Analyzing the winners and losers of the Ravens’ 2024 trade deadline.
The Ravens made two inexpensive veteran additions at the trade deadline, acquiring Diontae Johnson last week and Tre’Davious White on Tuesday afternoon, but resisted moving any major draft capital for a splash addition. Here are the winners and losers of Baltimore’s trade deadline.
Winner: Cornerback depth
An NFL team can never have too many corners, and the Ravens know that better than most. Multiple cornerbacks have spent time on injured reserve already this season, and both Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins have dealt with minor injuries as well. Tre’Davious White is clearly a reclamation project, but veteran depth is never a bad thing, especially when it comes dirt cheap. The Ravens were reportedly in on the Saints’ Marshon Lattimore, too, before he was dealt to the Commanders, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, indicating that they had eyes on a cornerback addition all along.
Loser: The pass rush
The Ravens are fifth in the NFL with 28 sacks, but their 30.1% pressure rate is sixth-lowest, per Next Gen Stats, leading many to call for a pass rush addition at the trade deadline. Azeez Ojulari and Calais Campbell were on the list of potential targets, but the Ravens weren’t willing to pony up the required draft capital to bring either player to Baltimore. Instead, the Ravens will hope that Michael Pierce and Travis Jones can get healthy while hoping that one of their backup edge rushers will step up.
Winner: Diontae Johnson and Tre’Davious White
Johnson went from catching passes from Bryce Young to running routes for Lamar Jackson, a massive upgrade for a veteran receiver who is now playing with the best quarterback of his career. White, meanwhile, managed to get out of Los Angeles where he had been a healthy scratch since September and now gets another chance with a leading AFC Super Bowl contender. Even if neither player has a major role for the rest of the season, they’re still surrounded by talent with a real shot at a ring.
Loser: Jalyn Armour-Davis
Armour-Davis struggled in his start against the Browns, leading the Ravens to add more proven depth in White to give them more options in case of additional injuries. White will need to learn the defense and earn his place, but Baltimore clearly did not feel comfortable relying on Armour-Davis alone for the rest of the year. The 2022 fourth-round pick has spent time on injured reserve in each of his three years in the NFL, limiting his availability and stunting his development. White’s arrival threatens his playing time and signals he may not have a long-term future in Baltimore.
Winner: Organizational philosophy
‘Right player, right price’ has long been the mantra of the Ravens’ front office, and they stuck to it this year by refusing to offer premium draft capital to secure their desired targets. Instead, they dove in the bargain bin, moving back a few dozen picks on Day 3 in 2025 to acquire Johnson from the Panthers and swapping a 2026 seventh-round pick for White and a 2027 seventh-rounder from the Rams. A net loss of zero picks while barely surrendering any value is a shrewd bit of low-risk, high-upside business by Eric DeCosta.
Loser: A hungry fanbase
Ravens fans have gotten used to high-profile deadline acquisitions with Marcus Peters and Roquan Smith both coming to Baltimore in DeCosta’s tenure as general manager. This year, pipe dreams of Maxx Crosby were quickly replaced by more realistic desires for Campbell, Ojulari, and Za’Darius Smith, but none came to fruition. Instead, the fanbase will have to wait until the offseason for any significant additions.
Winner: The 2025 draft class
The Ravens entered the trade deadline with 11 picks in the 2025 draft and only downgraded a fifth-rounder to a sixth-rounder when the dust settled. DeCosta has frequently emphasized the importance of maintaining a pipeline of young, cheap talent via the draft with several massive contracts already on the team’s books. The Ravens last had 11 picks in 2022, hitting on Kyle Hamilton and Tyler Linderbaum in the first round and finding value in Travis Jones and Isaiah LIkely later on. There will always be some misses, but more picks equals more chances to find a future contributor.
Loser: Calais Campbell
The stars seemed aligned for a reunion with Campbell: the Ravens badly needed defensive line depth and the 2-6 Dolphins should have been selling with a steep uphill path to the playoffs. Instead, the 38-year-old Campbell will remain in Miami in what could be his final NFL season rather than one last chase for a championship in Baltimore.
Winner: Azeez Ojulari
While Ojulari certainly wouldn’t turn up his nose at joining a Ravens team contending for a Super Bowl, a stint in Baltimore may not help his wallet. He has generated just 21 pressures, according to both Next Gen Stats and Pro Football Focus, but playing starter’s reps next to Dexter Lawrence and Brian Burns has helped him rank 13th in the NFL with 6.0 sacks. In Baltimore, Ojulari wouldn’t usurp Kyle Van Noy or Odafe Oweh in the starting lineup, and he won’t find as many favorable matchups or clean-up opportunities amid a struggling Ravens pass rush.
Winner: Lamar Jackson and the offense
Lamar Jackson added Johnson to his already-potent array of weapons while the Ravens declined to make any major defensive additions. Zach Orr can still improve his side of the ball, but it’s clear that Jackson will need to outscore opposing offenses for the rest of the year. That can only help his MVP odds and increase the offense’s confidence and cohesiveness as they hurtle towards the postseason.