One of Baltimore’s best preseason stories last year came from the undrafted rookie class, and Jay Higgins was right in the middle of it. The Ravens managed to get three 2025 undrafted rookies onto the initial 53-man roster, with Higgins, Keyon Martin and Reuben Lowery all surviving cutdown day.
That group has already changed a bit as 2026 approaches. Lowery is now on the reserve/retired list with the Indianapolis Colts, while Higgins and Martin are still in the mix.
Martin carved out his place with eye-catching work on special teams and a solid number of defensive snaps. Higgins, meanwhile, was mostly a special teams weapon and only logged a few snaps on defense.
That’s the part of his story that makes this summer so important. Higgins flashed enough in 2025 to make people wonder whether he’s more than just a specialist, and he’ll need another strong camp and preseason to keep that conversation going. If he wants a bigger role, he has to show it again.
The reality is that a meaningful defensive workload for Higgins still looks like a long shot. His clearest path would come if linebackers such as Teddye Buchanan and Trenton Simpson struggle badly or if injuries hit the position group. Even then, Higgins can still push for more than a small special teams role.
What he did last preseason was impossible to ignore. He seemed to make something happen almost every time he was on the field, stacking up forced turnovers, quarterback pressure and strong open-field tackling. It was only preseason, sure, but it was enough to earn him another look.
He’s almost certain to make the active roster again, but Baltimore could use more from him than just special teams snaps if he can repeat that level of play. Jake Hummel’s departure in free agency opened a little more room for Higgins to matter, and that’s a window he needs to attack.
The linebacker room also gives him a real opening. Roquan Smith took a step back in 2025, Buchanan is coming off a late-season ACL tear, and Simpson has had trouble holding onto a steady role. Under the defensive leadership of Jesse Minter and Anthony Weaver, that group could bounce back - and if it does, it might also create the kind of environment where Higgins can grow into a defender who earns real snaps.
For Higgins, though, it all comes back to consistency. He has to keep the motor running hot over the next few months, because another strong early impression in the regular season could put him on a slow path toward more playing time.
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