Baltimore Ravens rookie minicamp always seems to feature the underdog. The one who didn’t hear his name called, didn’t get the in-depth draft-day segment, and didn’t come in with any expectations — except for the ones he’s placed on himself. This year, that guy might just be Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins.
Let’s be honest: Higgins didn’t go undrafted because of what he did in college. You don’t compile 295 tackles over two seasons in the Big Ten randomly. But a 4.82 40-yard dash, questions about lateral quickness, and a frame that’s six-foot, 226 pounds? Those are usually the kinds of metrics that send teams sprinting in the other direction. All it took was one team to see the value beneath the stopwatch. The Ravens called, and Higgins answered.
The result is a former All-American dropped into a linebacker room with legitimate depth needs behind Roquan Smith. He's got a chip on his shoulder and a defensive coordinator who once walked the same exact path.
Jay Higgins knows nothing is guaranteed in Baltimore
“Obviously, the draft day, all three days, didn’t go as planned,” Higgins said. “But super fortunate to have the opportunity to come to Baltimore with so much defensive history. The linebackers that play here, that played here in the past, I think it’s a good fit for me.”
Zach Orr, the Ravens’ defensive coordinator, was once an undrafted free agent too. So was Chris Board. So was Patrick Onwuasor. And Dannell Ellerbe. And Jameel McClain. And oh yeah — Bart Scott. The point is that Baltimore has a track record for turning overlooked linebackers into Sunday staples. Higgins has big shoes to fill but could be next.
Higgins just needs to do one thing during the offseason. He has to prove he belongs in the linebacker room. And with Malik Harrison and Board gone, there’s a real shot here. He’ll compete with Teddye Buchanan, Jake Hummel, and others for rotational snaps and special teams work — the exact kind of workload that once launched careers.
“When you report to minicamp, you start from ground zero,” Higgins said. “For the guys who got drafted, who had good college careers, the moment they stepped out on the field, it’s fair game. Being an undrafted free agent, I understand that. I know I got to go in, prove things. Nothing’s going to be given to me.”
He’s not wrong. But in Baltimore, that’s not a disadvantage — it’s actually a rite of passage. Just ask the coach calling the plays. If Higgins can soak up what Roquan and Orr give him, hold his own in offseason workouts, and keep flying to the ball like he did at Iowa? He could become the next Raven to prove the draft isn’t the only way to make it big in Charm City.
And if Orr sees a little of himself in Higgins, that’s the kind of story Flock Nation can root for.
