logo
7 key Ravens who need to elevate their game in 2025

7 key Ravens who need to elevate their game in 2025

USA Today29-06-2025
With Baltimore's training camp fast approaching, we're looking at seven Ravens who'll need to elevate their games in 2025 for continued team success
Ravens rookies will report to the Under Armour Performance Center for training camp in 17 short days, signaling the start of an intriguing regular season for Baltimore.
John Harbaugh's team has few holes on both sides of the football, but several key positions will see competition, and a breakout campaign from an under-the-radar player could help ignite a run to the Super Bowl in Santa Clara. Expectations are high, and Zach Orr's defense has added elite talent at all three levels.
With training camp just around the corner, we're looking at seven key Ravens who'll need to elevate their games in 2025.
OL Andrew Vorhees
Ronnie Stanley is elite when healthy, Tyler Linderbaum is a Pro Bowler, Daniel Faalele was a Pro Bowl alternate, and Roger Rosengarten has established himself as one of the best young right tackles in the NFL. That leaves third-year left guard Andrew Vorhees, who'll need to win the starting job and then elevate his game to help Baltimore continue its streak as the NFL's top rushing team.
DT Travis Jones
Nnamdi Madubuike is an All-Pro, but with Michael Pierce announcing his retirement, the time is now for defensive tackle Travis Jones to establish himself. Jones logged 42 tackles (22 solo), including 1.0 sacks, in 17 regular-season games in 2024.
The 2022 third-round pick started in 15 of 17 regular-season games, and he'll need to increase his production in 2025.
WR Devontez Walker
Baltimore has a solid trio of Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and DeAndre Hopkins at the wide receiver spot. Still, injuries happen, and the Ravens would prefer to have Walker elevate his role over Tylan Wallace or the rookie LaJohntay Wester. Head coach John Harbaugh recently commented on the former UNC player.
"Every day, all he does is show up and go 100 miles an hour," coach John Harbaugh said at the conclusion of minicamp, via the team's official site. "He's got a chance to be really good."
Walker ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, and he'll look to be Lamar Jackson's big-play weapon.
OLB David Ojabo
Baltimore has one of the NFL's deepest edge rush units, and that was before the addition of Mike Green in the second round of April's draft. Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh are the established starters. Green is an elite pass rusher, while Adisa Isaac, Tavius Robinson, and David Ojabo will all look to carve out a role. Robinson was just called a centerpiece of the Ravens' defense, and Isaac is a second-year player who spent most of 2024 injured. That leaves Ojabo, who has the benefit of being the club's International Pathway player, but who could be on his final stand with the team.
Ojabo, 25, became a household name in 2021, recording 11 sacks at Michigan and establishing himself as a likely first-round pick. His draft stock took a massive hit after he tore his ACL at his pro day, and he's yet to regain that elite form or athleticism.
DE Broderick Washington
Washington is more of a defensive tackle than he is a pass rusher, but his presence is needed on a retooled Ravens defense that has elite talent in the secondary. Washington logged 21 tackles (nine solo), including 2.0 sacks, during 15 regular-season appearances (five starts) with Baltimore in 2024. He also had two passes defensed and one forced fumble.
OL Daniel Faalele
A massive player who struggled at offensive tackle, Faalele found his footing after a switch to the offensive guard position, earning Pro Bowl alternate honors in 2024. Faalele won the starting right guard job out of training camp and played every single offensive snap in every game last year. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Faalele surrendered one sack and 32 pressures in 578 pass-blocking opportunities in the previous season. Faalele needs to improve as a run-blocker.
CB Nate Wiggins
Wiggins had a solid debut with 33 tackles, an interception returned for a touchdown, 13 pass breakups, and a forced fumble. He earned seven votes for the Associated Press's Defensive Rookie of the Year Award and finished 11th in the voting. After bulking up this off-season, Wiggins will look to take his place among the NFL's best cornerbacks, while learning even more about the position from new teammate Jaire Alexander.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Colts' brass, on the hot seat, couldn't trust their future with Anthony Richardson
Colts' brass, on the hot seat, couldn't trust their future with Anthony Richardson

Yahoo

time25 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Colts' brass, on the hot seat, couldn't trust their future with Anthony Richardson

