Five Standouts Through The Opening Two Weeks Of Ravens Training Camp
Bo Smolka, PressBox
OLB ODAFE OWEH
At one point during the first week of camp, John Harbaugh said he “had to pull the reins in” on Oweh, telling him not to get too close to the quarterback.
“We don’t want to have any car crashes out there, but he’s doing a great job,” Harbaugh continued. “He’s bringing it. He’s pretty much been in the backfield every play.”
It’s true; defenders aren’t allowed to sack the quarterback in training camp practices, but if they were, Oweh would have had at least one sack every practice the first week. He beat tackles on both sides, and he won on stunts up the middle against the Ravens’ revamped offensive line. Oweh also did a nice job setting the edge against the run at times, forcing running backs to turn inside where players such as Travis Jones — another camp standout — was ready to bury them.
Oweh was a little quieter in the second week, during more intense padded practices, but the Ravens have to love what they have seen from him so far as they still face concerns about the depth of the edge rush group.
The Ravens exercised Oweh’s fifth-year option this year, a big vote of confidence for the fourth-year player who was taken No. 31 overall in the 2021 draft. Harbaugh said he is hoping for “I guess you’d call it a breakout year” for Oweh, who has never had more than five sacks in a season.
“[He] wants to take it to the next level and go ahead and get the quarterback on the ground,” Harbaugh added.
Whether he can do that won’t be known until defenders are actually allowed to do that, but thus far, Oweh has looked more than ready.
What are Ravens’ potential roster concerns after 2 weeks of training camp?
Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic
Offensive line
Level of concern: High
If it was just one position the Ravens had to figure out up front, the concern would range from minimal to nonexistent. Baltimore has shown an ability in recent years to plug in an unproven option and get decent production. However, there’s uncertainty at three spots alongside left tackle Ronnie Stanley and center Tyler Linderbaum.
Andrew Vorhees, a 2023 seventh-round pick who redshirted his rookie season as he rehabbed a knee injury, has established himself as the likely starting left guard. He’s strong and smart and should be a quick study. But the Ravens are weighing whether to start rookie second-round pick Roger Rosengarten or veteran Patrick Mekari at right tackle, and there’s even more uncertainty at right guard. Converted tackle Daniel Faalele is getting every opportunity to win the job, but he still has a lot to prove. Other contenders, including Ben Cleveland, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu and Josh Jones, don’t appear to be forcing the issue, either.
The Ravens, though, will probably have to find the solutions internally. The demand for quality linemen far exceeds the supply. The free-agent market isn’t exactly overflowing with healthy and starting-caliber guards and tackles this close to the season. Anybody Baltimore adds would probably be more a depth piece than a bona fide starter. Still, that won’t stop general manager Eric DeCosta and company from looking around. Thirty-one other teams will be doing the same.
Derrick Henry Is Pursuing Perfection
Ryan Mink, BaltimoreRavens.com
Henry’s pursuit of perfection has no limits. In a league that’s in a hurry to discard 30-year-old running backs, it’s Henry’s chase that makes him the exception as he enters Year 9.
Not only is Henry a physical freak. The way he approaches the game is freakish, especially for someone so accomplished.
“It’s like the damnedest thing ever. He wants to be perfect on everything. We love it,” Taggart said. “He’ll eventually come around, but probably the first two plays after a mistake, he’s going to be ticked off.”
Even though he’s entering Year 9, Henry feels more like a rookie in the Ravens’ new system, which will feature more runs out of the shotgun formation than the single-back alignments he was so used to in Tennessee. He’s asking a ton of questions in meetings, which has made it easier for his younger teammates to pipe up too.
“Derrick, he’s all business, 24-7,” Hill said. “I mean he obviously has a fun side to him, but when he comes to work, he comes to work. He’ll make a mistake and be mad the whole rest of the day.”
Ravens wide receiver Devontez Walker strives to make impact in rookie year
Todd Karpovich, BaltimoreSports.com
“[Devontez Walker] is a sponge,” Lewis said. “He wants to know everything, and he’s doing a great job with that. You see his length and his speed out there on the field and [him] making big-bodied catches but then he can take the top off coverages. He’s doing a great job as far as the offense is concerned, learning and understanding what we’re trying to do is different than what he did in college. It’s a lot of nuances, and he’s picking them up seamlessly, so I’m excited [for] where he’s at now and where he can go in the future.”
At 6 feet 1, 193 pounds, Walker is a physical wide receiver and should complement the speedy players on the roster. Scouts said that Walker does need to improve on his route running, but he has been lauded for his ability to make contested catches in tight coverage.
He is excited to work with Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, a two-time NFL MVP. The Ravens hope Walker and Jackson can convert some explosive plays downfield this season, an area that was lacking at times last year.
“I’ve been watching Lamar since he came out of high school, watched him at Louisville,” Walker said. “I think he’s a great football player. He’s somebody that I wished I was on his team, and now that wish is coming true. He’s a great player. I love watching him, so I’m looking forward to being alongside of him.”
2024 NFL Power Rankings: Early Predictions At Start Of Preseason
Marcus Mosher, 33rd Team
The Baltimore Ravens were the No. 1 seed in the AFC last season but were upset by the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. Their roster isn’t quite as deep as it was last season, but the Ravens have a combined record of 58-19 with Lamar Jackson in the starting lineup.
As long as he is healthy, the Ravens are a threat in the AFC.