Several Baltimore Ravens rookies had a real chance to leave fingerprints on Sunday’s 13-10 road loss to the Cleveland Browns, and a few of them did exactly that even as the offense sputtered. With the Ravens dropping to 4-2, they’re now tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for second place in the AFC North heading into next week.
The rookie group was spread across all three phases, though not every first-year player was available. Fourth-round tight end Matthew Hibner was sidelined by a hand injury, while the only healthy scratches were fourth-round wide receiver Elijah Sarratt and undrafted quarterback Joe Fagnano, who still dressed as the emergency No.
- Fifth-round running back Adam Randall remained on short-term injured reserve and was not activated in his second week of eligibility, and seventh-round defensive tackle Rayshaun Benny is still on the practice squad without an elevation.
Up front, first-round interior offensive lineman converted to center for his third straight and final start there after moving over from right guard. The Ravens had plenty of trouble protecting the quarterback and getting much going on the ground, but Ioane was not the source of the breakdowns. He also had moments on tape clearing space in the run game for Derrick Henry.
Second-rounder Zion young kept doing what he’s been doing: playing a steady role on early downs. Against Cleveland, he was on the field for 25 defensive snaps and finished with three total tackles for the third time this season. That line included an assisted tackle for loss, two solos, and the first quarterback hit of his career.
The rookie pass-catcher who made the biggest splash was third-rounder Ja’Kobi Lane, who was back after a four-week stay on injured reserve because of a fractured wrist suffered in the opener. He saw a huge workload right away, logging 31 snaps and more than half of the offense’s total play count.
Lane turned five targets into four catches for 40 yards, and every grab moved the chains. Three of those receptions came on third down, giving the Ravens a dependable target for Huntley in crucial moments.
He also chipped in as a blocker in the run game.
"I thought Ja'Kobi did some really nice things," head coach Jesse Minter said. "I think there's parts of the game where [you can see] it's his second game, and it shows that it's his second game.
Then you see what also created a lot of the energy and excitement around Ja'Kobi for how he did in training camp with his ability to pluck the ball out of the air and make tough catches and be a really physical receiver and use his body really well. I thought he had some really nice plays and some nice catches.
He had a couple really nice blocks as well."
Lane wasn’t just productive - he was the highest-graded offensive player on the team by Pro Football Focus with a 79.7 overall mark. His route work showed up in tight spaces too, with catches into traffic and physical movement through defenders that helped him create separation.
Another rookie who kept climbing was fifth-rounder Josh Cuevas. He played 30 combined snaps between offense and special teams, including a season-high 23 on offense and seven on special teams. That came out to 40.4% of the team’s offensive snaps, and he made the most of it with career highs in catches, targets, receiving yards and touchdowns: four catches on five targets for 44 yards and his first score.
Cuevas also authored one of the most unusual plays of the day, lining up at left guard before releasing into the route for a 29-yard catch-and-run, his longest reception yet. It was one of offensive coordinator Declan Doyle’s most inventive designs so far.
The special teams rookie who kept stacking good weeks was Ryan Eckley. He set new career highs with seven punts for 346 yards, pinned Cleveland inside its own 20 three times, and teamed up with special teams ace Keondre Jackson to stop one punt at the Browns’ one-yard line. Eckley averaged 49.4 yards per punt and landed a new career-long of 62.
Undrafted edge rusher Ethan Burke was also active despite the return of four-time Pro Bowl veteran Trey Hendrickson from finger surgery. Burke played seven defensive snaps and logged 18 special teams snaps, the most among the rookies and the fourth-most on the team. He came close to his second career regular-season sack twice, both times working against Cleveland’s right tackle and getting just short of Deshaun Watson before a teammate finished the play.
In Other News...
Derrick Henry Has Rare NFL History Within Reach Against A Rival
Derrick Henry keeps stacking rare company, and he is on the doorstep of another piece of NFL history. The Ravens running back has 37 career games with multiple touchdowns, putting him one more such outing away from moving into fourth place all-time and edging past Randy Moss on that list.
The next chance comes against Cincinnati, a division opponent whose defense has taken steps forward with recent additions but still has been vulnerable against the run. That makes Henry an obvious focal point again, even as Baltimore knows the Bengals have enough improved pieces to make this a tougher ask than the history chase might suggest. [Read more 🡒]
Lamar Jacksons Week 7 Status Has Ravens Fans Watching One Thing
Lamar Jacksons Week 7 availability has become the latest Ravens storyline to watch, and it comes after three straight limited practice sessions as Baltimore gets ready for a divisional matchup with the Bengals. Head coach Jesse Minter said Jackson could still be in line to play, but the team is holding off on a final call for now, leaving the Ravens to keep preparing on two tracks as they sort through the quarterback situation.
Snoop Huntley has been getting ready as the possible starter if Jackson cannot go, while the injury picture around the roster has only gotten thinner. Minter also said edge rusher Tavius Robinson is out for the season with a pectoral injury, and safety Jaylinn Hawkins will not play Sunday, adding a little more pressure to a week that already has Baltimore waiting on its most important answer. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens May Have A Real Keondre Jackson Rotation Decision
Keondre Jackson has been one of those Ravens who shows up in the margins first, the kind of player you notice on special teams before you ever see his name attached to the defensive depth chart. Baltimore has valued that physicality and versatility, and with Kyle Hamilton anchoring the back end, Jackson has at least given the staff a candidate who could handle a bigger role if the opportunity opens.
Jaylinn Hawkins situation is now pushing that conversation closer to the foreground. His knee issue has affected both his availability and his play, which leaves Baltimore weighing whether Jackson deserves a longer look in the rotation. The Ravens do not need to force anything, but they do need answers on the backend, and Jacksons path from special teams piece to defensive option suddenly feels a little more real. [Read more 🡒]