BALTIMORE — Next up is the annual NFL draft in April.

Until then, the Ravens aren’t likely to make any more high-impact free-agent signings. All eyes will still be focused on Eric DeCosta, who became the team’s executive vice president and general manager in 2019.

The Ravens committed among the most embarrassing mistakes in team history a week ago, all of it self-inflicted, when they bungled the trade for Las Vegas defensive end Maxx Crosby. Baltimore eventually signed Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson.

Regardless, the Ravens filled their top offseason need by finding a pass rusher, as they had only 30 sacks last season. This team has top-flight stars such as quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry, but a key to success is to strive for balance, as the past two Super Bowl champions, Philadelphia and Seattle, did.

Here, we examine 15 pressing questions leading into the draft, and hopefully offer answers:

How will Jesse Minter and a young coaching staff approach the season?

There is always a learning curve, and young coaches like Minter will make mistakes early. Minter controlled one side of the game in Los Angeles as the Chargers’ defensive coordinator, but that will change with the pressure of play-calling for an entire organization and city. He is well aware that the parameters have changed, but adjustments have to be made.

Will Lamar Jackson show up for voluntary OTAs?

That answer is more of a concern than the team restructuring his contract last week, which allowed for $40 million in salary cap relief. New offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, only 30, will be calling plays for the first time and will be installing his own version of the West Coast offense. The three-step dropback approach and quick passes should be enough to entice Jackson to attend all the sessions, but his participation is always questionable. Who knows? If he does attend, then that becomes the story.

Who will the Ravens take in the first round of the NFL draft?

They need an offensive guard such as Penn State’s Olaivavega Ioane, Oregon’s Emmanuel Pregnon or Texas A&M’s Chase Bisontis. They could also take an offensive tackle, such as Miami’s Francis Mauigoa. It really comes down to which player the Ravens have rated the highest on their draft board when they select, and honestly, that scares me. If it’s a receiver, oh my. Do the names of Travis Taylor, Mark Clayton, Breshad Perriman and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown ring any bells?

Is the new coaching staff aware of the chemistry problem at the wide receiver position?

By now, they should know. Receivers are usually divas and always complain when they aren’t getting enough touches. Winning, though, solves a lot of problems. Pick your player: Rashod Bateman, DeAndre Hopkins and Isaiah Likely had complaints. Some were justified because the Ravens could have used a little more imagination with their play calls. Regardless, it’s a situation the new staff has to deal with, even though several players are gone.

Can the Ravens find a tight end in the draft, please? Pretty please?

The Ravens have only one complete tight end on the roster in Mark Andrews, 31, even though they recently added Durham Smythe. But Doyle likes to use a lot of two-tight end formations, so the Ravens have to find another one. Personally, they need to muscle up in short-yardage situations, and the Ravens have that player in former Army fullback Lucas Scott, who might also be able to play both positions. Unfortunately, the Ravens lost Likely and backup Charlie Kolar in free agency.

Will Nnamdi Madubuike return for the 2026 regular season?

The Ravens appear hopeful, and Madubuike has sent out some favorable messages and signs. It all depends on the seriousness of his injury. I wouldn’t play again, not with a neck injury, but he has some of the best doctors in the world. With Madubuike on the inside and Hendrickson on the outside, the Ravens have a good combination if both can stay healthy.

Can safety Kyle Hamilton stay healthy for an entire season?

There are high expectations for Hamilton, but health isn’t a promise. More teams are playing with five defensive backs, but when you put a safety near the line of scrimmage, they aren’t physically prepared to be banged up by offensive linemen, which is why Hamilton came off the field frequently last season. Maybe the Ravens can use more of a rotation and try to rotate him with Malaki Starks and Jaylinn Hawkins. Moving cornerback Marlon Humphrey to safety might become more of an option, especially with Humphrey having slowed down. Critics can say what they want about Humphrey, but a team always needs a couple of players with different personalities on the roster. He is also one of the better tacklers on the team.

