Odell Beckham Jr. didn’t do too much more than show up at Ravens mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, but that’s all he needed to do to make an impact. Like Lamar Jackson’s arrival at OTAs a few weeks prior, things just felt different with Beckham on the field.
Rashod Bateman gravitated towards him on the sideline. Zay Flowers came up to him before practice started to get some individual mentorship. And while no one made a big deal of Beckham’s first reception from Jackson, it still felt like a mini-revelation given the Ravens’ recent receiver woes.
He’s here. It’s real.
Before he even suited up, Beckham answered more than 20 questions during a lengthy press conference, with “good,” “healthy” and “fast” among the words he used to describe his physical progress. He downplayed the significance of his return to the football field, but admitted that putting on a jersey and joining his new teammates would be emotional and meaningful.
John Harbaugh said that Beckham was “full-go in terms of health,” but added that he would be ramping up his activity like most players who weren’t present at OTAs.
Beckham participated in positional drills, ran a few routes and caught some passes from the Ravens QBs, but surprised observers by taking part in competitive 7-on-7 work. He definitely wasn’t pushing himself to full speed, but he looked smooth and comfortable going in and out of his breaks. His hands were as reliable as ever, too, but his limited action didn’t produce anything notable aside from a near-interception by Rock Ya-Sin on a pass thrown by Jackson.
Deep and Dangerous Defense Shines
That’s emblematic of how the practice progressed as the team transitioned into competitive scrimmages. Though the initial focus was squarely on Beckham, it gradually shifted towards the defense, which was active and competitive in 7-on-7s and had their way with the offense for stretches of 11-on-11 work.
The Ravens’ offseason offensive overhaul dominated headlines and social media attention; between Jackson, Beckham, Flowers and Todd Monken, how could it not? But there’s still a sense that the defense – if not Mike Macdonald himself, then certainly his players – want to remind observers which unit reigns supreme, at least for the moment while the offense gets their footing.
The secondary was particularly impressive, making plenty of plays on the ball both with strength and concentration at the catch point and solid instincts and quickness to jump passing lanes.
Third-year undrafted safety Ar’Darius Washington showcased his instincts and contributed in a lot of ways. He was sticky in coverage out of the slot with solid ball production (one interception, at least 2 PBUs) and even brought pressure on a nickel blitz. His size will always be a matchup concern, but Washington certainly has the talent and instincts to figure into the Ravens’ plans at nickel.
Ya-Sin embodied the loud and active defense, repeatedly undercutting routes and getting his hands on the football. He made sure to let everyone know every time he made a play, with an edge and competitive spirit that fits well opposite Marlon Humphrey.
While the younger corners will (rightfully) draw more attention in June, it’s worth noting that the veteran duo of Daryl Worley and Kevon Seymour had a good day. Whether they make the 53 depends more on the rest of the team’s roster math than their own performance, but even if they’re on the practice squad, both can be solid veteran DB depth, especially early in the season when the younger corners may not be ready or available to play.
The front seven was no less effective than the secondary, with multiple pressures and bat-downs against the offensive line. One came from undrafted second year OLB Jeremiah Moon, who flashed on multiple occasions in OTAs as well. With just four roster locks at his position, Moon might have a clear path to the 53 if he keeps it up and contributes on special teams, even if the Ravens find a way to re-sign Justin Houston.
Broderick Washington had the other bat-down as part of a strong day from the defense line, which featured a sack from Justin Madubuike who confirmed he has been working on pass rush moves with OLB coach and pass rush guru Chuck Smith. Despite the loss of Calais Campbell, this unit will be just fine with a full season of Michael Pierce, a non-injury-stunted second year for Travis Jones, and continued improvement from Madubuike and Washington, who have improved year-over-year since being drafted in 2020. In terms of leadership, Pierce and Brent Urban have a clear veteran presence, and Madubuike has stepped up as well.
Other Defensive Notes
— Marcus Williams didn’t play many snaps – he’s one of those guys that doesn’t need to, especially in June – but still found a way to make an impact with a PBU coming downhill.
