Ravens Roster Bubble: Who Makes the Cut?

For the purposes of this exercise, I’m going to assume the following 38 players are making the opening day roster for the Ravens:

QB (2): Lamar Jackson, Cooper Rush

RB (3): Derrick Henry, Justice Hill, Keaton Mitchell

WR (4): Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, DeAndre Hopkins, Devontez Walker

TE/FB (4): Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, Charlie Kolar, Patrick Ricard

OT (2): Ronnie Stanley, Roger Rosengarten

IOL (3): Tyler Linderbaum, Andrew Vorhees, Daniel Faalele

DL (3): Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones, Broderick Washington

EDGE (4): Odafe Oweh, Kyle Van Noy, Tavius Robinson, Mike Green

LB (3): Roquan Smith, Trenton Simpson, Teddye Buchanan

CB (4): Marlon Humphrey, Nate Wiggins, Jaire Alexander, Chidobe Awuzie

S (3): Kyle Hamilton, Malaki Starks, Sanoussi Kane

ST (3): Tyler Loop, Jordan Stout, Nick Moore

With no competition left on special teams, this leaves 15 spots open for offense and defense.  The split for most teams is an even 25 with a deviation of two.  By now, especially for a team as tightly run as the Ravens, only a few roster spots are still undecided.  Even then, the 53 players on the team after cutdowns will nearly always differ from the 53 players on opening day.

The principle the Ravens use this time of year is simple:  how can they retain as many of their own as possible?  Who can they afford to put through waivers and sign to the practice squad?  Who goes to IR to make room for someone else?  The team has been known to put together a less-than-optimal 53 man roster in order to optimize the roster for later.

Let us look at the team by position group and see what we can be determine.

—OFFENSE—

QB: Leary or no?

With a roster generally regarded as one of the best and deepest in the league, I find it hard to imagine squeezing in another quarterback.  Rush looked better in the second preseason game as the veteran gets accustomed to the team.  Devin Leary meanwhile is still struggling.  He’s probably not getting plucked off the practice squad, so I believe he’s headed there again.  The team does not like giving up on their draft picks.

RB: Are we carrying four?

That’s what head coach John Harbaugh said to the press following Saturday’s game.  Is he saying we can pencil in Rasheen Ali, or is he being coy and counting Patrick Ricard among the RB group?  This is a crowded room, with D’Ernest Johnson and Myles Gaskin out the outside looking in.  I’ll say Ali makes it and even sees time in the regular season on special teams.  Do not be surprised, however, if he is traded.  If they’re amiable do it, Johnson and Gaskin can sign veteran PS deals.

WR: Is Wallace on the bubble again?

The Ravens official site currently has LaJohntay Wester buried at the bottom of the WR depth chart, but it is reasonable to say he will be the team’s primary return man.  Add Keaton Mitchell, and return snaps will be unavailable to others.  Tylan Wallace‘s value is therefore almost completely tied to his special teams coverage skill – familiar territory for him.  His likeability and veteran-osity probably means he’s safe and the team carries six WR, but the Ravens have carried five (even as few as four) at times.  All the others have a distant chance.

TE/FB: No questions here.

This is the most locked-in group on the roster.  If there is a question, it’s about who stays on the team next season and beyond.  Apologies to Zaire Mitchell-Paden, Scotty Washington, and Baylor Cupp, but they are at best headed to the PS barring an unexpected injury.

OL: The second unit.

Only two of the starting line – Stanley and Linderbaum – are sitting out the preseason, and they are being replaced with Joseph Noteboom and Corey Bullock.  There are your primary OL backups, and that makes seven.  Teams generally go into a season with nine OL unless there is some roster massaging going on, so there is competition for two spots.

The second unit in preseason, seen by the end of the first half, reads Carson Vinson – Ben Cleveland – Nick Samac – Darrian Dalcourt – Gerad Lichtenhan.  Vinson, the Ravens’ fifth-round draft pick, is clearly a project, but I wouldn’t risk sending the physical specimen to the PS.  Third-round pick Emery Jones Jr appears to be starting the season on IR.

This brings our attention to the enigmatic Ben Cleveland.  Considering Cleveland should handle snaps at LG or RG by now, and has even seen some snaps at C, he should have the upper hand on Samac and Dalcourt.  I would not be surprised to see him traded; however, I said the same thing last season.  And the season before that.

So on offense, I’m adding seven to bring the total to 25:

Ali, Wester, Wallace, Noteboom, Bullock, Cleveland and Vinson

[Be sure to follow my 2025 NFL IR Thread on the RSR Message board!]

—DEFENSE—

DL: Another Urban handshake?

It’s like clockwork now.  Ravens sign Brent Urban, cut him, and sign him again after putting someone on IR from the 53-man roster.  John Jenkins is likely the backup NT, with C.J. Okoye given the international exemption.  Aeneas Peebles, being a draft pick, probably beats C.J. Ravenell for the final DL spot.  Hopefully Ravenell makes it to the PS, as I believe he is good depth.

EDGE: Isaac injury clears room.

Conventional wisdom says three outside linebackers are competing for one spot – Adisa Issac, David Ojabo and Malik Hamm.  Isaac’s elbow injury, which he is to have surgery on, allows the team to put him on IR and narrows the competition down to two.  Both players have an unblocked sack to their credit this preseason.  Both have their own injury history.  It’s hard to justify keeping both.  Maybe – just maybe – they keep neither and call somebody in.

LB: Higgins is making a push.

If there is one player making a case from the fourth quarter of these preseason games, it is UDFA Jay Higgins.  Others have been in this situation in years past, only to begin on the PS.  Higgins is competing for a roster spot with veteran Jake Hummel, who is playing earlier snaps.  The biggest indicator of where you are in the pecking order is when you play.  On top of this, the value of the final five or so roster spots is on special teams, which is why the Ravens signed Hummel to begin with.  William Kwenkeu and Chandler Martin are good PS candidates.

CB: Attrition is already setting in.

The two draft picks at CB, Bihlal Kone and Robert Longerbeam, will not be playing in 2025.  Jaire Alexander may very well begin the season on IR (reference the Urban handshake deal).  You may notice that a lot of early injuries are happening at defensive back across the league.  So goes the adage, you can never have too many of these players.

Teams these days often carry 12 or more DBs into the season.  We may therefore see some unexpected names in this room.  I believe based on his play early in games, Keyon Martin will make the 53.  I also believe Jalyn Armour-Davis sticks around.  Marquise Robinson is not a name that should be ignored either.  The player in a surprising amount of trouble is second year CB T.J. Tampa, who I have not seen on the field until the second half.

S: A lot of young promise.

Ar’Darius Washington has an injury that should shut him down for the season, but rumor is he’ll make a comeback by the end.  He is probably one of the two players that will be IR-DR during cuts.  All indications are Kane has the third safety spot sewn up.  That leaves the fourth safety spot open, or more if the team carries five. Beau Brade, Reuben Lowery and Keondre Jackson have all looked the part.  I am guessing that we will see five safeties and a total of 11 DBs on the roster, with Jackson the odd man out.

Here are the eight names I’d add to bring the total to 25:

Jenkins, Peebles, Ojabo, Hummel, Armour-Davis, Martin, Brade, Lowery

Isaac and Washington are the two Designated IR players.  Alexander is placed on IR after cuts are made and Urban is then re-signed.

All this of course can change if the Ravens are unlucky with injuries between now and then.  Let’s keep our fingers crossed that doesn’t happen.

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