One Ravens player from each position group to watch at start of training camp

With the Ravens beginning full-team workouts on Wednesday afternoon, there will be no shortage of early observations as they aim to rebound from their first non-playoff season since 2017.

Not including anyone currently on the physically unable to perform list, below is a player to watch from each position group at the start of training camp: 

QUARTERBACKS — Lamar Jackson

With apologies to Tyler Huntley and his shoulder tendinitis from last month, there’s no other choice here as questions persist about the superstar’s contract status. Contrary to popular belief, one can view Jackson as a great quarterback deserving of top-10 billing — and a massive contract — and point to other variables working against him last season while also acknowledging he didn’t play particularly well over his last six games before the ankle injury. How Jackson rebounds under the cloud of constant contract talk will be interesting, and the effect of him adding roughly 15 pounds of muscle should be of particular interest early in camp.

WIDE RECEIVERS — Rashod Bateman

Those believing Baltimore has enough at wide receiver have spent much time talking up Devin Duvernay, James Proche, and Tylan Wallace while treating Bateman taking a big second-year jump as a formality, which speaks to how critical it is for him to look the part from the first day of full-squad workouts. The 2021 first-round pick flashed much promise in a rookie campaign disrupted by August groin surgery, but it’s critical for him to stack reps with Jackson this summer after the two played in only six full games together because of their respective injuries. Given the lack of depth and experience behind him, Bateman’s development and availability couldn’t be more important for this passing attack. 

RUNNING BACKS — Tyler Badie

The backfield picture will remain cloudy until J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards begin practicing and show off their progress recovering from last year’s ACL injuries, but Badie, a sixth-round pick out of Missouri, should have an opportunity in the meantime to show off his receiving skills and solidify his roster standing, especially with 2019 fourth-round pick Justice Hill being in the final year of his rookie contract. Head coach John Harbaugh went out of his way to say the rookie “jumped out” during minicamp, so the challenge will be continuing that when the pads come on.

TIGHT ENDS — Nick Boyle

Mark Andrews was the best tight end in football and the team’s MVP last season and much preseason focus will be on fourth-round rookies Charlie Kolar and Isaiah Likely, but a fully recovered Nick Boyle is vital for the Ravens to successfully return to their 2019 roots. When healthy, Boyle’s elite blocking skills and underrated receiving ability make life miserable for opponents trying to anticipate what the Ravens will do based off personnel groupings. Boyle has lost about 10 pounds from his pre-injury weight and practiced without the bulky knee brace this spring, moving better than he did at any point last year. His absence was one of the bigger variables explaining Baltimore’s offensive decline over the last two years.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN — Tyler Linderbaum

All eyes will be on left tackle Ronnie Stanley’s ankle whenever the 2019 All-Pro selection makes his summer practice debut, but much pressure will be on Linderbaum to anchor the interior line with general manager Eric DeCosta essentially trading top wide receiver Marquise Brown to draft the Iowa center in the first round. Undersized in comparison to past Ravens centers and not viewed by some as the best scheme fit prior to the draft, Linderbaum handled everything thrown his way as the starter in the spring and will try to continue that for an offensive line projected to be much improved. A good summer for Linderbaum would be a quiet one, meaning his snaps are crisp and he’s holding up physically against defensive linemen with substantial weight advantages. 

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN — Michael Pierce

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The reunion with Pierce came shortly after the agreement with two-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Za’Darius Smith fell through in March, but the veteran nose tackle’s absence from spring workouts because of what Harbaugh called “a personal matter” leaves some unknown about how he’ll look upon arrival. The Ravens should have a good feel for what kind of player they’re getting after Pierce began his career in Baltimore, but he’s played in just eight games over the last two years, making this camp more important than usual for a veteran defensive lineman who received $6.5 million guaranteed in a three-year deal.  

INSIDE LINEBACKERS — Patrick Queen

This feels like the pivotal year in determining whether Queen can truly establish himself as a three-down linebacker and live up to his first-round billing after two inconsistent campaigns, especially with the organization saying goodbye to nickel linebacker Chris Board in March. Given their safety depth, the Ravens will be able to work around some of their coverage concerns at this position, but you don’t draft an inside linebacker in the first round with designs of replacing him in sub packages and obvious passing situations. Queen has shown big-play potential and turns only 23 next month, but it’s time for him to put it all together.

OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS — Odafe Oweh

With Tyus Bowser less than seven months removed from his Achilles tendon injury and second-round pick David Ojabo unlikely to return to the field until after the start of the season, Oweh making a second-year leap becomes even more important as the Ravens try to get more production from their pass rush. Despite fading some down the stretch as a rookie and undergoing offseason shoulder surgery, the 6-foot-5, 251-pound Oweh has all the tools to be an excellent run defender and standout rusher. According to Pro Football Focus, Oweh finished second among all rookies in pressures, a statistic often predictive of a jump in sacks after he collected five last season. 

CORNERBACKS — Kyle Fuller

Ideally, three-time Pro Bowl selection Marcus Peters will look like his old self returning from the ACL injury, 2021 third-round pick Brandon Stephens will feel at home returning to his college position, and fourth-round rookies Jalyn Armour-Davis and Damarion Williams will be quick learners, but there was a reason why DeCosta couldn’t resist a one-year deal with Fuller, a Baltimore native with two Pro Bowl selections and 104 career starts under his belt. The 30-year-old had a rough 2021 season with Denver, but the Ravens are betting on a return home paying off for someone who can play the slot or on the outside. 

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SAFETIES — Kyle Hamilton

How defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald deploys the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Hamilton should be fascinating, especially with the Ravens already investing a five-year, $70 million deal in free safety Marcus Williams and choosing not to trade dependable strong safety Chuck Clark — at least to this point. Will we see Hamilton as a big nickel or at dime linebacker? Will he play a more conventional strong safety spot with Clark moving into more of a hybrid role? Even if the Ravens never expected Hamilton to be on the board for the 14th overall pick, they’ve surely brainstormed some creative ways to use him, which should make his summer development fun to watch.

SPECIALISTS — Jordan Stout

Expectations should be high when using a fourth-round pick on a punter, but that’s especially true when he’s replacing Sam Koch, the man who played in more games for the Ravens than anyone in their 26-year history. Stout didn’t appear to have any noticeable issues as a punter or holder during spring workouts, but Harbaugh and special teams coordinator Chris Horton will surely be keeping a close eye on the talented Penn State product.