- Several veterans who were not on the field for last week's open practice were in action today, including tight end Mark Andrews and wide receiver Sammy Watkins. Andrews and Watkins worked in Arizona with quarterback Lamar Jackson earlier this offseason, and both targets appeared to be in excellent condition. Watkins spent time on the sidelines getting brought up to speed by new Wide Receivers Coach Tee Martin.
- First-round wide receiver Rashod Bateman was back on the field after leaving last week's open session with muscle soreness. Bateman had a strong day of practice and appeared to be 100 percent.
- It was an intense practice that included a brief flareup between defensive tackle Justin Madubuike and offensive lineman Patrick Mekari. The skirmish was broken up quickly, but it's clear that players are competing at a high level, even though it's early June.
- Both Tyler Huntley and Trace McSorley threw the ball crisply, and some of Huntley's deep passes were particularly impressive. Their battle to be the backup quarterback behind Jackson should be fun to watch.
- Jackson also had a strong throwing day, although he was intercepted in the end zone by Jordan Richards during one goal-line drill. It was also impressive to see Jackson running all the way to the end zone on scrambles, then jogging back to the huddle and running the next play without ever looking winded. Jackson's stamina is one of his least talked-about strengths, but he rarely seems tired during practices or games.
- Devin Duvernay continues to look like a candidate to make a significant leap from Year 1 to Year 2. The Ravens have plenty of wide receivers vying for larger roles, but Duvernay is running crisp routes and catching virtually everything thrown his way.
- Watching Anthony Averett get plenty of reps at cornerback was another reminder of how deep the Ravens are at that position. Averett would be a candidate to start on many teams, but these reps he's getting now should continue to help him develop.
- Alejandro Villaneuva is a huge individual. He made center Bradley Bozeman look small standing next to him as the two men conversed on the sideline. Villenueva looks every bit of the 6-foot-9, 320 pounds that he is listed. Orlando Brown Jr. was also a big right tackle, but the Ravens won't be downsizing at the position if Villanueva wins the starting job.
- Tylan Wallace continues to show impressive hands. He made a difficult grab look easy, plucking a slant pass thrown slightly behind him by McSorley without breaking stride. Wallace is making an early case to be a rookie who can earn playing time.
- Seeing linebackers Patrick Queen wearing No. 6 and L.J. Fort wearing No. 3 still takes some getting used to. Queen reacted quickly on several passes in coverage and almost had two interceptions. Pass coverage is something Queen hopes to improve on, and it appears his focus on that is paying dividends.
10 Practice Observations From Ravens' Wednesday OTAs
Jun 02, 2021 at 03:36 PM
Shawn Hubbard/Baltimore Ravens Photos
Left: TE Mark Andrews; Right: WR Sammy Watkins
