Ravens roster competitions that will pick up steam at mandatory minicamp

As always, injuries and late offseason additions could significantly impact the Baltimore Ravens’ roster picture. Yet, as the players take the field this week for a three-day mandatory minicamp, their final practices before the start of training camp next month, it doesn’t feel like there’s an abundance of key roles up for grabs beyond the offensive line.

Coach John Harbaugh has said on multiple occasions that 38-year-old quarterback Josh Johnson will be Lamar Jackson’s primary backup, and the selection of Devin Leary in the sixth round doesn’t change that. The Ravens are seemingly taking the long view on Leary, knowing he has plenty of developing to do.

With Keaton Mitchell not expected to return from a knee injury anytime soon, Baltimore’s depth chart at running back has Derrick Henry, Justice Hill and fifth-round rookie Rasheen Ali in the top three slots. Their top three wide receivers are set with Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor. That’s also the case at tight end with Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar.

Defensively, the Ravens’ top five interior linemen all return and are established in their roles. Second-year inside linebacker Trenton Simpson would have to really regress during training camp to not get the first opportunity to replace Patrick Queen. There are jobs to be won in the secondary, but the return of veteran corners Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Stephens and Arthur Maulet and safeties Marcus Williams and Kyle Hamilton, along with the drafting of first-round pick Nate Wiggins, doesn’t leave a ton of room for others to enter the starting mix.

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There are always surprises, and Harbaugh is keen on challenging his players to earn their spots every summer. In many ways, that process will pick up at this week’s mandatory minicamp, which is scheduled to run from Tuesday through Thursday. No final decisions will be made as a result of this week’s practices, but the Ravens’ depth chart will start to come into focus, particularly in the roles below.

Final one or two wide receiver spots

The competitors: Malik Cunningham, Deonte Harty, Qadir Ismail, Tayvion Robinson, Sean Ryan, Dayton Wade, Tylan Wallace, Isaiah Washington

The favorites: Harty, Wallace

Rookie fourth-round pick Devontez Walker will fit in behind Flowers, Bateman and Agholor, leaving only one or two spots for eight other receivers on the roster. Special teams will go a long way in determining who sticks around. Harty and Wallace are the main candidates to fill Devin Duvernay’s shoes as the primary return man. Wallace has performed well in other areas of special teams, so that should benefit him in what ultimately could morph into a competition with Harty for one roster spot. Don’t discount Ryan, who flashed last summer and has a full year in Baltimore’s offense; or Cunningham, the converted quarterback who hasn’t looked out of place at wide receiver. It’s not impossible that the Ravens bring in another veteran receiver before training camp begins.

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Starting right tackle

The competitors: Daniel Faalele, Josh Jones, Patrick Mekari, Roger Rosengarten

The favorite: Rosengarten

Offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris has done so much juggling up front during organized team activities that it’s hard to even gauge who’s in the starting mix. Faalele has gotten looks at tackle and guard, and so has Jones and Ben Cleveland. Rosengarten, a rookie second-round pick, has rotated in with the ones. The Ravens know Mekari is a reliable starting option at all five positions. Yet, he’s so valuable in the sixth offensive lineman role that Baltimore will be in no hurry to move him out of it.

Harbaugh said this offseason that Jones has played some of his best football on the left side, so he’s probably a long shot as a Morgan Moses replacement. That leaves Faalele and Rosengarten. Faalele struggled at times during OTAs. Meanwhile, the Ravens pinpointing Rosengarten as the guy they wanted long before Day 2 of the draft began suggests they believe he’s ready to play right away. They won’t just hand the rookie a starting job, but he’ll get every opportunity to work his way up the depth chart.

Both starting guard spots

The competitors: Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, Ben Cleveland, Daniel Faalele, Josh Jones, Patrick Mekari, Andrew Vorhees

The favorites: Cleveland and Vorhees

If the Ravens prioritize experience, they could pencil in Jones at left guard, knowing he’ll be serviceable there, and then give Cleveland, who has made seven career starts, first dibs at the right guard spot. Cleveland, though, has a lot to prove this summer, starting with his ability to stay healthy and consistently practice well. Vorhees, a seventh-round pick in 2023 who redshirted his rookie season as he recovered from knee surgery, has a lot of support in the building. It seems only a matter of time before he ascends into a starting role.

