The Ravens brought training camp to M&T Bank Stadium on Saturday night, and the atmosphere was electric. A crowd of 23,589 cheered, celebrated and welcomed the team back to its home after a 2020 season marred by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here are 10 observations from a fun night:
1. Wide receivers ruled the evening, and first-round pick Rashod Bateman had one of the night's highlights when he beat All-Pro cornerback Marlon Humphrey on a deep corner route for a touchdown. Trace McSorley threw a beautiful pass that led Bateman in stride.
Bateman, James Proche II and Sammy Watkins all made stellar plays, and it has been a strong training camp for the wide receiver group as a whole. Bateman sat out the final portion of practice on the sidelines stretching out his legs, but said he would be fine to return to practice Monday after the team takes Sunday off. Bateman loves working every day against Humphrey and Marcus Peters, two of the premier cornerback in the NFL.
"Marlon's done a good job making me better," Bateman said. "That's just the competition that we've got going this training camp. I love it."
2. Duvernay set the tone early for the wide receivers, making a 30-yard reception while working against Peters. There's little question that Duvernay and Proche are two young receivers benefitting from the reps they're getting during a more normal 2021.
3. Rookie outside linebackers Odafe Oweh and Daelin Hayes are getting a lot of sideline advice between reps from coaches and veteran players. Hayes and Oweh have put together a strong first week of camp. The next step for Oweh and Hayes is to make plays during the coming weeks when padded practices and preseason games begin.
4. Second-year defensive tackle Justin Madubuike barged into the backfield to stymie a running play, continuing to make his presence felt. Veterans Calais Campbell, Brandon Williams and Derek Wolfe lead the defensive line, but Madubuike is a young lion who looks ready to emerge.
5. It's been since camp began, but McSorley and Tyler Huntley threw the ball well again Saturday night. As young quarterbacks, McSorley and Huntley play with plenty of poise, which is another reason the Ravens haven't felt pressed to sign a more veteran quarterback to backup Lamar Jackson.
6. Speaking of quarterbacks, Kenji Bahar drew loud cheers from the crowd when he gained positive yards on a scramble. Practicing at the stadium had to be a thrill for the former Calvert Hall star, who surely had friends and family watching in the stands.
7. Inside linebacker Malik Harrison had a nice interception against Huntley during seven-on-seven drills. The second-year linebacker has been working on his pass coverage and it seems to be paying dividends.
8. Marquise "Hollywood" Brown and Jimmy Smith were among those not practicing. Smith had practiced Friday, while Brown missed his second straight practice after leaving early on Thursday. Brandon Williams and Derek Wolfe returned to practice after taking Friday off.
9. All the first-year players were impressed by the atmosphere at M&T Bank Stadium, knowing the intensity will only be higher once the regular season begins. Oweh called the atmosphere "electric" after practice.
10. J.K. Dobbins continued to look good catching the football, which is another reason to believe the Ravens will have a more diverse aerial attack in 2020.
