BALTIMORE — Eric DeCosta descended from his second-floor office at the Castle in Owings Mills on Friday morning and made his way toward practice.

Rap music blared from the speakers as the Ravens’ general manager stepped onto the grass wearing a dark gray long-sleeved shirt, black shorts and sunglasses. DeCosta observed the roster he assembled go through its final practice before the season opener Sunday at Indianapolis.

He has made a similar walk countless times during his 30 years with the Ravens. This season, though, DeCosta does so with more authority over the roster and, for the first time in his eight years as general manager, without John Harbaugh at his side.

Jesse Minter is only the fourth head coach in franchise history, taking over a team coming off only its third losing season (8-9) since 2007, when DeCosta was the Ravens’ director of college scouting and owner Steve Bisciotti first broached the possibility that he could eventually succeed Ozzie Newsome.

Like most seasons under DeCosta and Newsome before him, the Minter-led Ravens enter the 2026 campaign expecting to contend for a Super Bowl title.

The distance between a deep roster and a desperate one can be measured in a few injuries. DeCosta watched the Ravens cross that line last season as they reached further down the depth chart than anticipated, especially early in the year.

By Week 5, Baltimore faced the Houston Texans without six Pro Bowl selections, including Lamar Jackson, Ronnie Stanley, Roquan Smith, Kyle Hamilton, Marlon Humphrey and Nnamdi Madubuike, who was already on season-ending injured reserve. The result was a 44-10 loss that dropped the Ravens to 1-4.

What did last season’s turmoil teach DeCosta about building this year’s team?

“We try to build a roster that our coaches feel really good about, where there is enough depth at all the positions, and you never can really tell,” DeCosta said.

“Some years we go into it thinking, ‘this is one of our strongest position rooms,’ and then you guys remember the year we had all those running backs get hurt within a 10-day span, and that goes from being a real strength to being a real weakness.”

DeCosta was referring to 2021, when J.K. Dobbins, Justice Hill and Gus Edwards suffered serious injuries before the Ravens played their opener.

Last season, of course, provided another brutal reminder. Injuries pushed developmental players into important roles, particularly along the defensive line, and strained Baltimore’s depth.

This season, the Ravens kept six defensive linemen on the initial 53-man roster. Madubuike is working his way back from a serious neck injury that sidelined him for the past year, while 40-year-old Calais Campbell returns to supply experience and depth. DeCosta acknowledged that the age and injury history within that group factored into the decision.

The Ravens also retained six cornerbacks. Nate Wiggins and Humphrey lead the group, with Chidobe Awuzie and T.J. Tampa Jr. providing experienced depth. Keyon Martin and fifth-round rookie Chandler Rivers give Minter additional options in the slot.

“You always think you have enough corners, and you get into the season, and you are scrambling,” DeCosta said.

DeCosta and company cannot prepare for every injury, especially with only 53 roster spots. But his decisions make clear which positions concerned him most.

Baltimore also needed to improve its pass rush after struggling to close out games last season.

Earlier in the offseason, the Ravens initially agreed to trade two first-round draft picks to Las Vegas for superstar Maxx Crosby, then pulled out after reviewing his physical. They pivoted and signed Trey Hendrickson to a four-year deal worth $112 million less than 24 hours later, although DeCosta claims that Baltimore initially hoped to acquire both star pass rushers.

Of course, this roster still has legitimate questions, beginning with the offensive line.

Baltimore is replacing all three interior starters, and the depth behind its starting tackles remains thin. The guard play, however, should improve significantly. Veteran John Simpson takes over on the left side, while the Ravens used their top draft pick, a selection the team was able to retain by nixing the Crosby trade, on right guard Vega Ioane.

Center brings much more uncertainty. Jovaughn Gwyn will make his first NFL start Sunday after playing only 11 offensive snaps during three seasons in Atlanta. Those years were spent learning under Dwayne Ledford, so Gwyn at least boasts familiarity with the Ravens’ new offensive line coach’s scheme and terminology.

That helped Gwyn win the Week 1 job over Ethan Pocic, a nine-year veteran with 97 career starts who is still working his way back from a torn Achilles tendon.

“I do not know what [the offensive line] is going to look like Week 1 because I have not seen what it is going to look like yet,” DeCosta said. “But I am excited about it, and I think that we will probably build and build and build, and hopefully in January and February we are playing our best football.”

That, ultimately, is when DeCosta’s roster will be judged.

DeCosta used four draft picks on pass catchers, adding wide receivers Ja’Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt and tight ends Matthew Hibner and Josh Cuevas. They provide young depth behind veterans Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Mark Andrews while giving new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle more options around Jackson.

“New season, it feels like a new breath of fresh air,” Jackson said. “I feel like my guys [are] just ready to get out there and just start flying.”

On special teams, DeCosta is taking a chance on second-year kicker Tyler Loop, whose missed 44-yard attempt ended last season. A shaky preseason only added to the uncertainty surrounding him. The Ravens also replaced outgoing All-Pro punter Jordan Stout with sixth-round rookie Ryan Eckley.

Baltimore owns a 76-41 regular-season record during DeCosta’s seven years as general manager, yet all that success has produced only three playoff victories (3-5 postseason record) and no trips to the Super Bowl.

Turning those regular-season wins into a postseason breakthrough will require DeCosta’s roster to remain strong enough to play its best football in January. Madubuike understands how quickly those plans can change after a serious neck injury sidelined him for nearly all of last season.

The two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle will miss Sunday’s opener but is nearing his return. As Madubuike prepares to rejoin the lineup, he sees a roster capable of taking the Ravens where they have repeatedly fallen short.

“Every position has superstars,” Madubuike said. “We have a complete unit … we have every piece in the puzzle to be the best team in the NFL.”

____

©2026 Baltimore Sun. Visit baltimoresun.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.