The Baltimore Ravens already have 1 of the NFL’s best and highest-paid inside linebackers in Roquan Smith, who will cost a whopping $32.7 million against the salary cap in 2026.
While Smith is getting paid more than several NFL quarterbacks — including Super Bowl champion Sam Darnold — he still needs some help. The Ravens might be able to find that help and make a play for the future of their defense at the same time by trading with the Miami Dolphins for inside linebacker Jordyn Brooks, according to Last Word on Sports NFL writer Anthony Palacios.
The Dolphins are in the middle of a fire sale for the ages, and Brooks is entering the final season of a 3-year, $26.24 million contract he signed before the 2024 season.
He’s also 28 years old and playing the best football of his career, leading the NFL with 183 tackles and 99 solo tackles in 2025 on the way to earning NFL All-Pro honors for the 1st time.
“After letting veteran Kyle Van Noy go and losing Dre’mont Jones to New England, the Ravens haven’t stopped making massive upgrades to their defensive pass-rush,” Palacios wrote on June 13. “The team came close to pairing Maxx Crosby with Trey Hendrickson, and with that, the Ravens could look for one more superstar to pair with Hendrickson. Why not have Brooks join Baltimore? New Ravens head coach Jesse Minter is still the same defensive mindset wizard he was with the Chargers, and this would polish the entire LB unit in Baltimore. The team also drafted Zion Young to develop as a capable starter, but Tavius Robinson and Teddye Buchanan are slated to be the starters come Week 1.”
What Jordyn Brooks Might Cost in Trade
If the Ravens did make a play for Brooks, they won’t be the only team in the market for his services.
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport thinks Brooks would be the perfect fit for the Dallas Cowboys, who are rebooting their entire defense in 2026. He’d also come with a hefty price tag for Dallas or whoever else wants him, with Davenport predicting a team would need to give up a 2027 2nd round pick and 2028 4th round pick for Brooks.
Fox Sports NFL reporter Greg Auman has Brooks as the No. 1 trade candidate in the entire NFL just 1 month from the start of training camp.
Brooks Became Dominant Defender in Miami
Brooks, 6-foot and 240 pounds, was a 1st round pick (No. 27 overall) by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2020 NFL draft and has been 1 of the NFL’s dominant inside linebackers since becoming a full-time starter in his 2nd season — when he had a career-high 184 tackles and led the NFL with 109 solo tackles.
Brooks has only missed 2 regular-season games since 2021, and none since 2023.
“A smooth coverage linebacker with great instincts and field sense, Brooks is one of the few linebackers in the league who can truly be trusted to carry a tight end down the field, or drop into the intermediate middle and not get bamboozled by route combinations or quarterbacks’ eye fakes,” ESPN’s Ben Solak wrote in October 2025. “Coverage linebackers in their athletic prime are rare and impactful players.”
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