Starting today, the Flock begins to come home.
We’re getting closer… Training Camp reporting dates for all 32 teams. pic.twitter.com/qUlOcDb1w8
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 28, 2023
Rookies report tomorrow!
Goal setting for the new class heading into Camp: pic.twitter.com/Li4uVHIIIo
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) July 17, 2023
Baltimore’s rookies are among nine classes reporting today, marking an important date on the offseason calendar. With the vets still a week out, now is the time that the rookies can try to make an early impression and feature the skill sets that could shape what their roles look like, or if they ultimately end up cracking the final 53-man roster. Let’s take this time to give you a primer for what I’ll be looking for from the rookies this week.
The Ravens rookies will be back in the building this week. Next week, they’ll be joined by everybody else.
Ranking Ravens’ biggest training camp storylines as first full-squad practice loomsvia @TheAthletic https://t.co/gmhOeRLeNj
— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) July 17, 2023
I won’t belabor the point on Zay Flowers. There’s not a doubt in my mind his role is secure, and you’ll be seeing him early and often.
Ravens rookie WR Zay Flowers has a Madden 24 speed rating (93) higher than both Deebo Samuel and Justin Jefferson.
(@NFLRookieWatxh) pic.twitter.com/1AAefk28bA
— Ravens Nation LIVE (@LIVERavenNation) July 17, 2023
The only question in my mind for Zay is how he fits into this new offense under Todd Monken. His size profile might offer more upside from the slot, but his ability as a route runner combined with the help of a robust supporting cast could make him an explosive asset in this new-look receiving attack. This week, the thing to watch with Zay would be the kind of routes he runs and where he lines up within the offense, as this could be Monken kicking the tires on where he likes Zay best.
On the other side of the ball, it’s a similar feeling with Trenton Simpson. There’s no doubt in my mind that he’ll get plenty of work; the questions are how often and where.
Living the dream ‼️ @TrentonSimpson_ pic.twitter.com/21TO7J319y
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) May 6, 2023
Simpson mentioned it in his interview above, but his calling card is fast, physical football. Watching his pre-draft film, the thing that stood out to me the most is how quickly he can get into the offensive backfield. When Simpson lines up in the second level of the defense, he’s a constant threat in the pass rush, and you can’t make any mistakes in picking him up on blocking assignments. I’ll be keeping an eye on how often Mike Mac tries sending him on delayed blitzes or moving him just before the snap to try to keep the offense honest. Roquan Smith and PQ figure to get the lion’s share of the work inside, but Simpson could earn himself some extra snaps if he shows out this week.
Sticking with the defense, if you’re looking for Tavius Robinson this week, he won’t be hard to spot. Let’s start with the obvious: dude is a monster of a human being.
— Tavius Robinson (@Taviusrobinson) December 19, 2022
This is where the rookie draft class starts to get really intriguing. Robinson’s greatest asset is his sheer size and physicality, but it makes him a bit of an oddball among the OLB/EDGE group. At 6’6”, his straight-line speed and power are undeniable when he takes his long strides, but he’ll have to showcase a unique skill set to be featured more regularly over the likes of Odafe Oweh, David Ojabo and Tyus Bowser. With that in mind, I’m going to be locked in on where Robinson lines up pre-snap and how often he features on special teams. Even with Travis Jones, another muscle monster in his own right, lining up at true nose, the Ravens will need a long set of arms to try to swat the ball down at the line, and it wouldn’t be any surprise at all to me if Robinson provides interior pressure on presumed passing downs.
Excited to get Kyu Blu Kelly in our secondary!
Tune into the NFL Draft now on ESPN, ABC, NFL Network. pic.twitter.com/viaCG7uiGH
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) April 29, 2023
Kyu Blu Kelly brings plenty of intrigue. In the CB room, Marlon Humphrey is undoubtedly the standalone #1 corner, but the competition opposite him is wide open. While Rock Ya-Sin has been penciled in on a lot of depth charts as CB2, a standout performance from Kelly this week could mean a true competition for that spot. It’s more likely that, should Kelly win a job earning regular snaps during the season, it would be as a slot corner, but with competition in the forms of Jalyn Armour-Davis, Trayvon Mullen and a host of UDFAs, KBK is going to have to make the most of his early reps. Look for him to take a few risks jumping routes and contesting catches early. He’ll need all the quality film he can get.
We’ve seen a lot of this LG/RG pairing in Ravens minicamp: Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu and Kevin Zeitler. pic.twitter.com/6VlVJSxdII
— Jonas Shaffer (@jonas_shaffer) June 15, 2023
Sala’s had a huge presence since touching down in Baltimore, and there are a lot of folks around the team, myself included, who see a real chance for him to earn the starting spot at LG. He’ll have plenty of competition as well, as he’ll have to beat out incumbent Ben Cleveland for the spot, as well as free agent acquisition John Simpson and several UDFAs. I don’t expect to see a resolution to that battle until much later in the preseason, but if I had to watch one thing to determine how viable Sala is as a starter, it would be his run-blocking. Pass protection wasn’t a major issue for Ben Cleveland last year, but for a guy his size, he really struggled to open up lanes on the interior, and if Sala can use his massive frame to his advantage in run-blocking, that could make the difference in who earns the final starting spot on the O-line.
Before we wrap up, I want to give the rookie UDFAs some love because I’ll be watching them too. Keaton Mitchell intrigues me because of how much burst he has. He’ll have to become a little bit more consistent, but if he can become an asset in the receiving game, he has a legitimate chance to earn a spot on a roster that will have plenty of questions in the RB room at the end of the season. Elsewhere, keep your eyes peeled for Tykeem Doss, Tashawn Manning and Jake Guidone as they take snaps along the O-line. O-line depth is never a bad thing, and with the loss of a utility lineman in Trystan Colon this offseason, all it would take for one of these guys to earn a spot is to show their versatility.
It’s been a long few months, Flock, but we finally have something to watch.
One Response
Thanks for the post; enjoyed the read.