ExtremeRavens Posted yesterday at 11:30 AM Posted yesterday at 11:30 AM The Ravens’ first training camp practice was Wednesday, and with the regular-season opener against the Buffalo Bills just months away, The Baltimore Sun offered thoughts on the 43 defensive players on the team’s roster. The offense’s version can be found here. Interior defensive line Nnamdi Madubuike Madubuike’s pressures, sacks and run stops all regressed last season after the team awarded him a four-year, $98 million extension. But the Ravens’ most proven lineman faced a high rate of double teams and still finished top 10 among defensive tackles in sacks. He’s primed for a bounce-back season. Travis Jones The pass-rushing defensive tackle had his best season in Baltimore last year, tallying a career-high 35 pressures from the interior, according to Pro Football Focus. Over 65% of his snaps come in pass-rush opportunities, which is among the highest in the league for defensive tackles. He’s entering a contract year and could earn a pay raise in the offseason. Aeneas Peebles The Ravens wanted more pass-rushing juice from their interior linemen, which is why they selected Peebles in the sixth round of April’s draft. The Athletic’s draft expert Dane Brugler had Peebles graded as a third- or fourth-round prospect. At just 6 feet and 288 pounds, the former Virginia Tech standout’s low-center of gravity helps his pocket-pushing ability. Broderick Washington The Texas Tech product has been a reliable option for Baltimore since he debuted in 2020. As a rotational player, Washington is solid as a run stopper and should continue to play alongside Madubuike on early downs. John Jenkins After Michael Pierce’s retirement, the Ravens needed a nose tackle to replace the 355-pound veteran. Enter Jenkins. The 6-3, 327-pound lineman is entering his 13th NFL season and will be playing for his seventh team. He played a career-high 609 defensive snaps with the Las Vegas Raiders last season, but he likely won’t be asked to play that large of a role with Travis Jones in the mix. Jayson Jones Jones, who was rated as the No. 1 offensive tackle in Alabama as a high schooler before switching positions, committed to Oregon before transferring to Auburn. He totaled 84 total tackles including four for loss, 1 1/2 sacks and a fumble recovery over three seasons with the Tigers. Adedayo Odeleye From Nigeria, Odeleye played for the Houston Texans’ practice squad for two seasons. Before that, he played for the Berlin Thunder in the European League of Football. C.J. Okoye Another defensive lineman with Nigerian heritage, Okoye has one of the best stories on the team. He was a part of the NFL Africa camp in Ghana in 2022 and then was invited to the NFL International combine in England, where he was eventually selected to the NFL’s International Pathway Program, which allocated him to a team. He played in the Los Angeles Chargers’ first preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams and recorded a sack in his first organized game of football. Okoye said afterwards that he didn’t know what a sack was until after the game. Edge rushers Odafe Oweh Oweh added 20 pounds of muscle in the offseason to increase his power off the edge. He had a strong season last year, setting career highs in sacks and pressures as well as ranking 17th among edge rushers in pass rush win-rate, per ESPN analytics. But almost all of his pressures came with speed rushes. With plenty of young edge defenders in waiting, Oweh could price himself out of Baltimore with a strong season. Kyle Van Noy It’s not often that a player in his 11th season in the league has a breakout campaign, but Van Noy’s 56 pressures last season were the second most of his career. He’s reliable, can play on every down and is one of the vocal leaders on the team. The 34-year-old is a perfect fit in the edge room. Kyle Van Noy chats during Ravens training camp in 2024. The pass rusher had a career season in 2024, reaching double-digit sacks. (Staff file) Mike Green Green slid in the draft because of two accusations of sexual assault against him. He’s one of the most talented pass rushers in the rookie class and could make an immediate impact in Baltimore as a rotational edge rusher. Green racked up 17 sacks with Marshall in his final college season. David Ojabo The 2022 second-round pick hasn’t found his footing in Baltimore. He was a healthy scratch in four games last season and failed to play in more than 50% of the team’s defensive snaps in a game after Week 2. Entering a contract year, Ojabo has one more chance to make an impact with the Ravens. Tavius Robinson The 2023 fourth-round pick took a leap in his second season, registering 13 pressures. There is a firm belief within