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The best mandatory minicamps in the NFL are the quiet ones. No injuries, no off-field headlines, no contract standoffs. Just a team figuring itself out.
As first-year Ravens coach Jesse Minter addressed his team at the end of minicamp Wednesday, he could at least take comfort in the gains made and the messiness avoided. Far from a perfect roster, the Ravens were at least better prepared and better conditioned for the season than they’d been months ago. And that growth, Minter reminded his players, would have to continue.
“When you’re not here, you own your career,” he recalled telling them. “You’re the owner of your career, and everything that you do puts you in position when you come back to be in position.”
When the Ravens return to Owings Mills in late July for training camp, the pressure to perform will be on. General manager Eric DeCosta has until Aug. 30 to trim the 90-man roster to 53. With few starting jobs up for grabs, the best battles could be for backup roles and special teams snaps.
As the NFL settles into its summer break, here’s a way-too-early look at how the Ravens could set their initial roster.
Offense (25)
Quarterback (2): Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley
The only real intrigue here — besides the ticking clock on Jackson’s extension talks — is how many quarterbacks the Ravens will still have by their preseason opener. They ended minicamp with five. Skylar Thompson is a sure hand as a third-stringer. But with practice repetitions already limited, are both Diego Pavia and Joe Fagnano in danger of being cut? And if not, which undrafted rookie will be QB4?
Running back (4): Derrick Henry, Justice Hill, Rasheen Ali, Adam Randall
After Henry, the two or three roster spots here seem up for grabs. Hill, who had a forgettable 2025, turns 29 in November — almost ancient for a running back — and carries a $3.8 million salary cap hit. Ali has averaged just 3.2 yards per carry over two seasons but has value as a kick returner. Randall, a recently converted wide receiver and owner Steve Bisciotti’s handpicked Day 3 prospect, might have the second-most job security at the position.
Wide receiver (6): Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Devontez Walker, LaJohntay Wester, Ja’Kobi Lane, Elijah Sarratt
There are obvious questions about the group’s collective potential: Will Bateman bounce back? Is Walker ready for a bigger snap share? Can rookies Lane and Sarratt make meaningful contributions?
Individually, though, Wester is the biggest bubble question. He appeared in 17 games as a rookie last season, but he got just 58 snaps on an offense that lacked dynamism out wide. Wester is probably the Ravens’ best punt returner — he averaged 12.4 yards per return in 2025 — and can also contribute on kickoffs. But Dayton Wade could be a dark horse if the Ravens keep six wide receivers.
Tight end (4): Mark Andrews, Durham Smythe, Matthew Hibner, Josh Cuevas
Another position without much roster uncertainty. Andrews and Smythe are both established veterans. Hibner and Cuevas are both athletic, developing rookies. The only potential Patrick Ricard replacement on the roster is Lucas Scott, who played offensive line at Army and converted to fullback as an undrafted rookie last season.
Offensive line (9): Ronnie Stanley, John Simpson, Danny Pinter, Vega Ioane, Roger Rosengarten, Emery Jones Jr., Carson Vinson, Andrew Vorhees, Corey Bullock
The uncertainty at center makes this group tough to project; it’s possible the Ravens’ Week 1 starter is currently on another team’s roster. If the Ravens’ final options are already in Baltimore, the pecking order might not be clear until midway through their preseason schedule. Bullock, who backed up Tyler Linderbaum last year, missed minicamp. Jovaughn Gwyn is similarly inexperienced. Pinter, who has started at center and lined up at right guard, is probably best positioned to make the team.
It’s unclear where Jones fits best — he’s practiced at both guard and tackle over the past year — but a versatile skill set would give the Ravens some flexibility in their roster construction. Seventh-round pick Evan Beerntsen has an uphill battle to make the team as a guard.
Defense (25)
Defensive line (5): Travis Jones, Calais Campbell, John Jenkins, Aeneas Peebles, Rayshaun Benny
The Ravens are taking a wait-and-see approach with Nnamdi Madubuike, who hasn’t practiced since undergoing offseason neck surgery and who last played in September. Even with Minter’s optimism about Madubuike’s rehabilitation, it’s hard to pencil him in for a Week 1 role until he’s cleared for football activities. If Madubuike opens the season on the physically unable to perform list, he’d miss at least the Ravens’ first four games but wouldn’t count against their 53-man roster.
The back end of the depth chart is just as hard to forecast. The Ravens have four potential contributors — Broderick Washington, C.J. Okoye, Peebles and Benny — fighting for two spots. Washington is coming off an underwhelming, injury-marred 2025 and has a $5.9 million cap hit, but a reunion with Ravens defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver could be rejuvenating. Okoye made great strides in his first year in Baltimore but still has much to learn. Peebles played just 71 defensive snaps in six games as a rookie. Benny is another seventh-round pick.
Outside linebacker (5): Trey Hendrickson, Tavius Robinson, Mike Green, Zion Young, Adisa Isaac
Isaac has played in just four games over two seasons in Baltimore, and he missed all of last year and most of this offseason with an elbow injury. He could very well be a placeholder here. Maybe inside linebacker Trenton Simpson doubles as a part-time outside linebacker if Teddye Buchanan retakes his starting job next to Roquan Smith on the inside. Maybe the Ravens add a veteran to fortify their depth. Maybe an unheralded youngster emerges. Or maybe Isaac, finally healthy, shows some of the promise that made him a third-round pick in 2024 and snags a roster spot.
Inside linebacker (4): Roquan Smith, Teddye Buchanan, Trenton Simpson, Jay Higgins IV
Minter indicated last week that Buchanan, who tore his ACL in December, is among those expected to be ready for the start of training camp. Whether he can build on his impressive rookie year so soon after season-ending surgery is another matter. But Simpson is a solid fallback option; Smith said last week that “this is the best I’ve seen him since I’ve been around.” Higgins played in 11 games as a rookie, almost exclusively on special teams.
Cornerback (6): Nate Wiggins, Marlon Humphrey, Chidobe Awuzie, T.J. Tampa, Bilhal Kone, Chandler Rivers
This should be another competitive back-of-the-depth-chart battle. After Wiggins, Humphrey and Awuzie, snaps are up for grabs. Tampa was rarely targeted in offseason practices and could be primed for a breakout summer. Kone, whose season-ending knee injury last summer cut short a promising training camp, should be ready for Year 2. Rivers, a fifth-round pick, has inside-outside versatility. Keyon Martin made the roster last year as an undrafted slot corner and played in 13 games. And Robert Longerbeam, Marquise Robinson and Amani Oruwariye all flashed during offseason workouts.
Safety (5): Kyle Hamilton, Malaki Starks, Jaylinn Hawkins, K’Von Wallace, Keondre Jackson
If Jackson proves he can step in as a rotational safety, Wallace could become expendable here. The Ravens are expected to rely on three-safety groupings again this year, underscoring their need for a dependable backup or two at the position. Wallace played just over 100 defensive snaps in each of the past two seasons, but his experience trumps that of Jackson, a special teams standout who didn’t earn a defensive snap as a rookie.
Special teams (3)
Specialists (3): Tyler Loop, Ryan Eckley, Nick Moore
The Ravens have two punters on their roster: Eckley, their sixth-round pick and presumed Jordan Stout replacement, and Luke Elzinga, who’s never punted in the NFL. Will they bring in a foil for Loop, too? He kicked well this offseason, but memories of his season-ending miss in Pittsburgh will linger all summer.
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