The Baltimore Ravens are brushing themselves off and getting ready for another shot at the Super Bowl. They cruised into the playoffs and took care of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the wild-card round before falling short in the divisional round against the Buffalo Bills.
As Baltimore looks to build a Super Bowl-winning team in 2025, an interesting name has popped up as a potential free-agent target.
Ravens Linked With 140-Sack Veteran Pass Rusher
Baltimore had one of the league’s top run defenses throughout the 2024 season, especially early on. But that dominance slipped a bit when star safety Kyle Hamilton was asked to drop deeper into coverage to help out a struggling pass defense. The Ravens allowed the second-most passing yards per game in 2024, as their stout run defense and positive game scripts forced teams to air it out.
The defense still brought pressure, finishing with a sack on 8% of opponent drop-backs — only four teams had a higher rate. But according to a recent article by Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox, the Ravens could be a perfect landing spot for former Bills edge rusher Von Miller.
“Though the Baltimore Ravens defense showed life late in the 2024 season, it still ranked just 31st in passing yards allowed for the season. Adding another pass-rusher to complement Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh would make sense, and the Ravens are one of the few teams that would make sense for the 36-year-old Von Miller.”
Baltimore’s clearly not afraid to bring in older veterans to chase a championship — it already signed 32-year-old receiver DeAndre Hopkins early in free agency. Miller could be a valuable piece, too. He notched six sacks while playing only 33% of the defensive snaps in Buffalo last season.
Do the Ravens Need Help on Defense?
The Ravens’ defense played well overall in 2024, but there was still room to grow. During the regular season, they allowed the 10th-fewest total yards (5,511) and the ninth-fewest points (361) but came up short in the playoffs.
Baltimore earned the eighth-highest grade in PFSN’s Defense+ metric (80.2), but that dropped to 78.9 when postseason games were factored in. That bump down knocked the Ravens from the eighth-best to the 11th-best defense in the league, underscoring their playoff struggles.
“However, the Ravens were trampled by Buffalo’s ground game during their Divisional Round loss. That’s a tough reality, considering that Josh Allen only passed for 127 yards. Still, the Ravens’ biggest defensive strength ultimately couldn’t help overcome three turnovers and untimely drops on offense.”
Baltimore gave up a 38.2% success rate and -0.19 EPA per rush against Buffalo — both their worst marks of the season. While the pass defense held up statistically, it didn’t create many negative plays. The Ravens’ 4.3% sack rate in that game was also their lowest of the year.
Even though the pass rush held up during the season, depth becomes everything in January. Just ask Dan Campbell. At 36, Miller could be an ideal rotational player for a contending team like Baltimore. And if the Ravens want to snap their 13-year Super Bowl drought, adding a two-time champion and Super Bowl MVP could be a smart move.