Raven Country

Ravens Host Potential First Round Target

The Baltimore Ravens could be interested in bringing in some high-profile competition for one of their young defenders.

Josh Reed

Nov 30, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins linebacker Carson Schwesinger (49) Fresno State Bulldogs tight end Jake Tarwater (87) during the third quarter at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
Nov 30, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins linebacker Carson Schwesinger (49) Fresno State Bulldogs tight end Jake Tarwater (87) during the third quarter at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
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After letting Pro Bowl inside linebacker Patrick Queen walk in free agency last offseason and watching him sign with their arch-rival in the AFC North, the two-time defending division champion Baltimore Ravens turned to 2023 third-rounder Trenton Simpson to fill the void.

The former Clemson standout took the vast majority of first-team reps throughout the offseason program, training camp and preseason. He opened the regular season as the starter after earning the job but couldn't hold onto it. He was replaced in the lineup by a two-man rotation of veterans Malik Harrison and Chris Board full-time after the team's Week 14 bye.

Last week at the annual NFL league meetings, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh expressed the utmost confidence in Simpson and told reporters that he expects him to regain his starting role heading into a pivotal third season.

"I expect him to be the starting early-down WILL [linebacker]," Harbaugh said. "We do a lot on passing downs with dime [packages] and different kind of personnel groups in the field. He can continue to grow into that, but I think he's going to take a big step this year."

That might have been a smoke screen, masterful misdirect, the honest truth or a mixture of all the above because, on Monday, the Ravens hosted one of the top inside linebacker prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the team had former UCLA standout Carson Schwesinger for a top-30 pre-draft visit.

Schwesinger is a former walk-on who didn't get a chance to start for the Bruins until his final season in 2024 and broke out in a big way. He earned First-team Associated Press All-American First-team All-Big Ten Conference honors and was a finalist for the Butkus Award given to the nation's top linebacker after leading the FBS with 90 solo tackles and ranked third with 136 total tackles. He started 10 of 12 games and also finished with 8.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, two interceptions, three pass breakups and a forced fumble.

While he was a late bloomer in college, he fits the type of high character profile the Ravens covet in prospective targets as he was a team captain this past season. He earned a scholarship by the end of his second season and is used to working his way up the depth chart by earning his stripes as a core special teams contributor.

The 6-foot-2 and 242-pounder is a gifted athlete who posted the second-best vertical leap at the NFL Scouting Combine with a mark of 39.50 and plays with tremendous physicality. His explosion shows up on his tape with his ability to play fast from sideline to sideline as a disruptive playmaking tackling machine. He is an effective blitzer and adept in coverage with a nice combination of instincts, understanding of blocking schemes and play recognition.

With consensus top off-ball linebacker prospect Jihaad Campbell of Alabama currently out of commission with a torn labrum, Schwesinger is likely rising up boards for teams with an immediate need at the position. Taking him near the bottom of the first round at No. 27 overall might be the Ravens' only shot at landing him unless they trade back further on night one or early in the second round because he’ll likely be gone by No. 59 when they're slated to be on the clock again. If taken in the first round, he'd be just the fourth player at the position ever taken that high in franchise history and first since Queen in 2020.

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Josh Reed
JOSH REED

Josh is a writer for Baltimore Ravens On SI focusing primarily on original content and reporting. He provides analysis, breakdowns, profiles, and reports on important news and transactions from and about the Ravens. His professional resume as a sports reporter includes covering local events, teams, and athletes in his hometown of Anchorage, Alaska for Anchorage Daily News. His coverage on the Ravens and other NFL teams has been featured on Heavy.com/sports, Maryland Sports Blog and most recently Baltimore Beatdown from 2021 until 2025.

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