The best move for the future of the Indianapolis Colts, in terms of chasing a Super Bowl, was to continue to start Anthony Richardson and develop him into what they were hoping for when they drafted him fourth overall. But the decision makers might not be around for the future if they don't win now. And they acted accordingly. It's a conundrum plenty of NFL teams face. What's best for the franchise and self preservation don't always match up. The Colts, with GM Chris Ballard and coach Shane Steichen having to feel some pressure to win this season, played it safe and chose Daniel Jones to be their starting quarterback for the opener on Sept. 7. It's swinging for a single, or a double at best. The Colts made a huge gamble on Richardson, and it could still pay off down the road. It's not like Jones is a lock to keep the job all season. But the Colts couldn't afford to see their gamble through, given Richardson's struggles. Colts couldn't wait on Anthony Richardson One play might have helped guide the Colts' decision. There were plenty of reasons to bring in Jones to compete with Richardson. Richardson was benched last season as he completed 47.7% of his passes. He has been injured throughout his two NFL seasons having missed more games (19) than he has started (15). But if it was truly a competition going into August, one mistake had to reinforce to the Colts that there was a long way for Richardson to go. In the preseason opener, Richardson took a huge sack and dislocated his right pinkie finger. The problem wasn't the lost yardage or even the injury. As almost every former quarterback and tape guru with a social media account pointed out, it was a fairly routine read for Richardson to throw to one of the open receivers to his right when the Ravens sent an extra rusher from that side. Richardson never even looked that way. It's the type of mistake that gets made by a quarterback with 28 combined starts between the NFL and college. Richardson isn't an accurate passer, but his biggest problem remains inexperience. He had just 13 career starts in college. He had immense physical talent but needed time to learn how to play quarterback. And learning that in the highly pressurized world of the NFL is hard. And too often, coaching staffs and front offices don't have enough time to be patient with that development. That's a reason we have seen players like Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield and Geno Smith thrive elsewhere. Teams can't wait on them to figure it out. Steichen and Ballard had to feel like they were running out of time. Daniel Jones gets his shot Jones probably gives the Colts a better chance to win a few more games now, though we have seen plenty of Jones in the NFL. It's hard to envision him ever being a championship-level quarterback. A division title is likely the Colts' loftiest realistic goal with Jones at quarterback. But he will run the offense in a more efficient way. We could see in the preseason that he knows where to go with the ball and can deliver it more often than not. Perhaps Jones is the next Darnold/Mayfield/Smith reclamation, though it seems unlikely. He was just the safer option for the present. And perhaps Richardson gets another shot this season to show what he can do. He'll need an injury or Jones to struggle, but that can happen over the course of a long season. Or perhaps Richardson's chance comes with another team. He was clearly overdrafted at fourth overall, but plenty of teams saw the same incredible physical skills as he came out of Florida. He still has a high ceiling, and that's probably why he'd be starting Week 1 in a different scenario. It just wasn't in the best immediate interest of those making the decision for Indianapolis. It might be a while before we see another draft pick like Richardson again. His lack of experience was a red flag, but the Colts ignored it. He probably would have been better off as a middle-round pick that could develop with little pressure, closer to the Joe Milton III territory of the draft. The Colts could only see the upside when they made the pick. And now, ironically, they have to forget the upside after just 15 starts to try and win now with Jones, even if their ceiling is much lower now.

Colts name Daniel Jones starting quarterback over Anthony Richardson
Colts name Daniel Jones starting quarterback over Anthony Richardson

Yahoo

time25 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Colts name Daniel Jones starting quarterback over Anthony Richardson

The Indianapolis Colts have named Daniel Jones their starting quarterback. Jones had been in a training-camp competition with Anthony Richardson, the Colts' 2023 No. 4 overall pick who started 11 games last season. Both Jones and Richardson have seen snaps in the Colts' two preseason games, with Jones completing 17-of-32 passes for 245 yards, and Richardson going 8 of 14 for 94 yards. The Colts signed Jones to a one-year deal in March after he was benched and then released by the Giants last November. He spent the rest of the 2024 season with the Minnesota Vikings but did not see the field. Colts head coach Shane Steichen told reporters Tuesday that his decision to go with Jones isn't just a Week 1 arrangement. "He's the starting quarterback for the season,' Steichen said. "I don't want to have a short leash on that." This breaking news story will be updated.

Buffalo Rumblinks, 8/19: Observations from Buffalo's blowout preseason loss
Buffalo Rumblinks, 8/19: Observations from Buffalo's blowout preseason loss

Yahoo

time25 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Buffalo Rumblinks, 8/19: Observations from Buffalo's blowout preseason loss

