5 Things to Watch at Ravens Minicamp

The Baltimore Ravens will take the field for the final phase of their offseason program before breaking for training camp this week with the start of mandatory minicamp.

Since players still aren't allowed to engage or initiate contact during their time on the field for practices, there won't be much to glean from the work in the trenches on either side of the ball aside from discipline firing off the ball and proper use of hand and footwork technique.

However, there are still some important storylines and position battles worth monitoring during the two-day event. Here are some of the most intriguing and/or potentially impactful ones to look out for:

Lamar Jackson and DeAndre Hopkins connection

Media pundits and fans got their first and only glimpse of the two multi-time All Pro selections on the field together for the first week of Organized Team Activities and will get to see them again this week as they continue to build a strong rapport. Jackson having good chemistry with his pass catchers has been essential to the two-time league MVP success but to the offense as a whole because it means he has another target he can trust when they need to air the ball out to mount a comeback or strike the final blow to an opponent.

Hopkins specializes and has made a career out of making incredible acrobatic catches and he possesses tremendous abilities to track and adjust to the ball whenever it gets in his general vicinity. The stronger the on-field rapport he establishes with Jackson prior to the 2025 season, the more comfortable and in sync with one another they'll be when games are on the line in critical matchups during the regular and postseason.

No. 3 safety battle

The Ravens need a new third safety to complement projected starters Kyle Hamilton and Malaki Starks for most, if not all, of the 2025 season after veteran Ar'Darius Washington suffered a torn Achilles tendon while conditioning. The top internal candidates include second-year pros Sanoussi Kane and Beau Brade and fourth-year cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis who role is expounding this offseason to include safety heading into a contract year.

All three players will have plenty of reps during minicamp to make the Ravens think twice about adding an outside veteran to the competition ahead of or at the onset of training camp. Kane, in particular, stood out during OTAs by making some nice plays on the ball in coverage and could emerge as the leading candidate to fill the role that was voided by Washington's injury.

"[He's] flying around, showing up where he's supposed to show up," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said last week. "I think he's taken a big step this year. It's starting to look like he could be that guy, maybe play that role as a third safety, perhaps. [He's] got a long way to go still, but he's looking like he's got a shot."

Kicking competition

It's been over a month since the Ravens parted ways with franchise legend and seven-time Pro Bowl veteran Justin Tucker. Following in the footsteps of the most accurate kicker in NFL history with a first-ballot Hall of Famer resume is a daunting task. The battle to be his successor will rage on this week between sixth-round rookie Tyler Loop and undrafted rookie John Hoyland. While the victor won't be decided based on what happens during minicamp one of them can definitely begin to get a leg up or at least build momentum heading into training camp by consistently making kicks with the full team in attendance.

Cornerback depth

Having quality depth at this position, in particular, can be hard to come by but it is also vital to the viability and sustained success of a secondary throughout a season. The Ravens are all set at the top of the depth chart with four-time Pro Bowl veteran Marlon Humphrey and second-year rising star Nate Wiggins. However, their primary backup spot on the outside for when Humphrey moves into the slot is still unsettled.

While they signed experienced veteran Chidobe Awuzie as a salary cap casualty to potentially fill that role, he has already missed some time with injury albeit with a minor ankle. One player at the position who could emerge and seize a larger role on defense is second-year pro T.J. Tampa. The 2024 fourth-rounder had to undergo groin surgery heading into his rookie training camp and was hampered by injuries throughout his first season in the league. Now that he's been healthy this offseason, he has begun showing glimpses of the potential that had some draft pundits projecting him to come off the board as high as the late first round last year.

"I've seen a lot of flashes, flashing some real good plays," Harbaugh said. "[He'll] keep chasing the consistency with the technique. T.J.'s a young player, in the sense that I don't even think sometimes he understands how good he is, how talented [he is], how big he is, so I want him to play big, play like a big corner and embrace that as far as his technique, and he's been working on doing that. You see it really coming around."

Devontez Walker's emergence?

As a rookie last year, the 2024 fourth-round speedster was active for just 11 games, including the playoffs, and didn't see much action on offense in the appearances he made. He was targeted just three times the entire season but his lone reception went for a 21-yard touchdown. With Hopkins and some of the Ravens' other top wideouts on the roster infrequently attending OTAs, Walker had more opportunities to showcase the strides he has made to be a more complete receiver and did just while making plays. If he can keep up the good work and carry those performances over to live action in the preseason, he could carve out a larger-than-expected role for himself on offense in year two.

"He's just way more confident, way more certain when he runs a route," Harbaugh said. "He's off the ball. He's in his break. He's out of his break. He's upfield. He goes and gets the ball. Assignment-wise, he comes out of the huddle much more aware. [He's] just a year in, so [we] want to translate that now to the games and the competition, but I expect him to do really well. He looks good."

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