The Ravens are down to the point where every preseason snap feels like a final exam, but the real roster picture is still a moving target. After the second preseason game, the projection has shifted again, with more uncertainty than usual still hanging over the offense and a few fresh complications added to the mix.
The biggest wrinkle came from Minnesota, where the Ravens picked up some minor injuries and then a major one with Danny Pinter’s patella tendon. On top of that, Rashod Bateman’s June arrest surfaced, bringing the first real off-field cloud into the conversation.
There’s also the reality that this first 53-man roster won’t be the finished product for long. Once the initial group is set next weekend, Baltimore will still be working the waiver wire, trying to make additions and adjust the roster before the version that actually begins practicing for Week 1 takes shape.
On offense, the quarterback spot is straightforward: Lamar Jackson and Snoop Huntley. Joe Fagnone’s path has already become one of the more impressive stories on the board, with the undrafted UCONN kid turning heads again.
Running back looks less settled. Derrick Henry and Justice Hill are in, and the projection now adds Adam Randall and Rasheen Ali.
Both are dealing with injuries, which makes this group feel even less certain. Jonathan Ward could still have a shot depending on the medical situation, but the sense here is that Baltimore may need the extra bodies and is no longer being projected with just three backs.
At tight end, the group stays young and thin: Mark Andrews, Durham Smythe, Matthew Hibner, and Josh Cuevas. The concern is simple enough - there’s a feeling they may end up regretting not bringing in Darren Waller with so much inexperience behind Andrews.
Receiver is where things get especially murky. Zay Flowers is locked in, but after that the projection goes to a waiver claim, signing, or trade, followed by Ja’Kobi Lane, Elijah Sarratt, Devontez Walker, and LaJohntay Wester.
Bateman’s situation only deepens the uncertainty, and the note here is that the NFL built the Commissioner’s Exempt List for situations like this. A corner-for-receiver swap or a pickup from another team still feels very much on the table.
Up front, the offensive line settles into a nine-man group: Ronnie Stanley, Vega Ioane, John Simpson, Roger Rosengarten, Ehtan Pocic, Jovaughn Gwyn, Carson Vinson, Emery Jones, and Andrew Vorhees. Pocic was always expected to be the starting center, and the injury to Pinter changes the outlook for Gwyn, who had previously looked more like a practice squad possibility.
The rest of the roster has less drama. There are plenty of corners, plenty of depth in other places, and a lot of the real decision-making may end up being about who gets cut and who lands on the practice squad rather than who survives the 53.
On the defensive line, the projection includes Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones, Calais Campbell, Broderick Washington, John Jenkins, Rayshaun Benny, and Adisa Isaac. Aeneas Peebles’ four-pressure game is noted, but the current read still leaves him on the practice squad - though Isaac may be the one in the crosshairs.
At linebacker, the group is Trey Hendrickson, Roquan Smith, Teddye Buchanan, Zion Young, Mike Green, Tavius Robinson, and Trenton Simpson. Buchanan may need to start the season inactive for a few weeks after missing so much time.
Cornerback comes in with Nate Wiggins, Chidobe Awuzie, Marlon Humphrey, Chandler Rivers, TJ Tampa, and Keyon Martin. The expectation is that somebody here could be moved, and Amani Oruwariye is mentioned as a candidate to make it through to the practice squad.
Safety remains one of the strongest parts of the roster: Kyle Hamilton, Malaki Starks, Jaylinn Hawkins, K’Von Wallace, and Keondre Jackson. It’s a loaded group, and the projection expects Baltimore to be able to get creative with blitzes from that spot, not just with Hamilton.
Special teams stays simple. Tyler Loop is the kicker, and the hope is to see him try some from 50-plus on Friday. Ryan Eckley is the punter after a huge game Saturday.
In Other News...
Ravens Rookie Is Forcing A Real Slot Corner Conversation
Chandler Rivers is starting to make a case that the Ravens may have more to sort through in the slot than they expected this summer. The fifth-round rookie cornerback turned in a strong showing in Week 2 of the preseason, finishing with five combined tackles, a half-sack and a pass breakup while flashing the kind of versatility Baltimore likes to uncover in the back end.
Pro Football Focus rewarded the outing with an 84.6 overall grade and a 90.0 coverage mark, which only adds to the intrigue around his push for a rotational role. For a defense that values depth and competition in the secondary, Rivers is at least giving the coaching staff a real conversation at slot corner as the preseason unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Center Battle Just Took A Brutal Turn
The center competition in Baltimore has already been one of the more consequential battles of camp, and it just lost one of its veterans. Head coach Jesse Minter confirmed that Danny Pinter suffered a right patellar tendon tear, an injury that is likely to end his season and remove an experienced option from the mix as the Ravens sort out the middle of the offensive line.
Ethan Pocic and Jovaughn Gwyn will keep battling for the starting job, a contest that matters even more now after Tyler Linderbaums departure to the Las Vegas Raiders. For Baltimore, the issue is bigger than simply naming a starter. It is about settling the lines anchor spot before the season starts to press in. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Defense Has A Growing Concern Right Up The Middle
The Ravens are trying to sort out the middle of their defense just as training camp starts to sharpen the picture for rookie head coach Jesse Minter. Nnamdi Madubuike is working his way back cautiously after neck surgery, and Roquan Smith is coming off a stretch in which he has been trying to rediscover the level of play that made him such a force in the center of the unit. Baltimore has built some better depth around them, but the main questions still sit right up the middle.
What makes the situation trickier is that the Ravens do not just need bodies there, they need reliable production from the defensive spine. Smiths coverage has been a concern, and Madubuikes recovery leaves the interior line in a holding pattern as the regular season gets closer. For a defense that expects to be sturdy from the inside out, the coming weeks will tell a lot about whether this group is simply reloading or still waiting on its core to come together. [Read more 🡒]