The Baltimore Ravens received one of the highest consensus 2025 NFL Draft grades, snagging some of the top defensive talents in the class in the first two rounds and finding value in the later rounds. One of those Day 3 picks could also become a starter this season.
Ravens’ reporter Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic highlighted fourth-round pick Teddye Buchanan as his favorite pick from the team’s 2025 draft class. He believes that the 6-foot-2 linebacker will see the field immediately on special teams and could eventually overtake Trenton Simpson as a starter later this season.
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“The fourth-round pick is a high-energy player who flies around the field and usually ends up around the football. Over five college seasons, the first four at UC Davis and the final one at Cal, Buchanan had 322 tackles, nine sacks, three forced fumbles and eight interceptions. At 6-foot-2 and 233 pounds, he is a physical specimen and he was one of most athletic linebackers in the draft.”
The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec on Baltimore Ravens’ rookie linebacker Teddye Buchanan
Buchanan, who turns 23 in October, started his collegiate career at UC Davis before transferring to join the California Golden Bears ahead of the 2024 season. He thrived in his new home, earning first-team All-ACC honors. Buchanan was rated as the 177th overall player on Arif Hasan’s consensus 2025 NFL Draft big board.
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- Teddye Buchanan stats (ESPN): 45 solo tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 4 pass deflections
NFL.com‘s Lance Zierlein highlighted Buchanan’s athleticism and size as his most appealing traits as a draft prospect. Those tools were seen as good enough to make him an immediate contributor on special teams, with some also identifying untapped potential as a coverage linebacker.
Trenton Simpson, the 86th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, started 13 games last season and recorded 30 solo tackles, 6 quarterback hits, 5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks across 655 defensive snaps played, per Pro Football Reference. However, he rated 123rd at his position with a 58.7 Pro Football Focus grade, struggling in coverage with a 74.3 percent completion rate, 121.4 QB rating and 3 touchdowns allowed on 35 targets.