Baltimore’s roster crunch is already closing in, and rookie guard Evan Beerntsen looks like one of the clearest casualties.
The Ravens have had a strong preseason run so far, stacking two wins and two standout defensive showings. Even with the offense moving a little slower, there have still been enough bright spots to keep the summer buzzing.
That’s part of what makes the upcoming cutdown so tricky: plenty of players are making cases for themselves. Beerntsen, though, hasn’t really joined that group.
He’s a seventh-round pick, taken No. 253 overall, and the odds were always steep. He was one of the final five selections in the 2026 NFL Draft and Baltimore’s 11th pick overall. That kind of draft slot leaves little room for error, especially when the depth chart is already crowded.
Beerntsen has barely been on the field. In preseason action, he has played just eight snaps. That’s not the kind of usage that usually signals a player is climbing the ladder.
Part of the problem is the company he’s keeping. Baltimore’s guard room is much deeper than it was, with Vega Ioane, Emery Jones Jr., and Andrew Vorhees all set to soak up preseason work at the position.
Even Jovaughn Gwyn and Corey Bullock, who can move around the line, have also gotten reps at guard. With that many bodies in the mix, Beerntsen has been pushed to the margins.
His summer hasn’t helped him either. Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic has noted that Beerntsen’s opportunities on the practice field have been sporadic, and that lack of steady traction has left him with very little runway to change the staff’s view.
Age is working against him, too. Beerntsen is already 25 and will turn 26 one day before Baltimore’s Week 2 game against the New Orleans Saints. For a rookie, that’s a tough number to carry, especially when he isn’t showing that he’s ahead of the curve.
There’s still one last preseason chance in Friday’s finale against the Washington Commanders, where third- and fourth-string players typically get extended looks. If Beerntsen gets more snaps there, he’ll need something eye-opening to shake up his outlook before the cutdown deadline on Sunday, August 30.
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