With the Ravens opening their three-day mandatory minicamp in Owings Mills on Tuesday, I’ve offered a dozen thoughts, each in 50 words or less:
1. All eyes were on Odell Beckham Jr. in his first practice, and the three-time Pro Bowl selection moved well, completing individual work and taking a handful of reps during full-team drills before sitting out the end of practice. Beckham plans to train with Lamar Jackson in Florida before training camp.
2. Jackson’s first target to Beckham during an 11-on-11 period was dubious with cornerback Rock Ya-Sin dropping would should have been an easy interception. Beckham later registered a catch against Marlon Humphrey in coverage, which was more like it. A solid, healthy practice debut was more than enough for mid-June.
3. The play of the day was a Jackson deep pass to Nelson Agholor, who got behind Ya-Sin for a touchdown as the Baltimore defense brought multiple blitzers. However, the theme of spring continued with the defense clearly being ahead of an offense adjusting to a new system and philosophy.
Dialed in. @Lj_Era8 to Nelson Agholor for the long TD
pic.twitter.com/VuI4kBiGDV— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) June 14, 2023
4. Ar’Darius Washington figures to be on the roster bubble for a third straight summer, but he had an excellent practice with an interception of Josh Johnson during a 7-on-7 period and multiple pass breakups. Brandon Stephens is the current favorite to be the nickel, but Washington is in the mix.
5. Washington wasn’t the only defensive back to have a strong showing as Daryl Worley also picked off Johnson and Kevon Seymour nearly intercepted Jackson. There were plenty of defensive hands on throws throughout the session.
6. That included the defensive line with Broderick Washington and Jeremiah Moon batting down passes. On one of the earliest full-team reps, Justin Madubuike and David Ojabo combined to overwhelm Jackson with pressure in the pocket, forcing the whistle to blow for what would have been a sack.
7. Humphrey was present and working early, but he did very little as the workout continued, giving way to Trayvon Mullen lining up opposite Ya-Sin. Given Humphrey’s typical enthusiasm for practicing, that was surprising, making one wonder if there was a minor physical issue.
8. Devin Duvernay had one of the most impressive catches of the day with an over-the-shoulder grab on a corner throw from Jackson with Stephens in coverage. The Pro Bowl return specialist will have to battle for his opportunities on offense, but he’s had a good spring.
9. An understated part of the outside linebacker depth discussion is making sure the young edge rushers can set a strong edge and play the run effectively. On one 11-on-11 run play, Odafe Oweh easily shed a Charlie Kolar block and bottled up Justice Hill quickly.
10. John Harbaugh hinted at this regarding the left guard competition last week, but you get the sense that rookie sixth-round pick Sala Aumavae–Laulu’s stock is rising and Ben Cleveland’s stock is falling in that battle also including John Simpson and Daniel Faalele. A long way to go, of course.
11. Ronnie Stanley appears healthy and in great shape, and it was notable to see the 2019 All-Pro left tackle take every first-team rep while other veterans were ramping up. Because of the pandemic and multiple ankle surgeries, Stanley was taking part in his first June minicamp practice since 2019.
12. Steve Bisciotti had a smile on his face watching the end of Beckham’s press conference and gave him a hug as they walked into the team facility together. It’s safe to say the Ravens owner really likes his new wide receiver after playing a substantial role in his free-agent recruitment.
