Beginning with placing at least one player on injured reserve as soon as Wednesday, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta is likely to make multiple changes to the roster before the Sept. 10 opener against the Houston Texans, but below is a breakdown of the initial 53-man squad for the 2023 season:
QUARTERBACKS (2) — Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley
Analysis: Though Baltimore prays Jackson will stay healthy for the entire season, Tyler Huntley won the competition for the No. 2 job despite nursing a hamstring injury, which still may leave the door open for veteran Josh Johnson to return in the short term.
RUNNING BACKS (4) — J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, Justice Hill, Keaton Mitchell
Analysis: The Ravens have good depth at this position and got even deeper with the undrafted Mitchell, whose speed and long-term upside earned him a 53-man roster spot even as he currently deals with a shoulder injury.
WIDE RECEIVERS (6) — Odell Beckham Jr., Rashod Bateman, Zay Flowers, Nelson Agholor, Devin Duvernay, Tylan Wallace
Analysis: Every individual in this group carries some degree of question, but the collective upside of the wide receiver position hasn’t looked this promising in Baltimore in a long time, which should help Jackson reach his ceiling as a passer.
TIGHT ENDS & FULLBACKS (4) — Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, Charlie Kolar, Patrick Ricard
Analysis: The three-time Pro Bowl selection Andrews remains the Ravens’ true No. 1 receiver until proven otherwise, and Ricard’s blocking ability remains valuable even if the fullback and blocking tight end won’t be featured as prominently in Todd Monken’s offense.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (9) — Ronnie Stanley, John Simpson, Tyler Linderbaum, Kevin Zeitler, Morgan Moses, Patrick Mekari, Daniel Faalele, Ben Cleveland, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu
Analysis: As long as Simpson carries over his strong summer to the regular season as the new left guard, the offensive line should be in excellent shape with four starters returning and Stanley looking as healthy as he’s been in three years.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (4) — Michael Pierce, Justin Madubuike, Broderick Washington, Travis Jones
Analysis: With Brent Urban expected to return to the mix after DeCosta’s roster gymnastics are complete, this group will need to step up to replace the departed Calais Campbell and add juice to a pass rush that has concerns on the edges.
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INSIDE LINEBACKERS (5) — Roquan Smith, Patrick Queen, Trenton Simpson, Malik Harrison, Del’Shawn Phillips
Analysis: Smith and Queen should be one of the NFL’s top inside linebacker duos while the third-round rookie Simpson develops and Harrison and Phillips provide depth and contribute on special teams.
OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS (5) — Odafe Oweh, Jadeveon Clowney, David Ojabo, Tavius Robinson, Malik Hamm
Analysis: Tyus Bowser going on the reserve non-football injury list adds more early-season concern about a position group counting on a 30-year-old Clowney coming off a two-sack season in Cleveland and unproven young players stepping up.
CORNERBACKS (7) — Marlon Humphrey, Rock Ya-Sin, Ronald Darby, Brandon Stephens, Arthur Maulet, Jalyn Armour-Davis, Damarion Williams
Analysis: With Humphrey likely to miss some action recovering from foot surgery and Williams expected to go on injured reserve, this group could add Kevon Seymour back to the mix, but just about every cornerback carries a notable injury history or experience concerns.
SAFETIES (4) — Marcus Williams, Kyle Hamilton, Geno Stone, Ar’Darius Washington
Analysis: This position should remain one of Baltimore’s strengths with Williams and Hamilton having a chance to become one of the NFL’s top safety duos and Washington looking like the favorite to line up as the Week 1 nickel after a strong preseason.
SPECIALISTS (3) — Justin Tucker, Jordan Stout, Tyler Ott
Analysis: Despite the pre-camp Achilles tendon injury to 2022 long snapper Nick Moore, this group is in good shape with the best kicker on the planet still leading the way.
