While Nnamdi Madubuike might not be a household name just yet, the Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle has made an impact in his first five years.
Madubuike is already considered one of the best at his position, so that’s why it was a bit surprising to see the Texas A&M product wasn’t named to ESPN’s list of top 100 players entering the 2025 season. He was, however, appropriately named one of the “snubs” in a separate story for ESPN.com.
Nnamdi Madubuike Snubbed from ESPN’s Top 100 List
While eight Ravens players did make the cut, Madubuike was on the outside looking in. He did, however, make a list of 10 snubs who “deserved to be included but weren’t,” per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
“While Madubuike’s production dipped — 6.5 sacks in 2024 compared to 13 the previous year — he’s always a mismatch problem for offensive linemen due to his combination of power and speed,” Fowler wrote for ESPN.com. “Evaluators expect a better 2025 campaign thanks to a more complete Baltimore defense intact for a second season under coordinator Zach Orr. He’s been a top-seven interior rusher in back-to-back years.”
Fowler spoke to an NFC scout who told him “(Madubuike has) got the type of lower-body explosion you can’t teach. I’m expecting a good year for him (in 2025).”
Madubuike’s Case As One of NFL’s Best
As Fowler alluded to in his capsule, Madubuike had a monster 2023 campaign, one that earned him inclusion on the top 100 list a year ago at No. 55. Two seasons ago, he used those 13 sacks to earn the first Pro Bowl selection of his career, while nearly earning an All-Pro bid and finishing ninth in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
He was able to turn that into a massive four-year, $98 million contract extension. While the 2024 season wasn’t as dominant, he still registered 43 tackles (second-most for his career) and 11 tackles for loss. He was named to the Pro Bowl once again but opted out of making the appearance.
Coincidentally, the man who took Madubuike’s Pro Bowl spot when he opted out, Tennessee Titans tackle Jeffrey Simmons, was one of the defensive tackles who did make the list. Six DTs made the ESPN 100 list: Simmons, Pittsburgh’s Cameron Hayward, New York Jets’ Quinnen Williams, New York Giants’ Dexter Lawrence, Philadelphia’s Jalen Carter and Kansas City’s Chris Jones.
That’s pretty solid company, especially for a player who should be entering his prime. Madubuike is just 27, making him younger than veterans like Hayward and Jones, and he’s actually the same age as Simmons, Williams and Lawrence.
Arbitrary rankings aside, there’s no doubting Madubuike goes into this season as part of that group, especially with those younger players who are ready to dominate at the position like Hayward, Jones and the recently retired Aaron Donald — to whom Madubuike was compared last year — for seasons to come.
Madubuike’s Outlook for 2025 Season
Madubuike is undoubtedly one of the Ravens’ leaders, which comes with a good deal of responsibility for a team with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. As for his on-field performance, Baltimore’s offseason has set him up well for another monster year.
Perhaps no one on the Baltimore front will benefit more from the presence of rookie edge rusher than Mike Green. He’s a first-round talent who fell to Baltimore because of off-field issues, but he’s been no issue in camp and has earned a lot of praise for his advanced approach.
That’s huge for Madubuike, whose production earned him a lot of attention last season.
In 2024, Madubuike saw his introduction to the treatment that the best pass rushers see,” Connor Burke wrote for EbonyBird.com in July. “He faced 233 double teams according to NFL Next Gen Stats, which put him in company with Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones for the most double-teamed players.”
If all goes according to plan, this will be the last time Madubuike is considered a snub for a long time.
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