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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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Few players came into the 2025 NFL Draft with more talent and more baggage than linebacker Mike Green. Coming out of Marshall, Green was viewed as a clear first-round talent, producing a nation-leading 17 sacks and 22.5 tackles for loss in his final college season, earning Sun Belt Player of the Year and first-team All-American honors.
However, two sexual assault allegations became public in the pre-draft process (Green denied any wrongdoing and was never charged), which impacted his stock and had him fall all the way to 59th overall, right in the Baltimore Ravens' lap.
His rookie year was a bit of a disappointment, though. Green appeared in all 17 games, but finished with just 41 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery, while playing in 63% of the Ravens defensive snaps. He only made two starts and never quite turned into the disruptive pass rusher scouts projected him to be.
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He earned an overall PFF grade of just 46.3, 109th out of 115 qualified edge rushers, and generated 34 total pressures, which ranked 60th at the position.
Still, nobody's denying that the talent is there, and he'll have plenty more opportunity in 2026 to make an impact.
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Kyle Van Noy, the Ravens' steady veteran edge presence since 2023, and Dre'Mont Jones both left in free agency, and Baltimore traded away former first-round pick Odafe Oweh midseason last year. That leaves a wide open path to more snaps for Green this season.
With a full offseason of development behind him and a new coaching staff led by longtime defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, Green is well-positioned to become a full-time, every-down starter.
"Mike should be very excited, because I feel like he's going to have a lot of opportunities to impact the game, and we're excited about him," Minter told reporters during NFL Owners Meetings in March. "Just like anybody, I think your first year to your second year is often a big jump and just understanding the level that it takes, the preparation that it takes, and I am so excited about Mike."
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