With the second week of training camp winding down, the Ravens are now counting down to the Aug. 15 preseason opener against Philadelphia with plenty of roster considerations on their minds.
At this early stage of camp, this 53-man projection is still based more on track record, contract status, draft standing, and positional need rather than putting too much stock into snapshot observations from a handful of practices. The expectation is that new head coach Jesse Minter will hold out most of his established starters from preseason games, but we’ll continue to get a better idea of where players stand by observing the snap distribution and playing time in those exhibition contests. Of course, not all bubble players are on equal footing with certain positions lacking established depth and others having so much talent that the numbers could squeeze out someone otherwise deserving of a roster spot.
Though general manager Eric DeCosta, Minter, and the rest of the staff are cognizant of the numbers at every position, trying to arbitrarily pick a specific number of wide receivers or outside linebackers isn’t the most authentic way of filling out a 53-man squad. When looking at the bottom of the roster, the Ravens value reserves who contribute on special teams, so they’ll look carefully at other traits in addition to what individuals bring to their offensive or defensive position groups.
The numbers in parentheses indicate how many players are projected to stick on the 53-man roster at each position. As we advance deeper into the preseason, I’ll provide updated projections ahead of the final cut-down day on Aug. 30.
QUARTERBACKS (2)
IN: Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley
WRONG SIDE OF THE BUBBLE: none
LONG SHOT: Skylar Thompson, Joe Fagnano
Skinny: Barring a health concern for Jackson or Huntley, there’s little reason to believe Baltimore wants to burn a 53-man roster spot on a third quarterback. Short of the journeyman Thompson and the undrafted Fagnano having an outstanding preseason, you’d expect either to be an option for the practice squad without any trouble.
RUNNING BACKS (4)
IN: Derrick Henry, Justice Hill, Rasheen Ali, Adam Randall
WRONG SIDE OF THE BUBBLE: none
LONG SHOT: Dontae McMillan, Elijah Tau-Tolliver
Skinny: It’ll be interesting to see whether Ali or Randall can push Hill for snaps as the third-down back as the season progresses, but the veteran backup is the Ravens’ best option in pass protection. Will new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle try to keep the 32-year-old Henry under 300 regular-season carries in an effort to keep him as fresh as possible for December and January?
TIGHT ENDS & FULLBACKS (4)
IN: Mark Andrews, Durham Smythe, Matt Hibner, Josh Cuevas
WRONG SIDE OF THE BUBBLE: none
LONG SHOT: Lucas Scott, Ty Pezza
Skinny: Though this room looks much different than it did a year ago, there doesn’t appear to be any real questions with neither Scott nor Pezza believed to be in serious contention for a spot. While Smythe will have plenty of blocking responsibilities, Baltimore would really like to see at least one of the two rookies emerge as an immediate contributor, especially with Andrews entering his age-31 season.
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WIDE RECEIVERS (6)
IN: Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Ja’Kobi Lane, Devontez Walker, Elijah Sarratt, LaJohntay Wester
WRONG SIDE OF THE BUBBLE: Chris Moore
LONG SHOT: Dayton Wade, Cornelius Johnson, Xavier Guillory, Cortez Braham Jr., Octavian Smith Jr.
