The Ravens have a few veteran starters who could be looking over their shoulders this summer, but most of the obvious candidates are insulated by contracts, roster habits and a lack of real pressure from behind them.
That’s part of the problem. Baltimore has not poured enough draft, free-agent or trade resources into building direct competition for some of these spots, which means a number of older players are safer than their play might suggest. And with training camp injuries starting to pile up around the league, the NFL’s margin for error is about to get even thinner.
Still, a handful of jobs are worth watching closely.
At cornerback, Marlon Humphrey keeps showing up in these conversations because last season’s production dropped hard and his $19.25 million salary makes him a tough player to move. The Ravens are not cutting him, and a trade would amount to a salary dump, but the depth chart around him is more crowded than it has been in a while.
New head coach Jesse Minter also hasn’t been tied to automatically playing every top pick at the position the way Baltimore has generally been. Nate Wiggins is expected to start, the Ravens brought Chidobe Awuzie back for a reason, and TJ Tampa could still make a real push. Even with nickel corner effectively functioning as a starting spot in today’s NFL, it’s possible Humphrey is no longer one of Baltimore’s top two outside corners in 2026.
Zay Flowers is another player who belongs on the watch list. He has been productive for only one season since going in the first round in 2021, and his offseason work did not exactly suggest a major leap. He has also been a medical red flag since entering the league, and the Ravens kept him around on a team-friendly deal because of a silly contract holdout.
Then there’s Rashod Bateman, who has never really clicked with Lamar Jackson and has not been reliable. Baltimore’s new regime has fresh ideas, he’s cheap enough to move if things go sideways, and Devontez Walker could make him somewhat redundant. The Ravens also spent real draft capital on two receivers.
At nose tackle, Michael Pierce may not even be the top man on the depth chart by the time the season starts. Ourlads.com currently has him there, and Nnamdi Madubuike being out to begin the year helps him for now, but the decline in play is real, his body has taken a beating and Baltimore could save money by going in a different direction.
The center spot is even less settled. Whether it’s one of the two veterans or the undrafted second-year player, nothing there should be written in Sharpie. The Ravens have not named a starter yet, but once camp opens, somebody will get the first crack at snapping to Lamar Jackson - and that person may not keep the job for long.
Baltimore needs a proven center, and it needs one soon. Week 1 is the latest that has to happen.
In Other News...
Ravens Secondary Has An Unexpected Breakout Name To Watch
ESPNs latest positional rankings gave Baltimore a familiar reminder of how much established star power still sits on the roster, with Mark Andrews landing ninth among tight ends and Derrick Henry coming in sixth among running backs. But one of the more interesting notes around the Ravens this week came from Ben Solak, who pointed to cornerback Keyon Martin as a possible breakout name for 2026, an off-the-radar choice that says as much about Baltimores secondary as it does about Martin himself.
The fit is easy to see on paper. Under new coach Jesse Minter, the Ravens appear to be leaning toward corners who can play with quick eyes and handle zone responsibilities, and Martins size and skill set seem to line up with that approach. The question is whether he can turn that profile into a real role in a crowded defensive backfield, where every snap will have to be earned and every roster spot will be contested. [Read more 🡒]
Kyle Hamilton Sounds Fired Up About Where This Ravens Defense Is Headed
Kyle Hamilton is heading into training camp with a clear sense of where the Ravens want their defense to go, and he sounds energized by the transition. The safety talked up the new coaching staff led by Jesse Minter and defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, and he framed the offseason work as a smooth adjustment with a plan he believes in. For a Baltimore defense that already leans on communication and versatility, that kind of buy-in from one of its most important players matters.
Hamilton also made it clear he expects to remain a flexible piece in the scheme, moving around depending on the opponent and the situation. He pointed to the added help up front and sounded encouraged by the way Lamar Jackson has handled the offseason program, saying the quarterback brings the same steady approach now that he does when the games matter most. For a team with high expectations, those are the kinds of details that can make July feel a little more important than usual. [Read more 🡒]
NFL Top 100 Just Sent Ravens Fans A Brutal Lamar Message
Lamar Jacksons place in the NFLs latest Top 100 list is a reminder of how quickly perception can shift, even for a quarterback who still gave Baltimore plenty to build around. Injuries limited his rushing impact last season, but he still managed to play 13 games and account for 23 total touchdowns, enough to keep the Ravens in the thick of things and reinforce how central he remains to everything they do.
Still, the ranking lands as a jolt for Ravens fans because it reflects more than one uneven year. Jackson has seen this movie before after an injury-hit season, and the broader conversation now is less about whether he belongs among the leagues best and more about how much a healthy stretch can change the way he is viewed again. [Read more 🡒]