Ravens' 53-man roster projection as training camp gets underway

New York Times

22-07-2025

There will be a few surprises as well as some disappointments during training camp and the preseason. Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta is always a strong candidate to add a veteran or two during training camp, and back-end roster shuffling is an annual rite of summer. Of course, injuries are inevitable, too.
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The Ravens will have to trim their roster from its current 91 players to 53 by the afternoon of Aug. 26. From now until then, they'll have roughly two dozen practices, countless meetings and workouts, and three preseason games in a 17-day span.
There's much to be decided as the team prepares for its first full-squad practice of training camp on Wednesday. This is one guess of how the 53-man roster that will head to Buffalo for Week 1 of the regular season could shake out.
Who makes the cut? Lamar Jackson, Cooper Rush
Long shot: Devin Leary
Biggest question: Do the Ravens still have bigger priorities than keeping a No. 3 quarterback? Baltimore traditionally opts to use the roster spot at other positions.
Fact to consider: Rush was 9-5 as a starter in Dallas. The Ravens signed him this offseason with the belief that he can help the offense stay afloat if Jackson has to miss time.
Outlook: It makes some sense to carry a third quarterback because he can be an emergency No. 3 on game days. However, the Ravens have shown year after year that they don't view it as a wise use of roster space. Leary would have to play extremely well this summer to change their minds. He's likely playing for a practice squad spot.
Who makes the cut? Derrick Henry, Justice Hill, Keaton Mitchell
On the bubble: Rasheen Ali
Long shot: Marcus Major
Biggest question: Is Mitchell beyond his 2023 knee injury? If the answer is yes, the Ravens are probably set here, barring any summer injuries.
Fact to consider: Baltimore's game day No. 3 backs — there were four different ones last year — played 68 total snaps all last season. A healthy Mitchell could change things, but the No. 3 running back will be a heavy special teams position.
Outlook: The Ravens could add another running back in the coming weeks, but that player will more than likely be a camp body and not a major threat to make the team. Ali, a 2024 fifth-round pick who was held back by injuries as a rookie, could force the issue here, particularly as a kick returner. The Ravens have kept four running backs before, but Ali would have to be really good in the preseason to convince them to do it again.
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Who makes the cut? Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, DeAndre Hopkins, Tylan Wallace, Devontez Walker, LaJohntay Wester
On the bubble: Anthony Miller, Dayton Wade
Long shots: Keith Kirkwood, Malik Cunningham, Jahmal Banks, Xavier Guillory
Biggest question: What will the Ravens do at punt returner? Wallace, Wester, Miller and Wade could all be candidates, meaning that decision will go a long way to determining the final one or two receiver spots.
Fact to consider: The Ravens have kept six or more receivers on their season-opening roster in three of the past four years. It seems likely they'll do it again this year.
Outlook: It's been a while since the Ravens entered training camp with so few questions about their wide receiver group. There's always one or two young receivers who flash in the preseason and make a compelling roster case — Wade seems poised to do that this summer — but it's going to be hard for Baltimore to find roster room. As long as Walker keeps progressing, the top five appears set. If the Ravens take a sixth, it will be a returner or core special-teamer.
Who makes the cut? Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, Charlie Kolar, Patrick Ricard
Long shots: Zaire Mitchell-Paden, Sam Pitz, Lucas Scott
Biggest question: Will anything change with Andrews' status? The Ravens and Andrews seem intent on moving forward together, even if it's just for one more year, but that won't necessarily silence the trade speculation.
Fact to consider: The Ravens were in 12 personnel (two tight ends) on 31 percent of their offensive snaps in 2024, the fifth-highest total in the NFL. For all the talk about whether Andrews or Likely will be the go-to tight end, they both will be on the field plenty together.
Outlook: Unless there's an injury or surprise development, like a trade, there's nothing to see here. The Ravens believe they have the best tight end trio and the best blocking fullback in the NFL, and they're probably right on both counts.
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Who makes the cut? Ronnie Stanley, Roger Rosengarten, Tyler Linderbaum, Daniel Faalele, Andrew Vorhees, Ben Cleveland, Joseph Noteboom, Emery Jones Jr., Carson Vinson, Garrett Dellinger
On the bubble: Nick Samac, Corey Bullock, Darrian Dalcourt
Long shots: Reid Holskey, Ozzie Hutchinson, Jared Penning, Gerad Lichtenhan
Biggest question: Who will secure Baltimore's four or five reserve spots? Assuming Stanley, Vorhees, Linderbaum, Faalele and Rosengarten are the starters, the Ravens' decisions will be focused on the reserves, and there are legitimate questions there.
Fact to consider: Cleveland, who was arrested on suspicion of drunken charges in February, is subject to at least a three-game suspension. That means both he and Jones, who is still rehabbing from shoulder surgery and will start training camp on the non-football injury list, are highly questionable for Week 1.
Outlook: There are more questions here than at any other position. That's largely because of the uncertainty about Cleveland's and Jones' availability for Week 1, plus other unknown factors, such as the readiness of Day 3 draft picks Vinson and Dellinger. As long as he's healthy, Noteboom is likely to be the swing tackle. Everything else will need to be decided, and if Cleveland and Jones aren't on the 53-man roster early, that will open the door for holdovers like Samac, Bullock and Dalcourt.
Who makes the cut? Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones, Broderick Washington, John Jenkins, Aeneas Peebles
On the bubble: C.J. Okoye, C.J. Ravenell
Long shots: Adedayo Odeleye, Jayson Jones
Biggest question: Did the Ravens do enough here? Their lone additions were Jenkins, a 36-year-old journeyman, and Peebles, an undersized sixth-round pick.
