Baltimore drafted Oweh No. 31 overall in 2021, then traded him to the Chargers five games into the 2025 season after he had registered zero sacks through a 1-4 start with the Ravens. In Los Angeles, Oweh flourished, posting 7.5 sacks over the final 12 regular-season games. That surge has him viewed as a potential FA target around a three-year, $60 million contract if his momentum carries into free agency.
Within that same narrative, Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine has floated a buy-low target for the Ravens: former Packers edge rusher Lukas Van Ness. Van Ness, a 6-foot-5, 272-pound former Iowa standout, has struggled to establish himself as a consistent starter and has just 8.5 sacks and 23 QB hits through three seasons, starting only two games in a 2025 that saw him miss eight games due to injury.
The case for Van Ness includes the notion that a change of scenery and a system tweak under Minter could unlock more production. Van Ness was Green Bay’s No. 13 overall pick in 2023, a selection that drew critique as the Packers passed on other notable players, and he now competes for scarce playing time behind higher-profile edge defenders like Micah Parsons in Dallas and Rashan Gary in Green Bay.
From a value-adding perspective, the Ravens could feasibly target Van Ness with a mid-round choice—potentially a fifth- or even fourth-round pick—given he has one year left on his rookie deal and would carry a modest $3.12 million cap hit in 2026. The move would be portrayed as a calculated risk: a cheap, high-upside addition who could flourish with Minter’s defensive edge philosophy.
This analysis, originally published by Heavy Sports, frames the broader idea that Minter’s coaching could maximize return on underachieving former first-round picks. It underscores Baltimore’s willingness to explore buy-low opportunities on the trade market as it builds out depth on the edge, anchored by a system that has demonstrated the potential to elevate players.
