Pundit Looks at Ravens Players Who Have Most at Stake in Preseason Opener
The Ravens' preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles tonight at M&T Bank Stadium may be an exhibition, but several players on the team have something to play for.
The Baltimore Sun’s Brian Wacker identified 10 Ravens who have the most at stake in the game. Here's a look at five of them:
RBs Rasheen Ali and Owen Wright
"The top two spots on the depth chart at running back are set with four-time Pro Bowl selection Derrick Henry and veteran Justice Hill. With Keaton Mitchell not expected to return until some point during the season after suffering a torn ACL last December, however, the No. 3 role will go to either Ali, a rookie fifth-round pick out of Marshall, or Wright, an undrafted free agent from Monmouth who is in his second year after spending last season on the practice squad.
"Both have good speed, but Wright has understandably looked the more complete and competent player having been in the system for a year. Wright had 89 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries in the preseason finale against Tampa Bay last year and figures to play special teams as well. But Ali will get an opportunity in the preseason to show what he can do as well, especially with Henry and Hill unlikely to play much if at all this summer."
OL Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu and Josh Jones
"Last summer, Aumavae-Laulu was given first-team reps at left guard the first two weeks of training camp, then never played a snap during the regular season after John Simpson easily beat him out for the job. With Simpson having moved on in free agency, opportunity presented itself again. But through the first two-plus weeks of this year's camp, the second-year player has done little to distinguish himself among the competition for two open guard spots, with Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele working almost exclusively with the starters thus far.
"Similarly, Jones, who arrived via free agency earlier this year and whose resume includes having played every position on the line but center, has seemed like an afterthought. Ben Cleveland's move to center while Tyler Linderbuam recovers from an injury should present more chances to show what they can do, and it'll start in earnest against the Eagles."
OLB David Ojabo
"Normally, an established starter wouldn't play much if at all in the preseason. But with Ojabo essentially missing his first two years in the NFL because of injuries after being a second-round pick, he needs at least some reps. Plus, with Odafe Oweh and veteran Kyle Van Noy not likely to play against the Eagles, Malik Hamm on injured reserve, Adisa Isaac just returning from injury and Quincy Roche absent from the past three practices, the Ravens are quite thin at outside linebacker.
"That means the reps will fall to Ojabo, Tavius Robinson, Joe Evans and probably a good bit to Harrison. Given how little Ojabo has been on the field, it will be important for his progress, at least to an extent, to compete in a game."
Pundits Say Kyle Hamilton Is 'Truly One of One'
We've been hearing for years that Lamar Jackson is a unicorn and one of one, and now those same descriptors are being applied to Kyle Hamilton.
"It's not just that he's an All-Pro-caliber safety/nickel; it's just that the way he plays, there literally is no analogous player for him," Derrik Klassen said on “The Athletic Football Show.” "He is truly a one of one in terms of body type, physicality, and coverage skill. And when you have an organization that is so well-honed to what they want to do and what they want to be, to have a player of this caliber, I think they're always going to get the best out of him."
Co-host Robert Mays said that even though there is an abundance of talented edge rushers and defensive tackles in the league, Hamilton would be among the top 10 players he'd pick if he was building a defense.
"The fact that we're talking about a hybrid nickel/safety even in the same breath as those guys at those positions speaks to how much of a unicorn we're talking about here," Mays said.
The Hamilton comments were part of a larger discussion in which the hosts ranked their top 10 defenses. Klassen had the Ravens at No. 2, and Mays put them at No. 3.
Both noted the significant number of key players and coaches the unit lost, including Defensive Coordinator Mike Macdonald, but they agreed that the Ravens have earned the benefit of the doubt.
"Orr has been on this staff for a while, and this is one of the handful of organizations where if you have a guy that is born and bred there to coach, I'm probably going to trust him," Klassen said.
Ravens' Skill Position Group Ranked in Top 10
The Athletic's Ted Nguyen ranked the league's best skill position groups (not including quarterbacks), and the Ravens' quintet (X receiver Rashod Bateman, Z receiver Zay Flowers, Y receiver Mark Andrews, H-back Isaiah Likely, and RB Henry) landed at No. 10.
"Zay Flowers looks on his way to becoming a No. 1 receiver," Nguyen wrote. "If Rashod Bateman stays healthy, he's a very good No. 2 receiver. Mark Andrews is one of the NFL's best receiving tight ends and Isaiah Likely is the league's best second tight end. Derrick Henry is still elite but it would be wise to lighten his usual load, which is where Justice Hill comes in. Also, Keaton Mitchell will return at some point — he looked electric before his injury last season."
Individually, Andrews and Henry were categorized as elite, Flowers as very good, and Bateman and Likely as above-average starters.
Jalyn Armour-Davis Named an Intriguing Player for the Ravens
The Ravens had high expectations for cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis in the fourth round in 2022, but injuries limited him to 12 games in his young career. Now healthy, Armour-Davis has flashed at training camp.
The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov named Armour-Davis an intriguing player to keep an eye on as the preseason heats up.
"The Ravens have long been fans of his coverage skills and knack for finding the football," Meirov wrote. "So far this summer, he has stayed healthy and has been a bright spot in the Ravens' defense. The expectation is that he'll have a role as an outside corner as long as he can stay on the field."
Head Coach John Harbaugh said last week that he has high expectations for Armour-Davis this season.
"He's been here, he knows what he's doing, he's very talented," Harbaugh said. "He's always played very good football. He's had nicks and things like that, kind of unfortunate situations, but we expect him to have a really good year. I think he's playing like a starter, and he'll be on special teams, and he'll be playing in our secondary in packages. I expect him to have a great year."
Quick Hits
Yesterday's Most Read: Late for Work: Steve Bisciotti Ranked As One of the NFL's Three Best Owners
- Second-round offensive tackle Roger Rosengarten was named the rookie most pivotal to the Ravens' success this season by NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein.