Fact to consider: Madubuike's snap count has gone up at least 5 percent in every season of his career. With Michael Pierce retired, Travis Jones figures to play far more than the 53 percent of the defensive snaps he played last year.
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Outlook: There's always the potential for injuries and room for camp revelations, but this could be pretty simple here. Pierce and Brent Urban out, and Jenkins and Peebles in. The Ravens aren't in their base defense a whole lot, and they have a few outside linebackers who can move inside, so keeping five interior defensive linemen feels like the right number.
Who makes the cut? Kyle Van Noy, Odafe Oweh, Tavius Robinson, Mike Green, Adisa Isaac
On the bubble: David Ojabo, Malik Hamm
Long shots: Diwun Black, Kaimon Rucker
Biggest question: Who will be the odd man out? Keeping more than five outside linebackers would limit the Ravens elsewhere on the roster, so that final spot will likely come down to Isaac, Ojabo and Hamm.
Fact to consider: Robinson played more than 50 percent of Baltimore's defensive snaps in seven of its last nine games last season. While the Ravens have more highly touted young edge guys, the coaching staff considers Robinson to be a worthy starter.
Outlook: This comes down to Ojabo, the 2022 second-round pick who has four sacks in three injury-plagued seasons. If he doesn't have a big summer, the Ravens probably will move on. If Ojabo looks like he's much improved, letting him go for nothing would be a misstep. They almost certainly aren't going to give up on Isaac, a third-round pick last year, after one injury-riddled season. They could keep six outside linebackers, but that means one, if not two, would be ticketed as a weekly inactive, and it would leave the Ravens short elsewhere.
Who makes the cut? Roquan Smith, Trenton Simpson, Teddye Buchanan, Jake Hummel
On the bubble: Jay Higgins IV, William Kwenkeu
Long shot: Chandler Martin
Biggest question: How ready is Buchanan to contribute? If the rookie fourth-rounder from California is ready, he not only could push Simpson for the starting job on the weak side, but he would also ease the team's depth concerns here.
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Fact to consider: While he started the first 13 games last season, Simpson played under 75 percent of the defensive snaps in eight of them. Whoever is the starter alongside Smith likely won't be a three-down guy.
Outlook: Inside linebacker is a position at which undrafted rookies seem to thrive in Baltimore, and that bodes well for Higgins and Martin. However, there might be no real decisions to make here as the top four appear set. Hummel was signed for his special teams prowess, so he should stick.
Who makes the cut? Marlon Humphrey, Nate Wiggins, Jaire Alexander, Chidobe Awuzie, T.J. Tampa, Bilhal Kone, Robert Longerbeam
On the bubble: Jalyn Armour-Davis, Reuben Lowery
Long shots: Marquise Robinson, Keyon Martin
Biggest question: How many corners will the Ravens realistically have room to keep? Knowing the importance of the position, team officials abhor letting go of talented corners, but they'll likely have some tough decisions to make because you can't keep everyone.
Fact to consider: Awuzie played in just eight games in three of the past five seasons, and Alexander has played in seven games or fewer in three of the past four. Their health will be closely monitored this summer.
Outlook: If the Ravens' cornerbacks are all mostly healthy, this could come down to Armour-Davis and three rookies — Kone, Longerbeam and Lowery — battling for one or two spots. Special teams could play a role in determining those spots, which is why it would be foolish to dismiss Armour-Davis. The oft-injured 2022 fourth-round pick cannot afford to miss time this summer. Lowery, the undrafted rookie out of Tennessee-Chattanooga, has opened a lot of eyes and could push Kone and Longerbeam, the two rookie sixth-rounders, for a job.
Who makes the cut? Kyle Hamilton, Malaki Starks, Sanoussi Kane, Beau Brade
Long shots: Keondre Jackson, Desmond Igbinosun
PUP list: Ar'Darius Washington (Achilles)
Biggest question: Do the Ravens need to bring in a veteran safety to play behind Hamilton and Starks? There's a lot of excitement about the starters, but Kane and Brade, who will compete for the No. 3 safety role, combined to play 33 defensive snaps last year.
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Fact to consider: The Ravens have several corners, including Humphrey, Awuzie and Armour-Davis, who figure to see some snaps at safety. That presumably is one reason the team's decision-makers haven't overreacted to a thin depth chart at the position.
Outlook: The addition of a veteran safety, such as Justin Simmons or Julian Blackmon, would make it tough for the Ravens to keep both Kane and Brade. For now, both second-year players profile as core special-teamers and safety depth. Washington, who tore his Achilles in May, is hoping to return late in the regular season. Anything the Ravens get from him in 2025 has to be considered a bonus. Keeping four safeties feels light, but it would be mitigated somewhat by keeping seven corners.
Who makes the cut? Tyler Loop, Jordan Stout, Nick Moore
On the bubble: John Hoyland
Biggest question: Will either of the rookie kickers prove to be a worthy successor to Justin Tucker? Both Loop, a sixth-round pick, and Hoyland, an undrafted free agent, were up and down during offseason workouts, and kicking consistency is a must for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.
Fact to consider: The Ravens have waived a rookie Day 3 draft pick as part of the 53-man roster cutdown four straight years. While Loop may enter training camp as the favorite to win the kicking job, the Ravens have shown they won't hesitate to move on from a rookie draft pick if they have a better option.
Outlook: Tucker struggled for a chunk of last year and was released eight weeks before he was ultimately suspended 10 weeks for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. Otherwise, the Ravens haven't had to worry about their kicker in more than a dozen years. It's now arguably the team's biggest concern. Loop, who was the guy senior special teams coach and kicking guru Randy Brown wanted, will get every chance to succeed. However, he needs to be more consistent than he was during OTAs and mandatory minicamp, or Baltimore will have to consider other options.