the Ravens’ pass rush room that Robinson is tracking toward a breakout year. Pass rush coach Chuck Smith called Robinson a “bona fide pass rusher” and John Harbaugh said that he’s established himself as a three-down player in December. Adisa Isaac Isaac was drafted in the third round of the 2024 draft but was limited during his first training camp and was eventually placed on the non-football injury list. He showed a lot of pass rushing juice at Penn State, which could help Baltimore. Diwun Black The former Florida and Temple player was unproductive in college but has some strong athletic traits. In 2021, he was the No. 1-rated junior college recruit according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. Malik Hamm A Baltimore native, Hamm has had some horrible injury luck. The City College graduate has suffered two season-ending knee injuries in consecutive seasons, which prevented him from potentially making the roster both years. Kaimon Rucker Rucker signed with the team as an undrafted free agent out of North Carolina. He has some bend and was named second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference in 2023. Ravens inside linebacker Roquan Smith practices during the team’s minicamp in June. Smith made it a goal to show up to training camp in better shape in 2025 compared to previous seasons. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Linebackers Roquan Smith The unquestioned stalwart of the Ravens’ defense, Smith led the team in tackles (154) and wore the green dot as the on-field communicator. But it was also a down season by his standards. PFF ranked Smith as just the 86th best linebacker in the NFL last season with a mark of 65.2. Through his first nine games, he had only one tackle for loss, no sacks or quarterback hits, and three pass breakups. Smith acknowledged that his play last year did not match his goals, and he said that health and covering for others’ mistakes were the main reasons. Expect a bounce-back year for the 2018 first-round pick. Trenton Simpson After Patrick Queen left last offseason, Simpson was expected to be a breakout candidate. Instead, his snaps completely dwindled after the midway point of the season and he was benched. But with Malik Harrison and Chris Board departing in free agency, Harbaugh said that Simpson is the first in line to fill the void. It’s a big season ahead for the former Clemson star. Teddye Buchanan The fourth-round rookie led California in tackles and stops for loss in his final college season. A former high school quarterback, the 6-2, 235-pound Buchanan can be a strong depth piece and also play on special teams in his first season. Jay Higgins IV Cut from the mold of old-school Iowa linebackers, Higgins was the Big Ten Linebacker of the Year in 2024. He racked up 341 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles with the Hawkeyes, but the 6-2, 232-pound Higgins does not have great lateral movement and struggled in zone coverage in college. He’s on the roster bubble and seems like a strong candidate for the practice squad. Chandler Martin Martin transferred from East Tennessee State to Memphis and was named first-team All-American Athletic Conference. He had eight tackles, 2 1/2 tackles for loss, a sack and a fumble recovery in the Tigers’ win over Florida State. Jake Hummel Hummel set the Rams’ record for preseason tackles in 2022 and played for the team for three seasons. The 6-1, 227-pound linebacker was a special teams standout, making eight tackles in 2024 and blocking a punt that led to a touchdown. William Kwenkeu Baltimore signed Kwenkeu to its practice squad in 2024, adding training camp depth at a thin position. Cornerbacks Nate Wiggins There weren’t many rookie cornerbacks better than Wiggins last year. The 2024 first-round pick had 13 passes defensed and allowed a 47.8% completion rate when targeted, according to Next Gen Stats. If he becomes a true No. 1 boundary corner, the Ravens’ secondary has the potential to be the best in the NFL. Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins celebrates after returning an interception for a touchdown this past season. Wiggins is a projected starter at cornerback entering 2025, with the Ravens hopeful the second-year player can blossom into one of the NFL's best. