Baltimore, MD – July 1, 2025
For over a decade, his voice echoed through locker rooms and stadiums as the soul of the Ravens’ defense. But today, Ed Reed’s voice echoes again — not to celebrate, but to challenge.
In a candid segment aired on ESPN’s “NFL Edge,” the Hall of Fame safety and Baltimore legend took aim at something most fans had celebrated: the Ravens being the only NFL team with no clear first-round bust in the last five years, according to Bleacher Report’s recent re-draft analysis.
But Reed, never one to settle for mediocrity, flipped the narrative on its head.
"No busts? That just means we’ve been safe,” Reed began. “Look around — when was the last time one of our first-round picks changed the game? You don’t build legendary defenses by chasing 40-yard dash times. You build them by trusting instincts. Baltimore used to draft like that. Now? We’re chasing data instead of dogs.”
The remark was a not-so-subtle jab at General Manager Eric DeCosta, who has been praised for consistently finding contributors in the draft. Yet Reed pointed to one pick in particular as symbolic of the team’s deeper problem: Odafe Oweh, the 2021 first-round edge rusher who has yet to register a breakout season.
"I’m not here to bash Oweh. The kid's got tools," Reed clarified. "But when your top pass rusher disappears in the fourth quarter of playoff games — that’s not just on him. That’s on the guy who thought raw speed was enough to win in January.”
To be fair, Oweh isn’t a bust. He’s shown flashes, and the Ravens’ overall defensive unit remains top-tier. But Reed’s frustration wasn’t about one player. It was about identity.
"When Ozzie [Newsome] drafted, he looked you in the eye and asked: Can this guy bleed purple? Now, it feels like we’re drafting guys who pass tests, not wars.”
The comments struck a nerve. Some fans defended DeCosta, noting recent first-rounders like Kyle Hamilton, Tyler Linderbaum, and Zay Flowers have all excelled. Others echoed Reed’s sentiment — that Baltimore has lacked that one alpha dog on defense since his retirement.
And maybe that’s the point. The Ravens haven’t fallen. But they also haven’t risen.
"Good picks aren’t good enough," Reed concluded. "This city was built on greatness. If you’re not chasing that, you’re just playing not to lose.”
