Baltimore Ravens mandatory minicamp has finally arrived. All eyes are on returning quarterback Lamar Jackson, who has been absent over the past few OTA practices. However, they should be on the roster battles ramping up in the coming days.
There are very few starting position battles open, but many reps are up for the taking, and we should see the battles get more competitive this week. Unfortunately, Baltimore will have some talented players who will fall down the depth chart and may even get cut before the regular season gets underway. It should make for an exciting week.
3 roster battles to keep an eye on
Left guard
The most obvious question mark going into mandatory minicamp is left guard. Andrew Vorhees is the leading candidate, but his lackluster 2024 campaign left the door open going into 2025.
Joining the fray with Vorhees includes fifth-year pro Ben Cleveland and LSU rookies Emery Jones Jr. and Garrett Dellinger. While Cleveland seems like the most unlikely candidate to win the job, as he has failed to win the starting spot in his four years with Baltimore, the Ravens had enough faith to re-sign him last offseason. Jones Jr. enters as a third-round pick that the front office thought highly of, although he will likely be out until training camp due to a shoulder injury. It also sounds like Dellinger has shifted some of his focus to the center position, which gives Vorhees a red carpet to the starting left guard spot.
Mandatory minicamp will give Vorhees every chance to get a head start on his competition ahead of the latter half of the offseason. Jones Jr. will likely be his biggest competition due to draft capital spent on the 21-year-old, but with him out, Vorhees is in the perfect position to capitalize. It is his job to lose.
Outside cornerback opposite of Nate Wiggins
The Ravens might have an issue at cornerback. Nate Wiggins is ready for a leap in year two, and Marlon Humphrey just put together an All-Pro season in 2024. However, Humphrey’s production came in the slot, leaving the outside corner spot to pair with Wiggins in question.
Veteran Chidobe Awuzie is the only proven corner in the competition. He has consistently been a starting-level corner since he entered the league in 2017. However, injuries have hampered him in the last few seasons. His biggest competitor is former Iowa State Cyclone T.J. Tampa, and he has impressed thus far. The 23-year-old made plays during OTAs, and Awuzie has missed time because of a minor ankle injury. Mandatory minicamp is a chance for Tampa to run away with the job.
Do not rule out another veteran corner signing with Baltimore to join the competition, though. Harbaugh mentioned that they will ponder all options as they gear up for the 2025 season. Corners like Jaire Alexander, Kendall Fuller, and Shaquill Griffin could all be options if they go in this direction, but for now, it will be a battle between Awuzie and Tampa.
Backup running back
Running back Justice Hill put together a strong campaign in 2024, backing up five-time Pro Bowler Derrick Henry. He is a threat on third downs with his strengths as a pass catcher out of the backfield and even shined running between the tackles when Henry needed a breather. Third-year Keaton Mitchell, though, is looking to earn more reps this season.
It might be an under-the-radar competition. Hill seems to have a stranglehold on the job, but Mitchell flashed in 2023 and did enough then to showcase backup running back talent and maybe even starting-caliber abilities further down the line. His 4.38 forty-yard dash speed would make him the perfect complement to Henry, and he is more dangerous than Hill in the open field.
If the 23-year-old can prove the ACL tear is far in the past and he is back to his 2023 self, Hill could be in danger of losing reps. Both are dynamic weapons, and Baltimore can certainly get both involved with their unrelenting running game, but this week is the perfect chance for Mitchell to prove his worth and seize the running back number two job.
Multiple other roles are up for grabs as the Ravens enter mandatory minicamp, including the second starting linebacker next to Roquan Smith. The coming practices will be crucial in deciding Baltimore’s 2025 depth chart.