The wild card is Aumavae-Laulu, a sixth-round pick last year. The Ravens were intrigued enough by his talent that he started last year’s training camp working with the ones. Then, he curiously didn’t get an opportunity to play, even when many of Baltimore’s starters sat for the team’s Week 18 game against Pittsburgh. The idea of Faalele moving inside has garnered some support at the team facility.

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Third outside linebacker

The competitors: Malik Hamm, Adisa Isaac, David Ojabo, Tavius Robinson

The favorite: If healthy, Ojabo

Malik Harrison figures to still have a role on the outside on early downs and obvious running situations. The question is who will occasionally spell Kyle Van Noy and/or Odafe Oweh, or at least join them on the field on passing downs? The Ravens would love for it to be Ojabo, but the 2022 second-round pick, who has been limited to just five games over his first two seasons, won’t be fully cleared to return from a knee injury until some point during training camp. He still has plenty to prove.

Isaac, a 2024 third-round pick, has been dealing with a hamstring strain since rookie minicamp, so he hasn’t had the opportunity to show what he can do. Hamm and Tavius Robinson could play their way into the mix this summer. Signing a veteran pass rusher late in the offseason has become almost a yearly occurrence for the Ravens, so more competition could be added.

Third inside linebacker

The competitors: Chris Board, Josh Ross

The favorite: Board

Board, who played his first four NFL seasons in Baltimore before having one-year stints with Detroit and New England, was re-signed by the Ravens primarily because of his special teams ability. Still, he’s a trusted vet who has played in big games before. Ross has yet to play a defensive snap in two seasons with the Ravens. He’ll have to stand out on special teams first. Baltimore will also have the option of playing Harrison inside, where he has starting experience. Inside linebacker has traditionally been a spot where the Ravens keep an undrafted free agent, too, so Yvandy Rigby and Deion Jennings are worth mentioning here as well.

Reserve cornerback roles

The competitors: Bump Cooper Jr., Jalyn Armour-Davis, Ka’dar Hollman, Christian Matthew, Arthur Maulet, Trayvon Mullen, Tre Swilling, T.J. Tampa, Ar’Darius Washington, Damarion Williams

The favorites: Armour-Davis, Maulet, Tampa

This went from an area of concern to one of the team’s deeper positions after the Ravens used a first-round pick on Wiggins and a fourth-rounder on Tampa. Assuming Humphrey and Stephens are healthy, that leaves four cornerback locks. Maulet, who played good football for one of the league’s best defenses last year, is pretty close to a lock as well. So that doesn’t leave much margin of error for guys like Armour-Davis and Damarion Williams, fourth-round picks in 2022; Ar’Darius Washington, a fourth-year pro who can play in the nickel and at safety; and Hollman, a free-agent signing this offseason.

For Armour-Davis and Williams, it may come down to their ability to stay healthy and consistently play this summer, which hasn’t been easy for either. Mullen also hasn’t been healthy since joining the Ravens. Special teams will factor here and Armour-Davis was becoming a contributor on those units before his latest injury last season.

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No. 3 safety

The competitors: Beau Brade, Sanoussi Kane, Tre Swilling, Jordan Toles, Ar’Darius Washington

The favorite: Washington

It’s possible — if not likely — that the team’s No. 3 safety for the Sept. 5 regular-season opener is not currently on the roster. The Ravens need at least three safeties they trust to play significant snaps. That will allow defensive coordinator Zach Orr to move Hamilton around and use him in different matchups. That’s why Geno Stone, who departed in free agency last season, was so valuable. The Ravens have yet to replace Stone, but there are several accomplished veteran safeties still available in free agency. It makes too much sense for general manager Eric DeCosta not to add one of them. Washington is a player the Ravens like, but they’ve preferred using him in nickel situations. It seems more likely that if they make the team, Kane and Brade’s initial contributions would come on special teams.

Primary return man

The competitors: Deonte Harty, Justice Hill, Tylan Wallace, Damarion Williams

The favorite: Harty

There are a lot of factors in play here, including the new kickoff return rules, which could impact the type of returners the Ravens want back there. Harty, who signed with his hometown team in mid-April, is a former All-Pro returner and the most explosive option of the bunch. However, he’s also had some ball security issues in the past. Wallace performed well as Duvernay’s injury replacement last season and won the Ravens a game against the Los Angeles Rams with an overtime punt return score. The Ravens had a number of players get reps in the return game during OTAs, including several of the undrafted free-agent receivers and backs. That “tryout” process will likely continue through the early part of training camp, but Baltimore has experienced options here.

(Photo of Tylan Wallace: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)