Skinny: The rookie Lane making a highlight catch nearly every day in practice has made him the early favorite to be the No. 3 wide receiver behind Flowers and Bateman. Though coming off an underwhelming rookie year, the shifty Wester remains the clear favorite to be the return specialist and still has plenty of believers within the organization.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (9)
IN: Ronnie Stanley, John Simpson, Ethan Pocic, Vega Ioane, Roger Rosengarten, Danny Pinter, Emery Jones Jr., Carson Vinson, Andrew Vorhees
WRONG SIDE OF THE BUBBLE: Jovaughn Gwyn, Evan Beerntsen, Corey Bullock, Kendall Lamm
LONG SHOT: Diego Pounds, Gerad Lichtenhan, Nick Dawkins
Skinny: The starting center job will likely come down to Pocic and Pinter with the former having the major edge in experience and the latter taking the majority of the first-team reps since the start of spring workouts. Vorhees agreeing to a pay cut should all but lock up a roster spot for the former starting guard, who was previously in danger of being a salary-cap casualty.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (5)
IN: Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones, Calais Campbell, Broderick Washington, John Jenkins
WRONG SIDE OF THE BUBBLE: Aeneas Peebles, Rayshaun Benny, C.J. Okoye
LONG SHOT: David Olajiga, Dion Wilson Jr., Aaron Graves
Skinny: It’s difficult to judge this group in practices with multiple veterans — a list headlined by Madubuike — still ramping up, but all should be ready for Week 1. Like Vorhees, Washington agreed to a pay cut and wouldn’t appear to be in much roster danger now, leaving one to wonder if a developmental prospect such as Peebles, Benny, or Okoye could push the 37-year-old Jenkins off the roster.
INSIDE LINEBACKERS (4)
IN: Roquan Smith, Trenton Simpson, Teddye Buchanan, Jay Higgins
WRONG SIDE OF THE BUBBLE: Carl Jones Jr.
LONG SHOT: Dominic DeLuca, Reid Williford
Skinny: Assuming Buchanan is ready to come off the physically unable to perform list in the not-too-distant future, Higgins appears to have the edge for the No. 4 spot. However, it’d hardly be unusual to carry a fifth, and inside linebacker is a spot where Baltimore has had plenty of success uncovering undrafted talent, making DeLuca and Williford two rookie free agents to watch in the preseason.
OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS (5)
IN: Trey Hendrickson, Mike Green, Tavius Robinson, Zion Young, Adisa Isaac
WRONG SIDE OF THE BUBBLE: none
LONG SHOT: Kaimon Rucker, Ethan Burke
Skinny: Barring a veteran addition, the only real question here is whether there’s room for Isaac, the 2024 third-round pick who’s appeared in just four NFL games due to an array of injuries. The bet is DeCosta not wanting to give up on such an early-round pick who’s missed a ton of development time this quickly, but Isaac has to stay healthy and show some potential in these preseason games.
CORNERBACKS (7)
IN: Nate Wiggins, Marlon Humphrey, Chidobe Awuzie, T.J. Tampa, Chandler Rivers, Keyon Martin, Bilhal Kone
WRONG SIDE OF THE BUBBLE: Robert Longerbeam, Amani Oruwariye
LONG SHOT: Marquise Robinson, Matthew McDoom, Lardarius Webb Jr.
Skinny: I wasn’t sure there would be a spot for Martin entering the spring, but the 2025 undrafted free agent continues to make plays from the slot and looks the part of a legitimate depth piece even when going up against Baltimore’s top receivers. Returning from a serious knee injury suffered last summer, Kone has flashed some early and carries potential as an option on the outside.
SAFETIES (4)
IN: Kyle Hamilton, Malaki Starks, Jaylinn Hawkins, Keondre Jackson
WRONG SIDE OF THE BUBBLE: K’Von Wallace
LONG SHOT: Jahquez Robinson, Silas Walters
Skinny: The top three are entrenched, but Jackson is showing growth as a defensive back to go with the impact he made on special teams as an rookie last year. If he continues to look the part as a trustworthy backup, that may decrease the need to keep the veteran Wallace on the 53-man roster, but five safeties might still be a good idea when considering how often Minter uses three-safety looks.
SPECIALISTS (3)
SAFE: Tyler Loop, Ryan Eckley, Nick Moore
WRONG SIDE OF THE BUBBLE: none
LONG SHOT: none
Skinny: The Ravens still haven’t brought in any competition for Loop and cut Luke Elzinga before the start of camp to eliminate any doubt about the sixth-round rookie Eckley being the Week 1 punter. We’ll see whether anything changes based on their performance in preseason games, but the organization has made a clear statement about its confidence level in both.
