With the Baltimore Ravens set to begin training camp in just a few days, it shouldn’t be long until the few remaining question marks can finally be answered.
A majority of last year’s 13-4 roster returns, but a few departures over the offseason have left some noticeable holes on both sides of the ball. The Ravens will be relying on young players to fill in said holes, and some of them haven’t even won their starting jobs yet.
Some position battles in training camp will go a long way to deciding the Ravens’ fate this season, so without further ado, here are five of them to keep an eye on.
The competition: Roger Rosengarten vs. Daniel Faalele
After Baltimore traded away veteran Morgan Moses in March, right tackle instantly became the biggest position of need on offense. The Ravens addressed that concern by drafting Rosengarten in the second round, and it seems like the job is his to win. However, he’ll have to beat out the 24-year-old Faalele, a massive man at 6-8 and 380 pounds, to cement himself as the starter.
The competition: Josh Johnson vs. Devin Leary
Longtime backup Tyler Huntley left to sign with the Cleveland Browns this offseason, leaving Baltimore’s quarterback situation behind Lamar Jackson looking rather shaky. Johnson, a journeyman who has played for 14 different teams throughout his career, looks like the frontrunner for the job, but it’s certainly not an inspiring pick. Then there’s Leary, a sixth-round rookie out of Kentucky who has impressed early on but may not be ready for the role just yet.
The competition: Nelson Agholor vs. Devontez Walker
Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman seem set in stone as the No. 1 and No. 2 receivers respectively, even if the latter has to improve on his lackluster production to this point. The question becomes who will emerge as the No. 3 receiver behind them. Agholor held down the fort relatively well last season, but Walker – a fourth-round pick out of North Carolina – arrives with a good deal of hype behind him and could push for a big role right away.
The competition: Ar’Darius Washington vs. the field
Baltimore’s starting safety duo of Kyle Hamilton and Marcus Williams is probably the best in the NFL, but the depth behind those two is rather concerning. Luckily, Washington, a former undrafted free agent out of TCU, has had a strong offseason and looks primed to take the No. 3 safety job. Other options include Sanoussi Kane, Jordan Toles and Beau Brade, but all are rookies with the former being a seventh-round pick and the latter two being undrafted free agents.
The competition: Deonte Harty vs. Justice Hill
Thanks to the league’s new kickoff rules, returns will play a much larger role than they have in years. The Ravens were well aware of this as they brought in Harty, a Baltimore native and one of the best return men over the past five years, to fill such a role. Hill, who has taken kick returns in each of his first three seasons, won’t go down without a fight, though.
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Publish date : 2024-07-15 15:30:00
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