OTL: Guard Battle Heats Up, Bumps & Bruises Pile Up

We all heard about the one big injury earlier this week (Isaiah Likely), but after that it was a week of the usual camp bumps and bruises…as far as we know.

Ravens CBs Jalyn Armour-Davis and Bilhal Kone have both returned to practice.
Not practicing: RB Marcus Major, WRs Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman, TE Isaiah Likely, OT Emery Jones.

— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) July 31, 2025

No Rashod Bateman or Zay Flowers again as they nurse camp injuries. Every year we get the unfortunate reminder that just comes with the territory during training camp. It is intense, and these guys are hitting each other for the first time since January, so some cramps and bruises are to be expected. I would, of course, rather have these injuries now rather than later, but like everyone I’ll be watching with bated breath for their returns to the field.

Moving on from the injuries, we got an update on the left guard battle, and it seems to be going pretty well:

Monken said it’s been a great battle at LG between Andrew Vorhees and Ben Cleveland. Both are getting opportunities.

— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) July 31, 2025

The guard spots are the biggest question marks on the offense, and the LG position remains completely up in the air. However, from the outside looking in, it is nice to see that Ben Cleveland and Andrew Vorhees are getting equal opportunities.  We don’t want a repeat of 2024, so the hope is that one of these guys grabs the reins and seizes the position. As for the right side…it’s locked in, whether we like it or not. We just need to hope Daniel Faalele improves.

I believe competition breeds excellence, and Vorhees and Cleveland having this camp battle will, hopefully, bring out the best in both of them. The Ravens are without their third-round pick, Emory Jones, for a bit with an injury, so it is up to those two candidates to separate themselves.

We know the coaching staff would likely prefer Voorhees to win the spot, as Cleveland is a guy they have soured on over the years (though not enough to not re-sign him on a prove-it deal). That in mind, here’s hoping it’s a legit competition, and the best man wins.

Finally, we have some high praise for a young player whose talent is undeniable:

Orr said that Nate Wiggins is one of the most physically gifted CBs he’s ever seen.

— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) July 31, 2025

The sky is the limit for Nate Wiggins, and he has so much talent to be tapped into. After a pretty standard rookie season, where he was eased into the starting lineup, Wiggins has Jaire Alexander and Marlon Humphrey next to him, and he can continue to fly under the radar a bit. Not among Ravens fans though; we know he has all the talent in the world to be a true CB1, and with Jaire here (who is built a bit like Wiggins) to learn from? The world is your oyster, Nate, you just have to seize the day.

Here’s to a week with fewer bumps and bruises, and no more big injuries.

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