Should the Ravens trade up for a player they covet in Round 1?

We're a little over 24 hours away from the start of the 2026 NFL draft, and the Ravens are a team to watch despite being relatively quiet on the trade front over the past few years. Since taking over for Ozzie Newsome in 2018, GM Eric DeCosta has made one significant draft-related trade, and his best selection undoubtedly is All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton. The Ravens have 11total picks: Nos. 14, 45, 80, 115, 154, 162, 173, 174, 211, 250, 253 in this weekend's draft, and ample opportunity to move up or down draft boards.

Baltimore has traded up four times in pursuit of a player they covet, and 2026 offers several prospects who could elevate the Ravens while smashing Eric DeCosta's "best player available" approach.

Here are five players the Ravens could target by trading up in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, highlighting impact prospects who could elevate Baltimore's roster.

CB Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU

Delane is a potential top-10 pick and the best cornerback available after a dominant season at LSU, where he only allowed 14 catches on 35 targets across 11 games, intercepting two passes and breaking up seven others. Among 128 qualifying college cornerbacks, Delane allowed the second-best passer rating in man coverage (28.3) and ranked first in zone coverage (14.6).

TE Kenyon Sadiq

Mel Kiper's No. 1 at tight end in the 2026 draft and No. 10 overall. Sadiq was a key figure in the Ducks' explosive offense last year. Sadiq led all tight ends in college football in touchdown catches with eight and was the Ducks' second-leading pass-catcher with 560 yards, catching 51 passes for an Oregon team that finished the season 13-2 and returned to the College Football Playoff.

A young player who is still developing, Sadiq, 20, had five catches and 29 yards in the 56-22 loss to the Hoosiers in the College Football Playoff Semifinal. Sadiq lacks dominant size at 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds, but his run-after-catch skills are elite, and he's a proven red zone contributor who had six dropped passes in 2025.

WR Carnell Tate

Ohio State is Wide Receiver U, and Emeka Egbuka is the most recent star wideout to come out of Columbus. With Jeremiah Smith slated for 2027, Tate is putting up some serious numbers and showing why he is a top prospect for this class. Tate averaged 18.2 yards per catch last season. He is a precise route runner with great hands and outstanding body control.

Edge Rusher David Bailey

2025 stats through 11 games: 57 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, 62 pressures, five run stops, two forced fumbles, two pass breakups

A transfer from Stanford, Bailey is a professional pass-rusher who recorded 14.5 sacks over three seasons for the Cardinals. With the Red Raiders, his 21.5% pressure rate was second in the nation, and he had 12.5 sacks through his first 11 games.

LB Sonny Styles

Styles was a 2025 First-team All-American (The Sporting News), team co-captain, Block "O" Award recipient, first-team All-Big Ten Conference, Academic All-Big Ten, and blazed a 4.46 40-yard dash at the NFL combine.

RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame

Derrick Henry is a future Hall of Famer who is also 32 and set to begin his first year under a new, revamped coaching staff and offensive system. Baltimore could make a move to secure their first if the former Notre Dame running back slips past five or six. Love is an explosive runner who possesses great burst and acceleration, with the top-end speed to run away from opposing defenders. Love was a Heisman Finalist, a Doak Walker Award winner, and a Maxwell Award Finalist. He earned Unanimous All-American and Consensus All-American honors. During the season, he started all 12 games at running back and broke the program record for total touchdowns in a season with 21. He also tied the program record for rushing touchdowns with 18. Love led the team with 1,372 rushing yards on 199 carries, averaging 6.9 yards per carry. Additionally, he finished fourth on the team with 27 receptions, totaling 280 receiving yards, and amassing 1,652 yards from scrimmage.

This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: Five players the Ravens could trade up for in Round 1