3 needs Baltimore Ravens must address ahead of 2023 NFL Trade Deadline

Are the Baltimore Ravens in need of big moves? At first glance, that question seems unnecessary.

Lamar Jackson finally has a cabal of credentialed wide receivers to throw to on top of his rushing prowess. The defense still boasts some big names, and the team is 5-2 this season.

However, look further, and the Ravens have some problems to resolve before they can truly become Super Bowl contenders.

3) A much more pronounced tight end situation

Could Isaiah Likely be the Baltimpre Ravens' tight end of the future?

When it comes to the passing game, the Baltimore Ravens are better-known for their prolific tight ends: Shannon Sharpe, Todd Heap, Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta.

Mark Andrews has the position on lockdown, and to be fair, he has repaid their faith in him with multiple Pro Bowls and the franchise's single season records for receptions and receiving yards.

Behind him, though, the situation is rather murky. In 2022, Eric DeCosta drafted two potential successors in the fourth round alone: Charlie Kolar and Isaiah Likely (pictured above). Of the two, the latter has seen more playing time, starting four games as a sixth blocker.

One of these young studs would have to go in exchange for the next entry on this list...

2) More defensive linemen

Michael Pierce is in his second stint with the Ravens.

There are only five defensive linemen in the Ravens roster: nose tackles Michael Pierce and Travis Jones and three defensive ends.

To be fair, linebackers and defensive backs have been the team's defensive forte - dating all the way to Ray Lewis and Rod Woodson, Terrell Suggs and Ed Reed, and now Roquan Smith and Marlon Humphrey.

However, a game of football is won in the trenches, and if that part is depleted, the Ravens have a problem. To solve that, they could offer one of Charlie Kolar and Isaiah Likely to a team overflowing in the DL department.

1) A third running back

JK Dobbins' injury is a siable blow to the Ravens' ground game.

In week 1 agaisnt the Houston Texans, JK Dobbins tore his Achilles, depleting his team's ground game.

It could explain why Lamar Jackson's WRs have been singled out for struggling to make plays. With their quarterback losing a fallback option, they have had to rely more on the air game.

Currently, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill have been doing a stellar job, but it's clear that they need more. Melvin Gordon could be elevated, but another solution would to be to trade some linebackers for someone like Dalvin Cook instead.