What grade does DeCosta get for his overall draft record?

It would be a B. The draft can be overrated because it really is hit or miss, but DeCosta’s first one in 2019 was terrible, with the team taking Brown, outside linebacker Jaylon Ferguson and receiver Miles Boykin with its first three picks. A year later, the second one was much better with linebacker Patrick Queen, running back J.K. Dobbins and Madubuike in the first three rounds. DeCosta has hit on some others, such as 2022 first-round picks Hamilton and Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum, and then in 2023 with receiver Zay Flowers, also a first-round selection. But the Ravens need to hit on middle-round selections instead of choosing duds, including 2022 second-round pick David Ojabo and guard Ben Cleveland, taken in the third round in 2021.

Can Corey Bullock help the Ravens at center?

It can’t hurt. He recently signed a one-year, $1 million contract and played reasonably well in the preseason last year. He was never going to replace Linderbaum, who signed a three-year, $81 million contract with the Raiders last week, but the former University of Maryland lineman and undrafted free agent has an opportunity to start. He is a tough guy, something that has been missing from this team.

Who are some young offensive linemen to keep an eye on during OTAs and training camp?

Of course, there is Emery Jones Jr., taken in the third round out of LSU last season. He might not be ready for prime time yet, but he does have good foot speed. He has had an entire offseason to lift weights, so it will be interesting to watch his progress. Another player is Carson Vinson, a second-year right tackle out of Alabama A&M. He looks and is built like former right tackle Orlando Brown Sr. He is a specimen at 6-7 and 320 pounds, and like Jones, has had a year to work on improving his body. Unfortunately, he has to learn a new offensive system this season, but the potential remains.

What about on the defensive line?

Fourth-year defensive tackle C.J. Okoye is fascinating to watch. Hendrickson and possibly Madubuike will draw more attention, but Okoye is one of the largest human beings ever to play the game at 6-6 and 370 pounds. He never played college football and learned the game while watching YouTube. It’s impossible not to root for Okoye, a native of Agbogugu, Nigeria. He was discovered by Ejike Ugboaja, a 2006 draft pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and later invited to a 2022 NFL African camp in Ghana. Okoye played two years with the Chargers before signing with the Ravens at the start of training camp last season.

Best offseason move besides the Crosby-Hendrickson debacle?

The Ravens re-signed backup quarterback Tyler Huntley to a two-year, $10 million contract. He fits perfectly into the system as a possible replacement for Jackson and has a similar running and scrambling style. Plus, he is good friends with Jackson. He certainly fits the offense better than Cooper Rush, who will turn up somewhere else as a backup quarterback.

How much impact does the loss of punter Jordan Stout have?

Not only was Stout one of the best punters in the NFL, but he was also a holder on field goal and extra point attempts. He won’t be missed until a field goal fails from a botched snap, but he was the Ravens’ version of instant offense at various times last season.

Can the Ravens win the AFC North?

Is water wet? Is the sky high? Of course, the North is as open as it was last year, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Baltimore get into the postseason. Three of the four teams in the division have new coaches, including Minter, Cleveland’s Todd Monken and Pittsburgh’s Mike McCarthy. Baltimore should be in contention again, just like a year ago when they were eliminated on a missed field goal attempt by Tyler Loop in the closing seconds of the final game.

Who is the worst draft pick in Ravens history?

Some might think of first-round selections such as quarterback Kyle Boller, receiver Breshad Perriman or safety Matt Elam, but the distinction belongs to Texas outside linebacker Sergio Kindle, taken by the Ravens with the No. 42 overall pick in the second round of the 2010 draft. At least Boller, Perriman and Elam played for the Ravens, but many scouts were scared off by Kindle’s often-injured knee and his off-the-field incidents. Eighteen months after he was drafted, he played in Week 4 against the New York Jets. On Oct. 12, 2012, the Ravens waived Kindle, but they still gave him a ring when the Ravens won Super Bowl XLVII. Kindle played in a total of three games and had one tackle.

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