Preseason Stock Watch: Ravens vs. Dolphins

Aug 25, 2018 at 11:06 PM

Garrett Downing

Garrett Downing Sr. Director of Social Media

CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste

The Ravens suddenly have an open spot in the secondary after the news of Jimmy Smith's four-game suspension, and Jean-Baptiste has made a case for himself the last two weeks. He's come up with interceptions in back-to-back games, and his takeaway against the Dolphins was particularly impressive. Jean-Baptiste made a nice play on the ball on a deep pass down the sideline when he went up to wrestle the ball away from the wide receiver. The former second-round pick (2014) has good instincts and ball skills in coverage, and he may have played his way onto the team the last two weeks.

RB Kenneth Dixon

The third-year running back continues to make his way back to full strength after being sidelined last season with a knee injury. He also missed time this summer with a separate injury, and Head Coach John Harbaugh said last week that Dixon was not yet back to 100 percent. It looks like he's getting closer, and he looked particularly good on a short pass that he turned into a 16-yard gain. Dixon rumbled through tacklers and showed nice agility as he powered his way for the first down. The Ravens like Dixon's potential and plays like this are evidence of what he can do when he's healthy.

QB Robert Griffin III

With Joe Flacco having the night off, the Ravens turned to Griffin as he makes his bid for a roster spot. The offense sputtered during Griffin's first four series, but he led an 18-play scoring drive in his final possession despite his backups playing many Dolphins defensive starters. Griffin was at his best on the run, as he ripped off runs of 21 and 20 yards. He showed great vision and decision making on both carries and managed to get down without taking big hits. Griffin carried five times for a total of 41 yards. He didn't have as much success moving the ball through the air, going 9-of-15 passing for 66 yards. The Ravens also could have put up more points under Griffin – they moved into Miami territory on three of his five series – but kicker Justin Tucker missed a long field goal and had another long attempt blocked. Griffin and the offense also couldn't punch in the football for a touchdown when they had a first-and-goal situation on that final series. It's unknown if the Ravens are going to keep three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, but Griffin has shown this summer that he has the ability to be a very capable backup.

QB Lamar Jackson

The first-round pick had his best all-around performance of the preseason. He made plays with his arm and legs, leading three touchdown drives during his time in the game. Jackson's biggest highlight was a 19-yard scamper on an run-pass option where he cut through the middle of the defense, juked a defender and dove into the end zone for the score. He carried three times for 39 yards and the score. He also looked better throwing the football and delivered a strike to wide receiver DeVier Posey on a short crossing route that the receiver turned into a 21-yard touchdown. Jackson went 7-of-10 passing for 98 yards and the touchdown.

RB De'Lance Turner

The undrafted rookie is considered a longshot to make the team, but he made the most of his opportunity Saturday night. He took a third-quarter carry up the middle and ran 65 yards untouched into the end zone. The Alcorn State product showed off impressive speed once he got into the open field and he could have caught the attention of the coaching staff with that play. Turner could be a candidate for the practice squad.

WR/RS Janarion Grant

The position battle where the Ravens have no clear front runner is the returner job, and undrafted rookie Janarion Grant got the start in his bid for the position. He couldn't break off any big returns in his half of work. He returned two punts for a total of 16 yards and three kickoffs for an average of 22 yards. The good news for Grant, however, was that he bounced back from his fumble last week and did a better job protecting the football.

WR/RS Tim White

The other top returner candidate is White, who also fumbled last week in Indianapolis. White protected the football this week, but he didn't get many chances in the return game. White had one punt return, which he turned into a 9-yard gain. White did make an impact in the receiving game, as he led the Ravens with 70 receiving yards on three catches. His longest reception was a 33-yard snag where he made the contested catch with the defender in tight coverage. White was Baltimore's most impressive receiver of the night, and he's competing for one of the final spots on the active roster.