The Ravens got the result they needed in Week 4, and their rookies were part of the story in a 24-18 win over the Tennessee Titans that pushed Baltimore to 3-1. It wasn’t clean.
It wasn’t flashy. But it was the kind of game where young players get tested, and several of them came through in their own ways.
Vega Ioane was right at the center of it. After turning in a couple of strong outings at right guard, the first-round pick made his first career start at center and handled the job without much drama.
Baltimore was already dealing with the absence of all three players it had brought in to compete for the center spot, so Ioane slid inside for the first time since 2024 and lined up across from All-Pro Jeffery Simmons. The rookie gave up zero pressures and graded as one of the Ravens’ best offensive players, according to PFF.
Zion Young, meanwhile, had a quieter afternoon than many expected after his strong showing against the Cowboys and with Trey Hendrickson out. The second-round edge rusher didn’t make much of a mark as a pass rusher against Tennessee, finishing with zero pressures and a 0% win rate on his rushes.
He did show up against the run, though, earning a 62.9 grade from PFF and using his power inside to knock linemen backward more than once. He’ll get another chance next week against Atlanta, where the Ravens figure to lean on him in trying to slow Bijan Robinson.
At receiver, Elijah Sarratt finally got his first NFL snaps and made his first catch. The day also came with the rough edges you’d expect from a rookie getting his first real run after waiting four weeks.
Sarratt picked up multiple penalties and had one sequence where he ran the wrong route, getting in the way of a ball intended for Zay Flowers that he reached for but couldn’t haul in. There’s a decent chance some of that was just first-time nerves.
Even so, with Lamar Jackson looking like he’s going to miss some time and Ja’Kobi Lane likely lining up when Jackson returns, it’s hard to see Sarratt getting another extended opportunity soon as the offense gets tighter with Tyler Huntley at quarterback.
The tight end group may be where the Ravens need the rookies most now. Matt Hibner caught two passes on two targets for 34 yards and is earning more trust each week.
That matters even more after veteran tight end Durham Smythe’s season ended with a torn Achilles. Hibner is now in line to take on a bigger share of the run-blocking work Smythe handled, and the Ravens will need to see how fast he can grow with more snaps.
He’s already been solid in the run game, and now the challenge is doing more as the main partner to Mark Andrews.
Josh Cuevas didn’t see much action until Smythe went down, and his role against the Titans was mostly limited to run blocking. That will have to change quickly.
Cuevas has a useful skill set, starting with his ability as a chip blocker, where he squares up his man and gets out fast enough to become a quick outlet for the quarterback. He can hold up as a pass blocker when he stays in, too, though he was less effective when asked to dig out and drive defenders in the run game.
He also brings vertical value; on Alabama tape, he showed he can run excellent vertical routes and reach top speed fast, especially when plays are designed for him. With Smythe out for the season, the Ravens need to find a role for him in a hurry.
Chandler Rivers kept seeing roughly the same amount of work he had in previous weeks, even with Marlon Humphrey out because of injury. Most of Rivers’ snaps came in pass defense, and PFF wasn’t impressed with the 55.3 grade it gave him.
But coverage grading doesn’t always tell the whole story, especially when charting can lump responsibilities onto whichever defender is closest to the catch. By the eye test, Rivers hasn’t looked like a liability or someone offenses are hunting, which is notable for a fifth-round rookie playing around veteran starters.
His role should keep growing as Minter continues to install the defense.
Ryan Eckley had a steady day as the punter, booting six punts for a 47.3-yard average and putting four inside the 20. The numbers aren’t eye-popping, but consistency and clean operation are the bigger points here.
Eckley has avoided the kind of mistakes that hand opponents easy field position, and that’s a useful trait. His work as the holder for Tyler Loop also appears to have been steady, though he was part of the sequence on Loop’s miss when the kick went wide left.
There’s also movement elsewhere on the rookie front. Wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane and running back Adam Randall remain on injured reserve, while defensive tackle Rayshaun Benny is on the practice squad. Randall is eligible to come off IR starting this week.
In Other News...
Ravens Defense Backlash May Be Missing The Real Problem
Through four weeks, the Ravens defense has actually shown some real progress under Jesse Minter, climbing to ninth in penalty-adjusted defensive EPA in 2026 after lagging behind its previous standard in recent seasons. Even with injuries in the mix, the unit has been handling itself better than the broader backlash suggests, which is part of why the criticism around Baltimores defense can feel a little off target.
The bigger issue may be the way penalties have tilted games against them, with the Ravens taking far too many of them and drawing very few on offense. That has made the whole operation look sloppier than the defense itself has played, even if there is still work to do, especially against the run. The encouraging part for Baltimore is that the defense appears to have room to keep improving as the season unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Face A Week 5 Matchup That Could Expose Their Biggest Problem
The Ravens head into Week 5 with a familiar defensive stress test on the schedule, and this one comes with a name that has already become central to the Falcons passing game: Drake London. Baltimores secondary has had trouble holding up against top receivers this season, and London has been a major reason Atlanta has been able to stay productive through the air. With the game on deck, the matchup looks like a sharp measure of where the Ravens stand in defending a true No. 1 target.
Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter has already pointed to the challenge of trying to consistently shadow London because of the way Atlanta structures its offense. For Baltimore, that makes this more than just another receiver-versus-secondary matchup. It is a chance to see whether the Ravens can tighten up against the kind of outside threat that has caused them problems already, or whether the same issues resurface against one of the Falcons most reliable playmakers. [Read more 🡒]
Lamar Jackson's Ankle Just Put Baltimore's Sunday Night Plans In Doubt
Lamar Jacksons ankle is the kind of issue the Ravens would prefer to avoid having linger into a game week, and it has already nudged Sunday nights planning into uncertain territory. Baltimore head coach Jesse Minter said the team will keep monitoring Jacksons progress before making a call on his availability for the matchup with the Atlanta Falcons, leaving the quarterbacks status very much up in the air.
Jackson was not on the field for Wednesdays practice, and he was also absent during the open portion of Thursdays session, adding to the concern around Baltimores offense. The Ravens are juggling a few other injury situations as well, with linebacker Trey Hendrickson, cornerback Marlon Humphrey and center Cam Jurgens all missing Thursdays practice, so the picture around the roster is still very much in flux. [Read more 🡒]