Training camp is where the hidden names can start forcing their way into the conversation, and the Ravens have a few of those on the roster this summer.
With depth charts still very much in pencil, a slower ramp-up under the current collective bargaining agreement, and veterans often being managed carefully, there should be real chances for lesser-known players to get noticed in practices and preseason games. That matters even more in Baltimore, where a brand new coaching staff and sweeping changes have wiped some of the usual assumptions clean. Add in 11 rookies from the draft class soaking up plenty of attention, and there’s room for a few deep cuts to make noise.
One of the players worth watching is the youngster at tackle who has already made a strong impression and has long been whispered about in Owings Mills. Internally, the sense seems to be that he could have starting potential down the road.
The Ravens have spent $350M on payroll and still haven’t brought in a proven swing tackle, which says plenty about how they view the position. With Ronnie Stanley nearing the end of his career and carrying a major injury risk in the past, it’s tough to picture him seeing much action this summer.
He also wasn’t doing a lot during spring practices, and Baltimore can’t afford to push him. That should leave Vinson with meaningful reps against an edge group that is deeper and better than the Ravens have had in a long time.
Another name that could pop is Robinson. He’s not part of the biggest buzz around Baltimore’s edge defenders, but he has a real shot to make his case while trying to keep second-round pick Zion Young from taking a starting job.
Robinson has the power and trunk the Ravens want when setting the edge, and he’s more developed than Young. He’s also shown some pass rush ability at times.
He led the Ravens in third-down sacks a year ago, and the team can be slow to hand major roles to young defensive linemen. With rookie head coach Jesse Minter wanting to stop the run with light boxes, Robinson’s more proven profile could matter.
Then there’s the budget free-agent signing in the secondary, the one the more trusted evaluators seemed to really like. The appeal is obvious: there’s an athlete here, and there’s a ballhawk in here too, even if the frame has been through too many injuries.
He flashed a little somethin’, somethin’ in Seattle before with Mike Macdonald, and now he’s in a system that looks awfully familiar because Jesse Minter is essentially running that defense. In a talented secondary, with this kind of coaching around him, he has a chance to flourish.
In Other News...
Ravens Cannot Afford This Defensive Line Mistake Right Now
Baltimores defensive line has already been reshaped this offseason with additions like Trey Hendrickson, Zion Young and Calais Campbell, but the group still leans on familiar pieces to keep the front steady. John Jenkins fits that role as a veteran nose tackle, the kind of depth signing teams usually appreciate once the games start piling up and the run defense needs a stabilizing presence.
So the idea of moving Jenkins now feels like the wrong kind of savings for a roster that still has uncertainty up front, especially with Nnamdi Madubuike working his way back from a neck injury. Jenkins just signed a one-year extension worth nearly $2 million before the 2025 season ended, and with his reliability and the way he helped hold things together last year, Baltimore would be taking on more risk than reward by thinning out that part of the rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Rookies Already Have A Camp Pecking Order
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The most interesting part for Baltimore is how many paths there are to playing time, even if injuries and other camp twists will eventually reshape the picture. There is a hybrid piece who could be moved around the formation and into special teams work, a second-round edge rusher who needs patience, and a tight end whose straight-line speed gives him a chance to matter down the road. Even the specialists are in the mix, with the new punter positioned to take hold of the job unless summer goes badly, which is exactly the kind of quiet competition that can end up mattering by September. [Read more 🡒]
Three Ravens Veterans Suddenly Have Real Heat On Their Jobs
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The bigger storyline sits inside, where Nnamdi Madubuike is trying to work his way back while the team has already lined up a veteran fallback in Calais Campbell. For a defense built around disrupting the pocket, Baltimore clearly wants more certainty up front than it had a year ago, and the next stretch will tell the Ravens whether their incumbent lineman can hold off the challenge or whether the depth chart is about to change in a meaningful way. [Read more 🡒]