New Ravens safety Eddie Jackson called Baltimore a “perfect fit” after just his second day of training camp with his new team.
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During practice, he showed why, taking an errant Emory Jones pass back for a touchdown with teammates Marlon Humphrey and Kyle Hamilton celebrating in pursuit. That play encompasses Jackson’s excitement about Baltimore: showing what he can still do at the age of 30 as part of an elite secondary and one of the league’s best defenses.
Jackson received two Pro Bowl nods, a first-team All-Pro selection, and the league’s biggest safety contract by his fourth NFL season in 2020, but other safeties like Minkah Fitzpatrick, Derwin James, and Antoine Winfield Jr. have since surpassed him. Jackson played in just 12 games in each of the last two seasons; now that he’s fully healthy, he thinks he can be the “missing piece” for a secondary that lost Geno Stone in free agency.
The seven-year veteran would fill Stone’s 2023 deep safety shoes well; Jackson’s early-career versatility has streamlined into a ball hawking FS role with five interceptions and 11 passes defended in the last two seasons. His contract details haven’t been reported, but without any corresponding cap-clearing moves from the Ravens, the signing feels like another summer steal by Eric DeCosta.
Jackson said it felt good “being able to compete out there and make plays,” especially with so much familiarity with his new teammates. The Lauderdale Lakes native only adds to the South Florida roots in the Ravens locker room, calling Zay Flowers “basically my little cousin” and shouting out Lamar Jackson’s Pompano Cowboys youth football team. Jackson also played with Marlon Humphrey and Derrick Henry at the University of Alabama, something he noted when talking about Baltimore’s loaded secondary.
“Man, it’s crazy,” said Jackson, “I feel like this is the deepest and most competitive DB room since Alabama with Minkah [Fitzpatrick], Ronnie [Harrison] and Marlon [Humphrey].”
His words rang true on Monday; rookie Nate Wiggins led a strong day from a defense with a highlight interception late in practice. With the rain coming down in sheets, Wiggins stayed on Sean Ryan’s hip through a crossing route and ripped the ball away from the receiver for a pick.
Wiggins’ play on the ball was particularly encouraging because the Ravens quarterbacks rarely tested him during OTAs and rookie minicamp. That’s a good sign in and of itself – Wiggins’ sticky coverage was too tight for even Lamar Jackson to risk a throw – but the rookie needs competitive reps at the catch point to acclimate to the physical nature of NFL cornerback play.
Even more than the secondary, the defensive line won the day, controlling the line of scrimmage with a flurry of sacks and tackles for loss. The front seven seemed to take turns penetrating the backfield; Justin Madubuike, Odafe Oweh, Kyle Van Noy, Travis Jones, Trenton Simpson, and Tavius Robinson all made at least one run stop or sack.
Defensive dominance has become a recurring theme of the Ravens’ summers, not least because of the frequent absences of Lamar Jackson. The star quarterback missed the first two days of training camp, and John Harbaugh had no updates on his status after Monday’s practice.
That left Josh Johnson, Devin Leary and Emory Jones under center and behind an offensive line with only three set starters. It was not pretty; Jones threw interceptions to Jackson and Wiggins, and Leary was picked off at the line of scrimmage by rookie iDL Tramel Walthour, an undrafted Georgia product who almost rumbled his way into the end zone with the ball in his hands.
Rookies Leary and Jones are obviously nowhere near ready to back up Jackson, which is why Johnson has already been named QB2. There’s something to be said for the stability of the journeyman quarterback – the type of player who can start or enter a game on short notice – but his lower ceiling of play limits his range of outcomes. In other words, if Jackson has to sit out a series for concussion protocol, the Ravens will be fine, but if Jackson has a concussion, the Ravens are in serious trouble offensively.
Ryan Tannehill is still a free agent and Jameis Winston could become available if he gets cut by the Browns (Cleveland is more likely to cut Tyler Huntley than Winston, but a Huntley-Ravens reunion is unlikely after Baltimore elected to move on from him this offseason.) The Ravens seem content with Johnson behind Jackson, and there’s an argument to be made that Jackson’s backup doesn’t matter that much given his importance to the offense.
However, Jackson’s absence from the first two days of training camp is a reminder of his propensity to miss practice and game time at somewhat random intervals. Sure, if he sustains a serious injury, the Ravens’ season is all but over, but a minor knock is hardly so damning. Baltimore would just need to stay afloat without Jackson, ideally going at least .500 to keep pace in the intensely-competitive AFC playoff race. That’s a tough proposition for Josh Johnson against a first-place schedule that includes the Chiefs, Bills, Texans, Bengals (twice), and Chargers.
