackson's potential.

Kyle Hamilton

A Swiss Army Knife, the ultra-versatile Hamilton earned his second AP first team All-Pro honor. Everything Minter wants to do on defense starts with Hamilton.

Derrick Henry

Baltimore's No. 2-ranked rushing attack was fueled by RB Derrick Henry, who ran for the NFL's second-most yards (1,595). Henry also logged the league's second-most rushing TDs (16). Henry was the NFL's only RB in 2025 to rank in the Top 3 in each rushing yards, rushing TDs, and YPC average (5.2 – third). Minter has talked about using Henry to take pressure off Lamar Jackson.

Nate Wiggins

Baltimore was 24th in total defense (354.5 ypg), including 30th in the NFL vs. the pass (247.9 ypg). Any improvement starts in the secondary, and Nate Wiggins is the unquestioned No. 1 cornerback on the roster. In his second NFL season, Wiggins finished with 76 tackles (57 solo), 3 INTs, and 14 PD. His 27 PD over his first two years tie for second both in franchise history and among his 2024 draft class.

Zay Flowers

Flowers set career highs in receiving yards (1,211 - 7th in NFL, 2nd in franchise history) and catches (86 - 11th in NFL). He became the third player in franchise history with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.

DT Travis Jones

With uncertainty around Nnamdi Madubuike, Jones is an important player on the defensive line. Jones enjoyed a career year, recording career highs in tackles (47), TFL (9), sacks (5), QB hits (9), FF (1), and FR (1). Jones' 5 sacks and 9 TFL are the most by an NT in single-season franchise history.

Mike Green

As a rookie, Green got off to a slow start, but eventually found his footing down the stretch. Overall, Green played 713 snaps, finishing with a 46.3 grade from PFF, 3.5 sacks, 19 pressures, and 14 quarterback hits. With Minter entering the process, Green's production should jump tremendously.

Ronnie Stanley

An aging left tackle, Stanley regressed somewhat in 2025 after making the Pro Bowl in 2024. Last season, Stanley's 70.9 overall grade was 35th out of 89 offensive tackles according to PFF.

Marlon Humphrey

Humphrey led the Ravens in INTs (4) for the second consecutive season. He logged 7 combined INTs (4), FFs (2)and FRs (1), which tied for the NFL's second most "defensive splash plays." Still, Hmphrey's 49.9 grade from PFF was 104th best out of 105 eligible cornerbacks.

Roger Rosengarten

In 2024, Rosengarten earned a spot on the Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie team, alongside No. 5-overall pick Joe Alt of the Los Angeles Chargers. After some early career struggles, Rosengarten took over as the Ravens' starting right tackle in Week 4 and finished ranked No. 39 at his position by Pro Football Focus (PFF). He had four sacks allowed in 488 pass blocking snaps. This season, Rosengarten's 76.4 grade was 26th in the NFL, as he logged 1,014 snaps with three sacks allowed.

Roquan Smith

In 2025, Smith earned his fourth-career Pro Bowl nod, breaking into the Ravens' Top 6 all-time tackles list. Smith finished this season with 130 tackles (76 solo), which ranked 15th in the NFL and ninth in the AFC.

Malaki Starks

Starks, a 2025 first-round pick from Georgia, started 15 of the 17 games he appeared in this season, logging 1,060 defensive snaps (11th), 84 total tackles (49 solo) and four passes defensed, including two interceptions. Starks finished his rookie season with the third-most interceptions and the fourth-most total tackles on the Ravens' defense.

Starks may not be Kyle Hamilton, but he was solid, and an improvement in pass coverage (64.9 PFF grade) could take him to a Pro Bowl level.

This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Baltimore Ravens: 10 players critical to Jesse Minter's first year