TB #40

Teddye Buchanan

Linebacker · California

A fourth-round linebacker who won Baltimore's starting job almost immediately and earned NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month honors in his first season.

Teddye Buchanan spent four years at the FCS level with UC Davis before a breakout transfer season at California turned him into a fourth-round pick. The San Francisco native wasted little time claiming a starting role for the Ravens, beating out veteran competition and quickly becoming one of the league's most talked-about young linebackers.

★ NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month, October 2025

★ 114 tackles and 12 tackles for loss in his lone season at California (2024)

★ 2025 fourth-round pick by the Ravens

Path to the league

Buchanan spent his first four college seasons at UC Davis before transferring to California for his fifth and final year. In his lone season with the Golden Bears, he racked up 114 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles and four pass breakups. The Ravens selected him in the fourth round with the 129th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Career highlights

At 6-foot-2 and 233 pounds with a reported 4.6-second 40-yard dash, Buchanan combines size and athleticism that made him one of the more productive off-ball linebackers in his draft class. His single-season production at Cal, capped by double-digit tackles for loss, stood out among Power Four linebackers in 2024.

2025 season recap

Buchanan beat out Trenton Simpson to become Baltimore's starting inside linebacker after just one regular-season game as a rookie. He was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month for October 2025, and analysts pointed to him as one of the league's most promising young linebackers by the end of the year.