Position battles and players to watch for heading into the second week of exhibition action.
The Baltimore Ravens will take on the Atlanta Falcons in an interconference matchup in Week 2 of the 2024 preseason on Saturday.
With several starting jobs and key rotational roles on both sides of the ball up for grabs, here are five of the top storylines to monitor in the team’s second exhibition contest.
Offensive line competition continues
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The Ravens moved on from both starting guards and their top right tackle from last year, creating vacancies on three-fifths of their first team blocking unit. In last week’s preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, they got their first look at some of the young players in contention to fill those voids and were impressed by what they put on film. Head coach John Harbaugh went as far as to proclaim that the entire offensive line “passed the test.”
Last week marked the first taste of live NFL action for second-round rookie Roger Rosengarten and second-year pro Andrew Vorhees who are competing to start at right tackle and left guard, respectively. They each faired well and while Harbaugh shared that he would be comfortable either or both were called upon to start in the regular season opener less than a month away, he still isn’t ready to declare anyone the victor of any ongoing competition just yet.
Heading into their exhibition matchup with the Falcons, gaining more clarity so they can start building more continuity sooner rather than later will be paramount. Other linemen to monitor who are in contention for starting roles include second-year pro Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, fourth-year pro Ben Cleveland and third-year pro Daniel Faalele. With 2023 Pro Bowler Tyler Linderbaum dealing with a minor injury, Cleveland is serving as the primary backup center but is also in contention for the starting right guard spot with Faalele who is a tackle by trade but is being cross-trained to play on the interior in an effort to get the Ravens’ best starting five blockers on the field by September.
Will mid-round rookie defenders make NFL debut?
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The brightest star in the Ravens’ preseason opener last week was first-round rookie cornerback Nate Wiggins who didn’t waste any time making his presence felt with three forced incompletions on the first drive of the game. He would finish the game with three pass breakups including one that resulted in a turnover on downs and a tackle for loss before exiting the game with a shoulder injury.
Thankfully, Wiggins only suffered a minor sprain and was back on the practice field on Thursday but his preseason is likely over as the Ravens have seen all they need to see to be confident the former Clemson star is ready to contribute right away. While he likely won’t see any more exhibition action, there is a chance that third-round rookie outside linebacker Adisa Isaac and fourth-round cornerback T.J. Tampa could see their first against the Falcons.
After being out of commission with a hamstring injury since rookie minicamp, Isaac was removed from the Non-Football Injury list and has been practicing for the past couple of weeks and is the most likely of the two to make his NFL debut on Saturday. Tampa was activated from the Physically Unable to Perform list and returned to the practice field for the first time early this week since undergoing sports hernia surgery. Both players will counted on to provide quality depth at their respective positions and perform at a high level if and when needed so the more they can get their feet wet in August, the better off they’ll be once the regular season rolls around.
Who will keep stacking and who will step it up?
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Outside of the offensive line, the Ravens had several other players on both sides of the ball make strong impressions on both sides of the ball in the preseason opener. Offensively, second-year running back Owen Wright made the most of his 17 snaps by leading the team in scrimmage yards with 50 on just eight touches, undrafted rookie wide receiver Dayton Wade bounced back from a bad drop on his first target and went on to catch each of his next four to finish as the team’s leader in receptions and receiving yards (27).
Defensively, Wiggins wasn’t the only young defensive back who stood out as all of Damarion ‘Pepe’ Williams, Ar’Darius Washington, Jalyn Armour-Davis and fellow rookies Sanoussi Kane, Beau Brade and Bump Cooper Jr. each made nice plays. There were a handful of front seven players who also had nice outings with the most notably being second-year linebacker Trenton Simpson who recorded a game-high 11 total tackles in three quarters of action. On the edge, undrafted rookies Joe Evans and C.J. Ravenell both had strong showings with Evans playing the most snaps of anyone on the team and Ravenell playing well completely out of position as he is a defensive end/five-technique by nature.
All the players mentioned above could further bolster their respective cases for roster consideration if they show that last week wasn’t a flash in the pan but rather a glimpse of what they’re capable of if given the chance. On the opposite end of the spectrum, some players either didn’t get enough opportunities or didn’t make the most of the ones they did receive last week and will need to step up their game to increase their odds of making the team.
The Ravens have a trio of veteran wideouts who have been signed since training camp got underway who competing for a roster and could make a case for themselves with a strong showing. Keith Kirkwood played 14 snaps last week and caught one of his two targets for 19 yards and first down. Russell Gage only played five snaps after being signed the week of the opener, was targeted just once and didn’t record a reception. Anthony Miller is the newest addition and will be making his Ravens debut against the Falcons. All three players have shown at one point in their respective careers to be capable and solid depth options, doing so on Saturday would go a long way towards potentially extending their stay in Charm City.
Backup quarterbacks getting a chance to inspire more confidence
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One of the underrated concerns for fans and pundits, as it pertains to the Ravens heading into training camp, was the team’s depth behind star signal-caller and reigning league MVP Lamar Jackson. After 16-year journeyman veteran Josh Johnson and sixth-round rookie Devin Leary went a combined 10-of-22 for just 82 net passing yards with no touchdowns, a moderate amount of panic began to arise among the masses and many are now clamoring for the team to explore alternatives at least for the primary backup spot.
Harbaugh expressed confidence and faith in both players and chalked up some of their individual and the team’s overall offensive struggles to the nature of the preseason and the lack of cohesion and chemistry it often comes with as players are consistently being moved around to different spots or added just days before the exhibition contest. While their box stats weren’t gaudy and far from impressive, both Johnson and Leary led scoring drives and neither turned the ball over.
Against the Falcons, a team that struggles to rush the passer and likely won’t be playing newly acquired former Raven Matt Judon, both quarterbacks will have more opportunities to push the ball down the field. Inconsistent pass protection and miscommunication with some of their targets prevented them from doing so last week but with the first game jitters out of the way, hopefully, they’ll be able to prove themselves and quell some of the doubts and concerns about their ability to step in and perform at a competitive level if ever called upon.
Will defensive line depth bounce back?
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Even though the Ravens were able to hold the Eagles under 20 points and only lost on a game-winning field goal after the offense turned the ball over, it doesn’t take away from the fact that they got bullied in the trenches defensively. They gave up 24 first downs, a staggering 156 rushing yards and allowed Philadelphia to dominate time of possession 37:21-22:29.
It wouldn’t be as alarming if most of those yards and fresh sets of downs were gained in the second half when mostly third and fourth-stringers fighting to make the roster were on the field for the most part. Unfortunately, that was not the case as the Eagles were able to establish a potent rushing attack early in the game against a defensive front consisting of players the Ravens will be counting on as part of their defensive line rotation this year.
While 11th-year veteran defensive end Brent Urban was his typically rock-solid self, the same can’t be said for fifth-year veteran Broderick Washington and Travis Jones who both have been having strong training camps by all accounts but didn’t carry it over to preseason opener. Against the Falcons, they’ll have a chance to put last week’s poor performance in the rearview by helping set a stronger tone early for young players to follow by playing sound and dominating at the point of attack.