Ravens practice report: Lamar Jackson eager to be ‘challenged’ as mandatory minicamp wraps up

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Midway through the Ravens’ first practice of mandatory minicamp Tuesday, quarterback Lamar Jackson lined up under center, with running back Derrick Henry in the backfield.

The first play call in the 11-on-11 period was supposed to be a bit of misdirection: a fake toss to Henry, running to his right, and a “naked” bootleg by Jackson, rolling out to his left. But Jackson, to the surprise of Henry, offensive coordinator Declan Doyle and the rest of the offense, pitched the ball instead. The play was quickly blown dead.

Jackson came back to the sidelines, saying the play was on him. But his new offensive coordinator was slightly more riled up.

“What are you doing?” Jackson recounted Doyle saying to him after the play, throwing in an expletive or two.

The incident was mostly lighthearted, but it highlighted a transition for the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player, who is playing for just his fourth new coordinator since entering the league in 2018.

“I laughed a little bit,” Jackson said. “I wasn’t used to that.”

Doyle joined the Ravens after a one-year stint as the Bears’ offensive coordinator under coach Ben Johnson, who called plays in Chicago. Together, they helped transform one of the NFL’s worst offenses into a top-10 unit.

In previous coordinator transitions, the Ravens have had carryover in terms of schemes, concepts and terminology. Todd Monken, for instance, acknowledged after taking over in 2023 that his run game would iterate on the foundation Greg Roman had built.

Under Doyle, there’s far less continuity.

“I’m being challenged right now,” Jackson said. “It’s a new system [with] a lot of terminology within this system. Nothing really transitioned over from the last system.”

Wide receiver Zay Flowers said last week that Doyle has installed things he’s “never seen before.”

As the Ravens continue to learn their new offense, they’ll make more mistakes. And perhaps Tuesday won’t be the last time Doyle uses expletives when communicating with Jackson. Despite his experience and success, Jackson doesn’t mind.

“I’m a coachable player,” Jackson said. “Sometimes he sees things that I don’t see. Sometimes I see things that he might have not thought of. And it’s just great to have. We piggyback off of each other.”

Jackson, who’s under contract through 2027, has been mostly quiet on the topic of a possible extension. He was, however, more forthcoming when asked about Flowers, who’s eligible for a new contract for the first time this offseason. Earlier this offseason, the Ravens picked up the $27.3 million fifth-year option on Flowers’ rookie contract.

“We love Zay; we need Zay,” Jackson said. “He’s one of the best receivers in the league, man, and he showed that since he stepped on the NFL field back in 2023. He’s been showing it.”

Flowers, a two-time Pro Bowl pick, led the team with 1,211 receiving yards last season and had five touchdown catches. While he was present for organized team activities this offseason, he did not participate in either day of mandatory minicamp this week.

With minicamp over, Jackson will get more than a month off until training camp in late July. Although he doesn’t have any plans yet — he said he doesn’t have any throwing sessions scheduled with teammates — the other football could be a hobby. The World Cup kicks off Thursday.

“I really haven’t followed soccer this season,” Jackson said. “But I’m going to try. I’m excited. … I’m looking forward to it.”

Attendance report

Eleven Ravens were missing at practice: wide receivers Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Elijah Sarratt; offensive linemen Ronnie Stanley and Corey Bullock; defensive linemen Nnamdi Madubuike (neck), Travis Jones and John Jenkins; outside linebacker Adisa Isaac (elbow); inside linebacker Teddye Buchanan (knee); and cornerback Nate Wiggins.

All but Sarratt and Isaac missed practice Tuesday as well. Coach Jesse Minter said Tuesday he expects the Ravens to have full participation at the start of training camp, though Madubuike’s availability is unclear.

As they were Wednesday, defensive lineman Calais Campbell and cornerbacks Bilhal Kone (knee) and Chidobe Awuzie were mostly limited to positional drills.

End zone

• Outside linebacker Trey Hendrickson had his way with left tackle Carson Vinson on a handful of snaps early in practice. Hendrickson slipped by the second-year lineman with an inside move to disrupt a running play, and later in the 11-on-11 period, he won off the edge with speed, forcing Jackson to step up in the pocket and scramble.
• Rookie outside linebacker Zion Young continued to show his nose for the ball. The rookie had a two-play sequence in an 11-on-11 period in which he helped snuff out a screen pass to running back Justice Hill, then beat right tackle Emery Jones Jr. with a power move for a pressure.
• Reserve quarterback Skylar Thompson had one of the best throws of practice, hitting wide receiver Dayton Wade in stride on an out-breaking route about 15 to 20 yards downfield despite solid coverage from rookie cornerback Chandler Rivers. The completion earned an emphatic attaboy from Jackson. Wide receiver Octavian Smith Jr., an undrafted rookie from Maryland, starred in another Thompson highlight, reaching back across his body to bring in a tough catch.
• In the first look at the Ravens’ kick returner competition, five players got snaps during a special teams period: wide receivers LaJohntay Wester and Wade, running backs Rasheen Ali and Adam Randall, and rookie cornerback Matthew McDoom. Ali had 30 returns for 763 yards (25.4 per return) last season.