What to Expect from Zach Orr in 2025

The 2024 NFL season did not start the way the Ravens wanted to. Beginning with a last-second replay that went in favor of the Chiefs and a complete collapse at home versus the Raiders, the Ravens found themselves at 0-2 and a considerable longshot to even make the playoffs. The Ravens ended up winning seven of their next eight games, but many featured the success of not only Baltimore’s offense but also their opponents. Fans thought first-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr was in over his head, calling for his job after just 10 weeks, allowing less than 20 points twice. With a 7-3 record going into Week 11, morale stayed high, and players supported the former Baltimore linebacker in his transition process into the newly appointed position, and everything turned around. Orr said he appreciated having the players publicly support him at midseason when things weren't going well for the Ravens defense.

"Guys start turning their backs on each other, and we never did that. That's what honestly gave me the confidence that we'll be able to get this thing going in the right direction,” Orr said in a press conference towards the end of the season. “It's because we did stick together, and we did have each other's backs, but those guys doing them, I can't thank them enough, because shoot, I'm human, too. Hearing that, I need a boost at times, and that gave me a boost."

Orr was promoted to the Ravens' defensive coordinator position early in the 2024 offseason, replacing former DC Mike Macdonald, who has a reputation as one of the league's brightest defensive minds. In Macdonald’s two seasons in that role, Baltimore allowed the second-fewest points with 17.5, and the sixth-fewest yards with 312.8 per game while ranking first in ESPN's defensive efficiency metric. In 2023, the Ravens became the first team in NFL history to lead the league in fewest points allowed, most sacks, and most takeaways in the same season with 16.5, 60, and 31 in the respective categories. The 2023 Ravens had a record-breaking defense and a great offense, but still fell short to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Conference Championship, losing 17-10. Macdonald was then offered a job as the new head coach for the Seattle Seahawks, replacing long-time coach Pete Carroll.

Zach Orr has been a part of the Ravens organization since 2014, when he was signed as an undrafted free agent after not finding a team during the seven rounds. Orr went on to play in 31 of 32 games his first two years, primarily as a special-teams player, recording 30 combined tackles, one sack, and one pass deflection. Orr was named the starting weak-side linebacker for 2016, starting all 15 games where he suited up, recording an impressive 133 tackles, two fumble recoveries, and three interceptions, one being a game-sealing pick against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Unfortunately, before the season finale, Orr suffered a congenital neck/spine condition that ended his season and ultimately forced him to medically retire in January of 2017. In June of that year, Orr received a positive prognosis, announcing his return to the NFL, but no team wanted to sign him, resulting in his re-retirement in August of that year.

Twelve days after his second retirement, the Ravens brought Orr in as a defensive analyst from the 2017 season till he was signed as an outside linebackers coach for Jacksonville in 2021. One year later, Orr returned to the Ravens as an inside linebackers coach and was promoted to the defensive coordinator position two years later. Orr had never called defensive plays before. Even though they were both young when hired, Macdonald had gone to the University of Michigan for one year, where he got experience calling the defensive plays. Harbaugh believed Orr would grow into the responsibility quickly, which he did.

"You have a big picture. It helps you with defensive play calling, for sure,” Harbaugh said after hiring Orr. “A linebackers coach usually has an advantage as far as that goes. There's no reason not to put Zach [Orr] in that position in my mind right now, and I think he'll do a great job, but I also think he'll do a great job because of the support he's going to get."

Orr said he appreciated having the players publicly support him at midseason when things weren't going well for the Ravens defense. "Just for guys doing that, it made me want to go harder for them, and I think that just kind of shows the unity and the bond and the family-type atmosphere that we have here, because we say it's a family, but a lot of times, when things start going bad, you get tested," Orr said. Despite having a 7-3 record, Baltimore’s defense was at the bottom of the barrel for the first 10 weeks of the season, ranking 25th in scoring defense, 27th in total defense, 32nd in pass defense, 30th in third-down percentage, and T-20th for red zone defense. In the final five games of the season, the Ravens flipped the script and returned to their smash mouth ways, ranking first in all the categories mentioned above, allowing 17 or less in the last four games after their late bye week.

Looking into the 2025 season, the Ravens have their work cut out for them, with five away games in Kansas City, Buffalo, Green Bay, Minnesota, and Miami, who are all more than capable of putting up respectable stats on offense. Not to mention, the Ravens also have the Lions, Texans, and Rams at home, in addition to their six divisional games that always seem to go either way every year. As for the roster going into 2025, The Ravens will be without breakout safety Ar’Darius Washington for the foreseeable future with an Achilles injury, but still have All-Pro players like Roquan Smith, Marlon Humphrey, Kyle Hamilton and Nnamdi Madubuike, who will be the mentors and role models moving forward for young prospects Nate Wiggins, Malaki Starks and Mike Green.

In conclusion, as long as the team has Zach Orr’s back, the Ravens should post another remarkable season on both sides of the ball. Despite the lack of experience in a position like this, practice will make perfect for Orr going into year two. The pieces are there, and it is a tough schedule, but pressure creates diamonds, adversity creates champions, and defense wins championships. Expectations are high, but there is no reason for Orr to be in the hot seat until he finds his defense at the bottom of the defensive ranks, ergo losing the confidence of the players he is meant to be leading.