— Rookie corner Kyu Blu Kelly also had a great break on a pass intended for undrafted wideout Sean Ryan, but he couldn’t quite finish the play as Ryan bobbled and managed to hang onto the ball.
— Odafe Oweh set a nice edge against the run, with a few highlight wrap-ups as well as a nice swipe move to dispatch Ronnie Stanley. It was great to see Stanley out there at minicamp after injuries prevented him from joining summer activities for the past two seasons.
Pass-Catchers Continue to Thrive Under Monken
On the offensive side of the ball, I’m going to focus on the passing game since a) that’s what the Ravens are focusing on and b) it’s difficult to judge the Ravens’ ground attack in minimal contact practices without their top two running backs. Gus Edwards suited up and participated in RB drills, an encouraging sign after he spent OTAs working off to the side, but neither he nor J.K. Dobbins saw any action against the defense. Dobbins was in the building, but wasn’t on the practice field at all due to a minor soft-tissue injury, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic.
Jackson looked comfortable commanding the offense from the line of scrimmage, navigating the pocket and finding throwing windows to open targets with ease. His pre-snap blitz identification and adjustments were spot-on, getting out quick, accurate throws with pressure bearing down on him.
Charlie Kolar’s new nickname might as well be Dyson. He is an absolute football vacuum with nary a bobble, much less a drop, across the four practices I’ve watched. I still chuckle at Steve Bisciotti’s desire to draft Kolar based on his academic record, but it’s hard to disagree with the man who made his fortune from talent management when you see Kolar finding the soft spot in coverages and making himself a big, reliable target for his QB.
Andy Isabella executed when called upon in a variety of ways. He separated well and made a few catches through contact without any clear miscues. I still don’t see him making the team, especially as a smaller slot-only guy in a room with a few of them already, but keeping him on the practice squad for some gameday activations in case of week-to-week injuries might not be a bad idea.
Nelson Agholor continued to show off his budding connection with Jackson, including a well-timed back shoulder throw and catch. Kyu Blu Kelly stuck with Agholor down the sideline, but the veteran’s sudden and crafty route-running was too much to stop a completion. Agholor also reeled in a deep ball from Jackson over Ya-Sin, spurring a bit of chatter between the two vets. I’m hesitant to even include this, but I feel obligated to report that Agholor did have one drop in traffic across the middle. I wouldn’t worry about it, especially with some of the tough grabs he’s made in the last month or so.
Other offensive notes
— Speaking of drops, Devin Duvernay had one of his own but followed it with a sliding, over-the-shoulder snag on a perfectly-weighted ball from Lamar Jackson.
— Zay Flowers did well finding space on sit routes, but dropped an easy pass as well. His electric movement skills showed no sign of the tweak John Harbaugh reported last week.
— Tylan Wallace continues to entrench himself as the favorite for the WR6 spot with an excellent one-handed grab to reel in an off-target throw from Tyler Huntley.
Injury Report
— John Harbaugh said that Rashod Bateman would be out for minicamp after participating only in positional drills during OTAs. He seems to still be getting all the way back from last year’s Lisfranc injury, which can be a tricky thing to repair and heal. The Ravens are wise to take it easy with him – Bateman’s issue thus far in his career has not been ability, but availability. They’d rather let him get closer to 100% by training camp, and even then ramp up his activity into the preseason.
– Pepe Williams will also miss minicamp, and may not even be ready to start training camp based on Harbaugh’s comments on Tuesday.
— Shemar Bridges dressed and participated in WR drills and some work with the team’s quarterbacks after working off to the side during OTAs, but saw no competitive action.
— Jalyn Armour-Davis and Tyus Bowser were both dressed but only did solo conditioning work on side fields. I’d give more thought to the former than the latter. The Ravens see a lot of potential in Armour-Davis, but are very cognizant of his injury history. Bowser, meanwhile, is ramping up after returning from his early-2022 torn Achilles last season and not participating in 2023 OTAs. He’s one of those cerebral players you don’t really worry about.
