OTL: Way-Too-Early 53-Man Roster Prediction

With a bit of a lull in the NFL’s offseason schedule, there may not be much going on around The Castle, but that doesn’t mean we can’t set our sights ahead to the next significant event on the horizon: Training Camp. This year’s competition will have a slightly different wrinkle, with the NFL agreeing to a rule change marking a single roster cutdown date from 90 players to the final 53, which will occur on August 29^th. Having more bodies for the length of camp isn’t a bad thing, but it could certainly make for some interesting competitions at positions where starting spots are up for grabs. Let’s give you a primer on position battles to watch, and positions that appear locked in.

For the sake of the exercise, we’ll ignore potential trades/free agent signings and unanticipated injuries, and we’ll plot out a way-too-early starting 53 from the pool of the current Ravens.

Lunchtime read – Ravens stock report: Who rose and who fell during OTAs and mandatory minicamp?

via @TheAthletic https://t.co/k64ipHAFww

— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) June 19, 2023

QB: Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley

No shockers off the bat here; Lamar Jackson is inked for the long haul and will hopefully use his new offensive weapons to the fullest of his ability. Tyler Huntley once again appears to be the go-to backup, but there is some uncertainty about his future beyond this season. His performances as a starter last season in Lamar’s absence may have cost him some money, as teams likely aren’t wondering if he has starting-caliber potential.

Using the newly instituted rule about having a third QB not count against the 53-man squad, the Ravens will likely sneak Anthony Brown or Josh Johnson onto their Day 1 roster, but the camp battle will determine who sticks and who lands on the Practice Squad.

RB: JK Dobbins, Gus Edwards, Justice Hill, Pat Ricard (FB)

Make no mistake about it: despite the drama surrounding JK Dobbins’ contract and absence from minicamp, he’s the go-to RB1. Unless the situation between him and the team has become untenable behind the scenes, Dobbins isn’t going anywhere. Gus’ ability as a workhorse RB2 makes him a lock, and Justice Hill appears to have done enough between his work ethic and his acumen on special teams to retain a roster spot. If the team feels Hill’s cap hit is too high, perhaps they lean on Keaton Mitchell and let Hill walk, but with a dead cap hit of $1.25 million, I doubt the team eats the financial loss. Pencil in Pat Ricard wherever you want on the depth chart (FB, TE, LB), but he’s been too much of an asset to let him go.

WR: Rashod Bateman, Odell Beckham Jr., Zay Flowers, Nelson Agholor, Devin Duvernay, Dontay Demus Jr.

Here’s a position group that’ll have no shortage of eyeballs on it in Training Camp. Not only has wideout been a topic of huge discussion in terms of the unit’s improvement, but everyone wants to see how the new pieces of this offense fit together and divide the workload. As Jeff Zrebiec mentioned above, and as some of the RSR crew noted at minicamp, Nelson Agholor appears to have done enough (so far) to prove that he can stick on the final 53. I think Duvernay maintains his spot based on versatility, athleticism, and importance to the special teams unit, but the surprise entry comes from UDFA Dontay Demus. Maybe this is wishful thinking, but an undrafted hometown guy with a large frame and a chip on his shoulder would just be too perfect.

TE: Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, Charlie Kolar, Ben Mason (TE/FB)

Again, no surprises with the first name up there, as Andrews has proven time and again to be one of the league’s premier tight ends. Isaiah Likely showed flashes last season as a pass-catching threat, with the promise of essentially being an oversized receiver in some sets, and Kolar appears to be at full speed following last year’s injury. However, Nick Boyle’s presence as a brick wall of a blocker has been sorely missed, and I think the team may kick the tires on Ben Mason in that role.

OT: Ronnie Stanley, Morgan Moses, Patrick Mekari, Daniel Faalele

The names here shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. The OT unit didn’t have a lot of turnover and I think the Ravens are still trying to see what they have in Daniel Faalele. Meanwhile, Mekari’s utility as a Swiss Army knife along that line makes him a virtual lock.

G/C: Tyler Linderbaum, Kevin Zeitler, Malaesala Aumavae-Laula, Ben Cleveland, John Simpson, Jake Guidone

Outside of the first four names, the depth selections are anyone’s guess, and will certainly come down to preseason performance. Backup center is a position that scares me a bit after Matt Skura’s hand injury a few years ago, and while free agent pickup Sam Mustipher has more experience than rookie Jake Guidone, Mustipher didn’t do much to impress on a woefully bad Bears roster that desperately needed O-line help. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Guidone win the job.

DT: Justin Madubuike, Travis Jones, Broderick Washington, Michael Pierce, Brent Urban

I have my fingers and toes crossed that Michael Pierce can come back healthy this season. He’s a force up front, and his veteran leadership is going to help this unit in their development. What will be interesting to see is how the Ravens will make up for the loss of Calais Campbell and what the division of labor will look like. I expect a big role from Justin Madubuike, but I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see a breakout season from Travis Jones.

EDGE/OLB: Odafe Oweh, David Ojabo, Tyus Bowser, Tavius Robinson

I certainly wouldn’t rule out the possibility of a Justin Houston reunion being in the cards; in fact, looking at this unit on paper, I’m hoping we see Houston return. It’s not a lack of faith in the players that are here, but as I mentioned above, having a reliable veteran presence is never a bad thing, and while we know that both Oweh and Ojabo have the necessary bones to their games, it’s clear that they could both use some seasoning before they’re ready to be the go-to guys.

ILB: Roquan Smith, Patrick Queen, Malik Harrison, Trenton Simpson

I’m not so much focused on what the camp competition will bring at inside linebacker, since this unit looks to be pretty set. What I am interested in seeing is how Patrick Queen can perform out of the gate with a full season next to Roquan Smith. Queen flourished last year in the second half of the season, and I’m hoping that a full camp next to Roquan, plus the infusion of talent brought by Trenton Simpson, will make this a scary unit coming into the season.

CB: Marlon Humphrey, Rock Ya-Sin, Jalyn Armour-Davis, Kyu Blu Kelly, Damarion Williams, Brandon Stephens, Trayvon Mullen

Given the issues the Ravens have had around depth at CB with injury, I can foresee them allocating additional roster spots to the DB room. Not only would this allow for Marlon Humphrey to have a more robust supporting cast, but it would also give the team time to determine who their true CB2 is if the preseason process just isn’t enough time. This is another unit that I can see adding a piece or two before the season begins, but here’s hoping that the camp battles produce an emerging stud at the position.

S: Marcus Williams, Kyle Hamilton, Geno Stone, Ar’Darius Washington

This top safety pairing is just nasty, and it’s no secret around the league. Still, depth at that position could be well served with Geno Stone, and depending on how roster spots are allocated, you can count Brandon Stephens among this group if you really wanted to, as he’s been known to play all over the secondary. Ar’Darius Washington’s stint on the Practice Squad last season seems to have left him itching to make a larger impact, and I think improvement shown early in camp this year could help him lock up a roster spot.

Special Teams: Justin Tucker (K), Jordan Stout (P), Nick Moore (LS)

Nothing much to be said here. When it comes to special teams, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

We’ll see how things shake down as we approach the beginning of Training Camp, and I expect that a few changes are still on the horizon with potential acquisitions. Bearing that in mind, if this was the starting roster on Day 1, how would you feel coming into the season? Let me know in the comments!