There were very few positives for Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott to take away from Buffalo's uninspiring 38-0 shellacking at the hands of the Chicago Bears Sunday night in Week 2 of the NFL's preseason. After the dust had settled from the debacle in the Windy City — the worst preseason loss in at least the last 50 years of the franchise — today's edition of Buffalo Rumblinks leads off by examining what went right and what went wrong from a game described by McDermott as 'certainly not up to our standard.' Bills loss to Bears is 'concerning' Buffalo kept a majority of their starters on the sidelines for the entirety of this Week 2 clash in Chicago, but regardless of who took the field, there wasn't much to like from this lopsided defeat. At one point in the first half, Chicago had scored more points (28) than Buffalo had amassed in total yards of offense (22). Buffalo's defense consistently gave up big chunk plays, whether the quarterback was Caleb Williams, Tyson Bagent or third-stringer Austin Reed as Chicago finished with 528 yards of offense while limiting Buffalo to 180 total yards of offense. Buffalo's offense underwhelmed all day long and couldn't convert a single third-down attempt. The defense failed to generate much pressure and the secondary was burned time and again. One of the biggest questions left to be answered: After Cole Bishop and Damar Hamlin struggled, do the Bills have a problem at safety opposite Taylor Rapp? Plus, below catch up on positional grades and examine which players helped their chances of making the 53-man roster — including wide receiver Tyrell Shavers, wide receiver/returner Laviska Shenault, backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky, defensive back Jordan Hancock, and punter Brad Robbins — and who saw their stock fall in the defeat, including safeties Cole Bishop and Damar Hamlin, backup QB Mike White, offensive tackle Ryan Van Demark, linebacker Joe Andreessen, and wide receiver Elijah Moore. Bills observations: Most starters watch from sideline as Bears roll to 38-0 preseason win – Buffalo News (subscription required) Buffalo Bills face major safety questions after blowout loss to Bears (Takeaways) – Bills depth chart projection 4.0: Bad loss to Bears raises questions – Democrat & Chronicle Carucci Take 2: Only plus in Bills' ugly showing vs. Bears? It's only preseason – WGRZ Top 3 things we learned from Bills at Bears | 2025 Preseason Week 2 – 5 takeaways from Bills embarrassing preseason loss to Bears – Democrat & Chronicle 3 observations from Bills' preseason embarrassment against Bears – Sports Illustrated Buffalo Bills OPINION: Arrow Up/Arrow Down: Bills at Bears preseason – WGR 550 Bills stock report: Who's up and who's down after preseason shutout loss to Bears – The Athletic (subscription required) 2 winners & 4 losers from Bills' dreadful loss to Bears in Preseason Week 2 – Sports Illustrated Buffalo Bills Bills' safety play raises concerns after 38-0 preseason loss to Bears (stock up/stock down) – Bills-Bears preseason game No. 2: Here's whose stock went up and whose stock went down – Buffalo News (subscription required) Bills stock up, stock down after listless preseason loss to Bears – Democrat & Chronicle Bills play their backups and get blown out by the Bears: Final score, recap, photos – Bears 38, Bills 0 | Final score, game highlights, key stats | Preseason Week 2 – Caleb Williams looks sharp in Ben Johnson's offense as Bears rout Bills 38-0 in preseason – ESPN Bills mauled by Bears in second preseason game – WGR 550 Buffalo Bills safeties have a rough night in Chicago: 'A lot that needs to be cleaned up' – Buffalo News (subscription required) PFF grades: Rookie TE and free agent pass-rusher shine in Bills' preseason shutout loss – Bills PFF grades: Veteran wide receiver one of worst in NFL in preseason – Democrat & Chronicle Josh Allen's backup QB unchanged after woeful Mike White performance in Bills' loss – Sports Illustrated Buffalo Bills Bears being 'unaffected' by Bills' defense should concern second-year coordinator – Sports Illustrated Buffalo Bills Bears expose Bills' troubling defensive weakness in primetime preseason debacle – Sports Illustrated Buffalo Bills NFL preseason Week 2 takeaways: Can Washington's run game survive without Brian Robinson Jr.? – ESPN Bills' historic preseason blowout loss to Bears comes with shocking silver lining – Sports Illustrated Buffalo Bills What we learned from NFL preseason games: Jaxson Dart shined, a Colts QB call is coming – The Athletic (subscription required) Bills reaction to blowout in the Windy City We hear from head coach Sean McDermott about why he is 'concerned' following Buffalo's lackluster loss to Chicago, and from players like safety Cole Bishop, offensive tackle Ryan Van Demark, and defensive tackle Deone Walker on what the team can learn from this setback. McDermott didn't see Bills' standard in blowout loss to Bears – WGR 550 Bills called out by McDermott after blowout loss – Buffalo Bills blog Everything Sean McDermott said after Bills preseason clunker against Bears – Democrat & Chronicle Bills HC Sean McDermott: Preseason blowout loss to Bears 'certainly not up to our standard' – Sean McDermott 'concerned' after Bills' preseason dud – Sports Illustrated Buffalo Bills 'No matter what, we are going to fight' | Bills players reflect after loss in Chicago – Even more Bills news Explaining why center Connor McGovern should be the next Bill to receive a contract extension; learn which Bills could be trade candidates and which safeties Buffalo could pursue to shore up the position; and more! Why the Bills should prioritize an extension for center Connor McGovern – Buffalo Bills (subscription required) 3 Buffalo Bills who could be trade assets following NFL Preseason – Sports Illustrated Buffalo Bills 3 safeties Bills should pursue following Sunday's defensive meltdown – Sports Illustrated Buffalo Bills How NFL talent evaluators, coaches rank the top players 25 and under entering 2025 season – The Athletic (subscription required) Jim Kelly shares emotional update: Newborn grandson out of hospital – Democrat & Chronicle Alan Pergament: Josh Allen's Cowboys coming to Highmark; WGRZ Ch. 2 reporter leaving – Buffalo News (subscription required) Buffalo Bills articles recently featured on Buffalo Rumblings Bills play truly awful preseason football against the Chicago Bears – Buffalo Rumblings Buffalo Bills work out four players on Monday, August 18 – Buffalo Rumblings Are Cole Bishop's preseason struggles overblown, or a real concern? – Buffalo Rumblings Bills LB Joe Andreessen struggles in primetime – Buffalo Rumblings 90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days: DT T.J. Sanders – Buffalo Rumblings

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store