The Ravens’ practice squad already feels like more than a holding area. With roster churn underway and a few position groups still unsettled, there are players parked there who could end up mattering sooner than later.
The clearest example is the kicking situation. Baltimore has gone all-in on its 2025 draft evaluation of Tyler Loop, backing the rookie internally and publicly even after a summer that included three missed field goals in two home preseason games.
But the tone around the competition has changed a bit. General manager Eric DeCosta sounded more pointed when he addressed it this week, especially with Loop’s 44-yard miss to keep Baltimore from the playoffs still hanging over the conversation.
“Fresh set of legs to look at, evaluate, compare, see how it all works out,”; DeCosta stated. “In the end, it is a performance business, right?”
Rookie head coach Jesse Minter took a gentler line and framed the addition of Moody as insurance for later, but the situation is no longer locked in the way it once seemed. Moody, who has bounced around and has had his own issues from long range before finishing strong with Washington last season, could win the job outright.
If Loop stumbles in an early game, Baltimore may not wait long. Kicking coach Randy Brown is expected to have a major say in how this plays out.
Another practice-squad name worth watching is a tight end who brings a very specific kind of utility. He’s played for like a third of the league and can hold up for a spell and understands life in their trenches in a way the rookie right ends on this active roster simply don’t.
Baltimore looks likely to lean on 11 personnel to open the season, but that setup may not be the answer. The Ravens don’t have a fullback and are carrying only three running backs, so a sturdier tight end body could become valuable quickly behind free agent Durham Smythe and with Mark Andrews still clearly the top move tight end.
This guy isn’t going to stretch the field, but at 6-foot-6 and 260 pounds, he fits a heavier approach better than either rookie, and maybe even alongside Smythe depending on what Baltimore wants to do.
Up front, the Ravens are thin enough that almost anybody with experience jumps onto the radar. Carson Vinson and Emery Jones Jr. have barely played in the NFL, and the team has been waiting to see whether either can become a real next-man-up option at tackle or guard. That changed somewhat when Edoga was signed a few days ago.
He brings a different profile: more seasoning, more versatility, and a resume that includes 25 career starts as a 2019 third-round pick. He can help inside or on the edge, and he already worked under Ravens run-game coordinator and offensive line coach Dwyane Ledford in Atlanta. That familiarity matters, and he may already be ahead of backup guard Andrew Vorhees.
Edoga’s preseason tape wasn’t easy to sort through, mostly because the line play around him was shaky enough to swallow up any clean evaluation. Still, he showed some burst and a pretty industrious approach, and Baltimore clearly saw something worth keeping close. With fifth-round running back Adam Randall on Injured Reserve - Designated To return and out at least four weeks, and with only three running backs on the roster, it would not be a surprise if he gets on the field before some of the other practice-squad candidates.
The secondary is another spot where Baltimore’s depth gives it room to breathe, but there’s still a player on the practice squad who stands out. The Ravens are loaded back there, both in quality and quantity, yet this defensive back has drawn positive reviews from evaluators.
He has coverage ability, a feel for the ball and experience in this system from his time under former Ravens coordinator Mike Macdonald in Seattle. He’s buried in a crowded numbers game, but in the right rotation role, he could still make plays if his opportunity comes.
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Ravens Added What Their Young Defensive Line Has Been Missing
Baltimore spent the 2026 offseason trying to answer a problem that had shown up too often on its defensive front: a young line with talent, but not enough steadying influence. The additions of Trey Hendrickson and Calais Campbell were meant to change that dynamic, giving the Ravens two experienced linemen who could raise the standard in the room and help shape a group that still needs guidance as much as production.
Anthony Weaver has already seen the effect in offseason practices, and players such as Tavius Robinson have noticed it too. For a defense that wants its front to become more consistent and more disruptive, the value of those veterans goes beyond what they do on the field. The bigger question now is how quickly that mentorship turns into something the Ravens can lean on once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Face A Big Week 1 Question Up Front
Nnamdi Madubuikes recovery has become one of the bigger early-week questions for Baltimores defense, with the Ravens taking a careful approach after his significant injury and surgery. Coaches and general manager Eric DeCosta have been cautious about ramping him up, and head coach Jesse Minter said Madubuike has gotten some team reps as the club tries to sort out where he stands heading into Week 1.
For now, it remains a day-to-day situation, which leaves the Ravens planning for more than one version of their defensive line rotation. If Madubuike is not ready, Baltimore would lean more heavily on veterans like Calais Campbell and Travis Jones to help absorb the workload up front, a reminder that the opener could already force some early lineup shuffling. [Read more 🡒]
Vega Ioane Is Forcing His Way Into A Huge Ravens Role
Vega Ioane has spent Ravens training camp and the preseason turning himself from an intriguing name into a legitimate part of the offensive line conversation. His work has stood out not just in practice, but in game action as well, including a strong showing against the Eagles that added to the sense that Baltimore may have found someone ready to help sooner rather than later. For a team that values flexibility up front, that matters.
Ioanes path is also getting attention because of what he can do beyond a single spot. He has been preparing to handle multiple positions along the line, which gives the Ravens more ways to build and protect their front as the season approaches. The bigger question now is how much of that promise translates once the games start to count, but the early signs have made him one of the more interesting pieces in camp. [Read more 🡒]