Ravens risers and fallers: Rookies impress vs. Eagles as Jesse Minter wins easily in debut

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In his first game as Ravens coach, Jesse Minter got just what he needed from a team resting most of its projected starters: stifling defense, little drama and a convincing result.

The Ravens coasted to a 24-7 win Saturday night over the Eagles, holding the defending NFC East champions scoreless for over 57 minutes and outgaining them 440-159 yards.

Here’s a look at who stood out at M&T Bank Stadium, including a promising rookie class.

Risers

TE Matt Hibner: Hibner entered the draft as more of an athlete than a polished route runner, but coordinator Declan Doyle is finding creative ways to make use of both skill sets. Hibner finished with five catches for 61 yards in just over a half of action. The fourth-round pick’s first catch came on a double move, faking a route to the flat before buzzing down the left sideline, away from Eagles outside linebacker A.J. Epenesa. He followed that 29-yarder with an 8-yarder for a first down, a 13-yard catch-and-run for another first down, a 2-yarder on a check-down and a 9-yarder for another first down. If Hibner can hold up as a blocker, his speed (4.57-second 40-yard dash) could make him an intriguing check-and-release and screen option.

WR Ja’Kobi Lane: Of course Lane scored the Ravens’ opening touchdown. Could it have been anyone else? The breakout star of training camp opened his preseason account with a tough 18-yard catch on an in-breaker from starter Tyler Huntley, then made himself available to Joe Fagnano for a short first-down catch on third-and-1. But the highlight of the rookie’s 38-yard night was his 16-yard catch on another in-breaker, pulling away from Eagles cornerback Kelee Ringo for a touchdown midway through the second quarter. At this rate, Lane could be playing himself out of snaps in the Ravens’ next two preseason games. Why bother with the injury risk?

CB Keyon Martin: If there were any doubt that Martin should be on the right side of the bubble in the next round of 53-man-roster projections, he put them to bed. Special teams coordinator Anthony Levine Sr. clearly values what Martin offers in that phase; he started opposite linchpin Keondre Jackson as a gunner on Ryan Eckley’s first punt. And, as an undersize slot corner, he showed up in the Ravens’ run defense, dropping running back Will Shipley for a 3-yard loss in the third quarter. Two plays later, Martin came through unblocked for a drive-ending sack of quarterback Tanner McKee. Martin has struggled at times against the Ravens’ top wide receivers, but his dogged approach aligns with the kind of defense Minter wants his team to play.

QB Joe Fagnano: A week ago, Ravens coaches probably weren’t expecting the undrafted rookie to attempt 28 passes in his preseason debut. But, after third-string quarterback Skylar Thompson was lost unexpectedly to a season-ending injury, Fagnano was pushed up the depth chart. He made a strong case for the practice squad, playing on time and finding the open receivers downfield as he finished with 224 yards and a touchdown. Fagnano’s lone blip was a red-zone interception, but turnovers at Connecticut were rare. He had 28 touchdown passes and just one pick last year. He threw just four interceptions the previous year.

WR Elijah Sarratt: Fumbling is the best way to earn a spot in the doghouse. Sarratt, who never fumbled during his standout 2025 season at Indiana, had the ball jarred loose during a third-quarter catch-and-run, a rare breakdown for a fundamentally sound player. But that was the only blemish on a promising preseason debut. Sarratt, dinged for quiet performances against Ravens reserves in training camp, finished with six catches on seven targets for 66 yards, all game highs. He also coolly handled a couple of punts and showed his surprising after-the-catch ability.

Fallers

K Tyler Loop: Loop’s up-and-down summer is fertile territory for armchair psychologists. In Owings Mills, he’s been Mr. Reliable; Thursday’s practice was his fourth straight day of training camp without a miss during “live” field goal periods. Outside Baltimore County, however, is another matter. He appeared to miss two of three field goal attempts at the end of the Ravens’ practice in College Park. And on Saturday, after struggling before the game with longer kicks, Loop missed a 49-yarder, his first attempt at a make-good since his season-ending Week 18 misfire in Pittsburgh. He made a 42-yarder in the third quarter and was solid on his kickoffs, a weakness last year.

P Ryan Eckley: Small samples can be cruel in the preseason. Eckley, whom the Ravens picked in the sixth round to succeed All-Pro Jordan Stout, got just two punts. The first went 27 yards on a wayward kick out of bounds, wasting an opportunity to pin the Eagles deep in their own territory. His next punt was better, forcing a fair catch after a 40-yard delivery.

ILB Jay Higgins: Higgins, one of the pleasant surprises of last year’s preseason, made the Ravens as an undrafted rookie and went on to appear in 11 games. But he was knocked out of Saturday’s game in the second quarter after an open-field tackle because of a concussion. With undrafted rookie Dominic DeLuca flashing this summer, Higgins can’t afford to miss much time. Roquan Smith, Teddye Buchnanan and Trenton Simpson are roster locks, and the Ravens might keep only one more inside linebacker.

OL Corey Bullock, Ethan Pocic: Both entered camp after less-than-ideal offseasons. Bullock missed most of the Ravens’ offseason workouts and the start of camp while recovering from an illness, while Pocic was coming back from the Achilles tendon tear he suffered in December. Neither has lined up with the first-string offense in camp, and neither played until the fourth quarter Saturday. Pocic’s track record will give him a shot of making the season-opening roster, but Bullock’s low snap count — and utilization as a guard, not a center — does not bode well for his chances.