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Jaire Alexander After quarterback Lamar Jackson advocated for the team to sign his former college teammate, the Ravens added him just days later. The former Green Bay Packers star has been one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL since entering the league, and he’s got a chance to reestablish himself as a premier player. If Alexander is healthy, he’s a home run addition by general manager Eric DeCosta. Marlon Humphrey The longest tenured Ravens defender had one of the best seasons of his career last year. He’s thrived since moving to the nickel spot, which should continue this year with Alexander and Wiggins playing on the outside. Humphrey spoke this offseason about wanting Baltimore’s defense to return to the premiere defenses of the 2000s and how much time he’s spent in the facility. Jalyn Armour-Davis Armour-Davis has been impressive in offseason practices, often manning a starting outside cornerback position. Entering his fourth season in the league, the Alabama product could be the Ravens’ top cornerback reserve. He also has the ability to play safety. Chidobe Awuzie Awuzie had one of the worst seasons of his career last year, according to PFF. He played in only eight games for the Titans, who released him just one-year into his three-year, $36 million contract. As a backup with positional versatility, the 30-year-old Awuzie has a chance to be a versatile depth piece. Bilhal Kone The rookie’s story is filled with perseverance. He grew up in poverty, lost his younger brother to cancer and had to move away from his family. Kone led Western Michigan in passes defended each of the past two years and was ranked as the No. 14 cornerback in the 2024 class, according to The Athletic. He’ll be competing against fellow rookie Robert Longerbeam and 2024 fourth-round pick T.J. Tampa to make the 53-man roster. T.J. Tampa Tampa was viewed as a draft steal in the 2024 class, but he did not make an impact as a rookie. The former Iowa State star did make a plethora of excellent plays during OTAs, including an interception during a red zone drill. The 6-1, 199-pound defensive back needs his strong play to continue in training camp to beat out Armour-Davis or the pair of rookies. Robert Longerbeam The other sixth-round rookie cornerback, Longerbeam was a three-year starter at Rutgers who led the team in passes defended in three of the past four seasons. He ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine but is only 175 pounds. Reuben Lowery It will be tough for an undrafted rookie to make the team in a crowded secondary, but Lowery seems to have the best chance. The 5-foot-9, 204-pound corner from Chattanooga is small but extremely physical. Keyon Martin Another sub-6-foot cornerback, Martin is an undrafted rookie out of Louisiana. He ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash at his pro day. Marquise Robinson Robinson transferred from South Alabama to Arkansas and registered seven pass breakups with the Razorbacks. He started in eight games and will be battling for a spot on the practice squad. Safety Kyle Hamilton One of the NFL’s top safeties since entering the league, Hamilton is a true wildcard. But after the Ravens’ secondary struggled mightily at the beginning of the 2024 season, he shifted to a different role. He played as the deep safety more than 50% of the time over the second half of the season, a 32% increase from the beginning of the year. But with Malaki Starks expected to fill the free safety slot, Hamilton can return to being the game-wrecking chess piece who plays all over the defense. Malaki Starks The prized first-round pick of the Ravens’ draft class, Starks has immediately assumed a starting spot during offseason practices. He’s mature, ball-savvy and communicative for a rookie. The Georgia product could be in the mix for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Beau Brade Brade was one of the top stories during last year’s camp, making the roster as an undrafted free agent out of Maryland. The second-year player from River Hill is battling for the third safety position with Sanoussi Kane. Brade played in the box at Maryland and is a downhill, physical safety who typically defends the run well. Sanoussi Kane Kane has a strong athletic profile, running a 4.52-second 40-yard dash at 210 pounds. The Ravens picked him in the seventh round in 2024 and he will compete with Brade for the third safety role. Desmond Igbinosun A physical safety, the 6-2, 223-pound Igbinosun totaled 186 tackles at Rutgers. He set the team record for tackles for loss in a Big Ten game with four against Michigan State. Keondre Jackson An undrafted rookie from Illinois State, Jackson was named to the Senior Bowl after earning FCS All-American honors. He’s got a strong chance to make the practice squad. Ar’Darius Washington Washington’s Achilles tendon injury will likely hold him out for the entirety of the regular season. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Jane at sjane@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/Sam_Jane230. View the full article Quote
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