With the preseason opener in the books and training camp now in its fourth week, the 2024 Ravens roster picture is beginning to come into sharper focus.
This projection of the 53-man roster still considers track record, contract status, draft standing, and positional need in addition to what we’ve seen over the first few weeks of training camp and in Friday’s 16-13 preseason loss to Philadelphia. I currently project 48 players to comfortably be on the 53-man roster, leaving five spots to fill. We’ve gained a better idea of where players stand beginning with the rep distribution in camp and continuing with playing time in the preseason opener. Not all bubble players are on equal footing, of course, with certain position groups lacking established depth and others having so much talent that the numbers game could squeeze out someone otherwise deserving of a roster spot.
Though general manager Eric DeCosta, head coach John Harbaugh, and the rest of the staff and front office are cognizant of the numbers at each position, trying to arbitrarily pick a certain number of wide receivers or safeties isn’t the most accurate way of filling out a 53-man roster. The Ravens value reserves who excel on special teams, so they’ll look at players’ other attributes in addition to what they bring to their individual positions when filling the back of the roster. How the new kickoff format impacts the makeup of special-teams players is also something to keep in mind.
The numbers in parentheses indicate how many players are projected to stick on the 53-man roster at each position. As we move deeper into the month, I’ll provide updated 53-man roster looks of who’s in and who’s out.
QUARTERBACKS (2)
IN: Lamar Jackson, Josh Johnson
WRONG SIDE OF THE BUBBLE: Devin Leary
LONG SHOT: Emory Jones
Skinny: Many have expressed concerns about Johnson as the primary backup to Jackson, but that’s more reason to add another veteran rather than keep a No. 3 quarterback in Leary, who hasn’t shown enough to warrant a 53-man roster spot.
RUNNING BACKS (3)
IN: Derrick Henry, Justice Hill, Owen Wright
WRONG SIDE OF THE BUBBLE: Rasheen Ali
LONG SHOT: Chris Collier
PHYSICALLY UNABLE TO PERFORM LIST: Keaton Mitchell
Skinny: Draft status may still prove to be the determining factor with Ali being a 2024 fifth-round pick and Wright spending all of last season on the practice squad without another team signing him away, but the latter has outplayed the rookie this summer. Regardless, neither is seriously pushing for offensive touches behind Henry and Hill, so special-teams play will be a strong consideration.
WIDE RECEIVERS (6)
IN: Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Nelson Agholor, Devontez Walker, Tylan Wallace, Deonte Harty
WRONG SIDE OF THE BUBBLE: Russell Gage, Anthony Miller, Dayton Wade
LONG SHOT: Keith Kirkwood, Sean Ryan, Malik Cunningham, Isaiah Washington
Skinny: Tabbed to be the primary return specialist in the offseason, Harty hasn’t been able to stay healthy and still has work to do to solidify a roster spot. With the young receivers not showing much this summer, the Ravens recently added veterans Russell Gage and Anthony Miller, so one of them is a good bet to land on the practice squad at the very least. The shifty Wade has been the best of the young wide receivers vying for a spot.
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TIGHT ENDS & FULLBACKS (4)
IN: Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, Charlie Kolar, Patrick Ricard
WRONG SIDE OF THE BUBBLE: none
LONG SHOT: Qadir Ismail, Scotty Washington, Riley Sharp, Mike Rigerman
Skinny: This position group was all but set before the offseason program began, but Ismail’s improvement has been one of the better stories of the summer with the son of Super Bowl XXXV champion Qadry Ismail making a compelling case for inclusion on the practice squad.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (9)
IN: Ronnie Stanley, Andrew Vorhees, Tyler Linderbaum, Daniel Faalele, Roger Rosengarten, Patrick Mekari, Josh Jones, Ben Cleveland, Nick Samac
WRONG SIDE OF THE BUBBLE: Darrian Dalcourt, Tashawn Manning, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu
LONG SHOT: Julian Pearl, Corey Bullock, Darrell Simpson
Skinny: Deciding on the starting five is tough enough, but identifying candidates worthy of sticking on the roster as potential ninth and 10th linemen is even more challenging. Samac receives the nod for now as a seventh-round rookie coming off a late 2023 injury, but the undrafted Dalcourt beating him out for a backup center role wouldn’t be surprising based on what we’ve seen this summer. A veteran addition is still very much in play, whether it’s as a starting candidate or a dependable reserve.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (5)
IN: Justin Madubuike, Michael Pierce, Travis Jones, Broderick Washington, Brent Urban
WRONG SIDE OF THE BUBBLE: none
LONG SHOT: Josh Tupou, C.J. Ravenell, Deadrin Senat, Tramel Walthour
Skinny: The veteran Tupou and the undrafted rookie Ravenell have been the best of the long shots in this group and would be worthy of spots on the practice squad, but it was always going to be difficult for a newcomer to crack a defensive line unit fully intact from last season.
INSIDE LINEBACKERS (4)
IN: Roquan Smith, Trenton Simpson, Chris Board, Josh Ross
WRONG SIDE OF THE BUBBLE: none
LONG SHOT: Yvandy Rigby, Deion Jennings
Skinny: Depth behind the starters is light, which is why Ross is on the right side of the bubble for the time being. Of course, Malik Harrison also factors into the equation for this position group, but he may find even more snaps as a strong-side outside linebacker this season.
OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS (6)
IN: Odafe Oweh, Kyle Van Noy, Tavius Robinson, Malik Harrison, David Ojabo, Adisa Isaac
WRONG SIDE OF THE BUBBLE: none
LONG SHOT: Joe Evans, Quincy Roche
SEASON-ENDING INJURED RESERVE: Malik Hamm
Skinny: The torn ACL suffered by Hamm early in camp eliminated a potential roster crunch with this group, but Robinson, Ojabo, and Isaac have much work to do to prove they can be viable depth and not just young inventory for the outside linebacker rotation. Considering Van Noy and Jadeveon Clowney still weren’t on the roster at this point a year ago, a veteran addition wouldn’t be surprising.
CORNERBACKS (6)
IN: Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Stephens, Nate Wiggins, Arthur Maulet, T.J. Tampa, Jalyn Armour-Davis
WRONG SIDE OF THE BUBBLE: Damarion Williams, Ka’dar Hollman
LONG SHOT: Trayvon Mullen, Christian Matthew, Bump Cooper Jr.
Skinny: Williams played well in the opener and is having a solid summer, but there are so many names ahead of him on the depth chart and multiple ankle surgeries limited him to one game last year, which could prompt DeCosta to try to pass him through waivers and re-sign him to the practice squad. Hollman is a special-teams player to watch in the mold of a Kevon Seymour or Darly Worley who might stick around. Maulet starting the year on injured reserve would open a temporary spot for someone.
SAFETIES (5)
IN: Marcus Williams, Kyle Hamilton, Ar’Darius Washington, Eddie Jackson, Sanoussi Kane
WRONG SIDE OF THE BUBBLE: Daryl Worley, Beau Brade
LONG SHOT: none
Skinny: Kane looks like a prototypical special-teams contributor while the veteran Worley and the undrafted Brade are both good candidates for the practice squad. The versatile Washington was perceived by some to be on the bubble entering training camp, but his strong play as a nickel and reserve safety and the knee injury to Maulet have all but made him a lock at this point.
SPECIALISTS (3)
IN: Justin Tucker, Jordan Stout, Nick Moore
WRONG SIDE OF THE BUBBLE: none
LONG SHOT: Jack Browning
Skinny: The Ravens recently signed Browning to have another kicker in camp, but there’s nothing else to see here with Moore returning from last year’s Achilles tendon injury.
