Lamar Jackson Squares Off With Supporter Jalen Ramsey
Lamar Jackson's throwing accuracy is under the microscope and he's drawn strong reviews thus far in training camp. He's been going against the Ravens' top-flight secondary and here comes another strong unit from Jacksonville.
The Jaguars allowed the second-fewest passing yards in the league last year, led by Pro Bowl cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye. Ramsey is known for his harsh critiques of NFL quarterbacks, but he's a supporter of Jackson's.
"He's the truth," Ramsey said at the Pro Bowl in January.
Wide Receivers Will Get Tested in One-on-One Battles
Don't expect to see much of the Ravens' new schemes put into practice against the Jaguars. The Ravens don't want to reveal too much and want to use these two practices as a way to evaluate, Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman said.
"We're going to get very fundamental in those three days of practice, very basic, in order to see who can go get open versus tight coverage, who can block a guy one-on-one," Roman said.
One of the best positions to watch that will be at wide receiver. As mentioned above, Ramsey and Bouye will be a tough challenge. Which wide receivers can separate? Keep an eye on Jaleel Scott and rookie Miles Boykin, who have lit up training camp so far.
Baltimore's Run Game vs. a Top Front Seven
Jacksonville's defense is also loaded with talent up front, including veteran four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Calais Campbell, two-time Pro Bowler Marcell Dareus, one of the league's best sack artists Yannick Ngakoue (a University of Maryland product), and linebacker Myles Jack.
That will give the Ravens' offensive line and run game, which is expected to be the centerpiece of Baltimore's offensive attack, a good test. We'll get to see some good, hard running and blocking in the trenches.
Goal-Line Drills
There's no better place for one-on-one battles than in live goal-line drills, which Jaguars Head Coach Doug Marrone said are coming.
The Ravens have physical runners in Mark Ingram II, Gus Edwards and Kenneth Dixon. Baltimore also wants to have a "medieval" element, as Roman phrased it, with their power running game. Let's see who wins in the trenches.
Bruising Leonard Founette Is Coming
On the other side of the trenches, the Ravens' front defensive line will also get challenged by bruising running back Leonard Fournette. The No. 4-overall pick in 2017 is capable of bringing the hammer in those goal line drills.
Baltimore has two premier run-stoppers in Brandon Williams and Michael Pierce, and it will be good to see them and younger players such as rising starter Chris Wormley, rookie Daylon Mack and Zach Sieler match up.
