Position battles and players to watch for heading Week 1 of exhibition action.
The Baltimore Ravens will officially get their 2024 preseason slate underway on Friday night when they host the Philadelphia Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium.
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 first exhibition contest.
Offensive line competitions
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After moving on from both starting guards and their top right tackle from last year, the Ravens have three-fifths of their first team blocking unit undecided at the moment. They’d like to have clarity and start building continuity sooner rather than later which means a lot is at stake for several young offensive linemen.
This will be the first taste of NFL action for second-round rookie Roger Rosengarten who is competing to replace Morgan Moses at right tackle, as well as second-year pro Andrew Vorhees, who missed his entire rookie season due to injury and is in pole position to replace John Simpson at left guard.
Other linemen to monitor include a trio who possess positional flexibility, including Ben Cleveland, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu and Daniel Faalele.
First look at 2024 NFL Draft class
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Nearly every member of the Ravens’ nine-man rookie draft class will be suiting up for their first NFL; only fourth-round cornerback T.J. Tampa will miss the action due to offseason sports hernia surgeries.
While Rosengarten is the only first-year pro competing for an outright starting spot, another who will see the field early and often is first-round cornerback Nate Wiggins. The former Clemson star might just be one of the biggest steals of the draft.
Third-round edge defender Adisa Isaac might not see a lot of time given he returned to practice on Tuesday after being out with a hamstring injury since rookie minicamp. Fourth-round wide receiver Devontez Walker will get a chance to show off his explosive vertical playmaking ability.
Fifth-round running back Rasheen Ali might get the start if the Ravens opt to not play fifth-year veteran Justice Hill, but even if he doesn’t, expect to see him a lot on offense and special teams regardless. Sixth-round quarterback Devin Leary will be chomping at the bit to spin the ball but will also be trying to show coaches he can be more careful with the football than he was in his final year in college by being both accurate and aggressive.
Seventh-rounder Nick Samac will likely see time at both his natural position of center as well as one of two guard spots, if not both. His fellow seventh-rounder, safety Sanoussi Kane, will be trying to stand out on both defense and special teams.
Players trying to get off the bubble
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As important as the preseason is for rookie draft picks and those vying for starting jobs, some players are fighting just to make the team and could greatly help their cause with standout performances against another team in live action.
Two players who fall into this category are third-year cornerback Damarion ‘Pepe’ Williams and Jalyn Armour-Davis. They both were taken in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft and while they each have shown flashes of promise when healthy, injuries have prevented them from solidifying roster spots as key depth pieces. Staying on the field will be just as important for them as the plays they make on it over the next three weeks.
Veterans looking to fight their way off the proverbial roster bubble include wide receivers Keith Kirkwood and Russell Gage, defensive tackles Josh Tupou and Deadrin Senat, linebacker Josh Ross and cornerback Ka’dar Hollman. Meanwhile inside linebacker Chris Board, defensive back Daryl Worley and defensive end Brent Urban fall into a category of veteran handshake guys who are competing to keep the depth spots they are already slated for and could find themselves right back in the team even if they don’t make the initial 53-man roster.
Identifying the next undrafted gem
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The Ravens have been among the league’s best when it comes to finding and developing the diamonds in the rough that is undrafted free agency. Last year they had a pair of unheralded first-year pros—running back Keaton Mitchell and outside linebacker Malik Hamm—play their way onto the team with standout performances in the preseason.
A handful of undrafted defensive rookies to keep an eye on Friday and moving forward include outside linebacker Joe Evans, defensive end Tramel Walthour, safety Beau Brade and linebackers Deion Jennings and Yvandy Rigby. On offense, there is quarterback Emory Jones, running back Chris Collier, wide receiver Dayton Wade, tight end/wide receiver Qadir Ismail as well as offensive linemen Darrian Dalcourt, Darrell Simpson, Julian Pearl and Corey Bullock.
Some second-year pros who went undrafted last year to monitor are running back Owen Wright, wide receiver Sean Ryan and offensive guards TyKeem Doss and Tashawn Manning.
Defensive depth at all three levels
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The Ravens had the best defense in the league last year with diverse skill sets and great depth being the unit’s greatest strength although they had their fair share of star power in the form of multiple Pro Bowlers and All Pros. Preseason is often when the cream rises to the top regarding who the team will rely upon to be the first man up or even carve out rotational roles at certain positions.
One position to pay close attention to in particular when it comes to the Ravens’ exhibition contests is outside linebacker. While the team has plenty of young recently invested talent on the edge, it is largely inexperienced and 11th-year veteran Kyle Van Noy and fourth-year pro Odafe Oweh are their only proven commodities and projected starters. Edge defenders to keep an eye on are third-year pro David Ojabo, second-year pro Trenton Simpson, third-year pro Quincy Roche as well as the two rookies in Isaac and Evans.
Defenders at other positions with something to prove and roles to fight for include third-year defensive back Ar’Darius Washington who has struggled with injuries to begin his career, fifth-year veteran jack-of-all-trades linebacker Malik Harrison and defensive tackle Broderick Washington.