Day 1: Mandatory Minicamp

For a second year in a row, the Ravens’ offensive additions were the highlight of the team’s offseason. And for the second year in a row, Baltimore’s hard-nosed defense stole the show during mandatory minicamp, forcing the offense into a number of mistakes during full team scrimmages.

“We hunt as a pack,” said Roquan Smith after practice, which featured six pre-snap penalties and four turnovers by the offense, including three interceptions thrown by Lamar Jackson.

The first wasn’t Jackson’s fault; Derrick Henry bobbled an easily-catchable swing pass giving Brandon Stephens enough time to swoop in and snatch the football for what would’ve been a pick-six in a real game.

Later on, though, Jackson underthrew Nelson Agholor on a corner route in the red zone, allowing Arthur Maulet to jump the route and come away with the interception. The veteran cornerback doesn’t appear to have missed a beat after skipping OTAs; earlier in the day, he punched the ball out from Zay Flowers’ arms and recovered his own forced fumble.

Roquan Smith followed up Maulet’s pick with one of his own, tipping a pass from Jackson intended for Charlie Kolar and coming down with the ball to secure the defense’s second turnover in as many plays. Jackson had layered a number of passes over the middle earlier in practice, something Smith recognized and put an end to.

“I just knew,” explained Smith, “I knew most quarterbacks are taught when the defender’s back is turned going up the middle chute just to lay it up, so I knew I had to get my back turned and then somehow made a play.”

The only thing between the back-to-back interceptions was a false start, one of five on the day for the Ravens offense, who have upped the stakes on pre-snap infractions in practice. In addition to the five-yard penalty, the offender has to run a lap. Yesterday, that list included Josh Johnson, Rashod Bateman, Zay Flowers, Sean Ryan, Daniel Faalele and Ronnie Stanley, who thinks the new rule will be an effective strategy to clean up the offense’s operation.

“I think we’re going to learn quickly,” said the veteran left tackle, “I think it’s going to get through our heads, for sure.”

John Harbaugh said the laps would go on as long as necessary, crediting offensive coordinator Todd Monken for the idea and thanking Josh Johnson for running the first lap to set an example.

“That’s what leaders do,” said Harbaugh, who emphasized the importance of communication and cadence at the line of scrimmage.

It’s worth noting, though, that the Ravens have been cycling through several different combinations of offensive linemen with only two starters returning from last year’s unit.

“It’s a lot about the guy you play next to,” said Stanley, “Just making sure the communication from the huddle to the line of scrimmage is clear, we don’t need to repeat a whole play call.”

Once the team settles on their starting unit and gives them a chance to gel, those pre-snap penalties should get cleaned up. As for when that will happen, Harbaugh isn’t quite sure, but set a goal of the second week of training camp to “have a good idea.”

“It could go into the preseason games,” he said, “but the sooner the better.”

Rookie Report

First-round pick Nate Wiggins wasn’t targeted much during OTAs, and he was rarely tested on Tuesday. That speaks to his performance thus far: stymying opposing receivers at the line of scrimmage and letting his natural movement skills do the rest. His closing speed will be another weapon in DC Zach Orr’s array of disguised coverage looks.

But as it stands, Wiggins is one injury away from a starting cornerback job on a team with Super Bowl aspirations. He needs to get more competitive reps, even if that means forcing matchups with the Ravens’ top receivers. Flowers and Bateman will challenge his mirroring ability, but the physicality and veteran savvy of Nelson Agholor would better target Wiggins’ potential weaknesses.

Second-rounder Roger Rosengarten has been getting plenty of playing time and looks to be learning the offense well. On more than one instance, he took individual instruction from OL coach Joe D’Alessandris and followed it up with an improved rep. Rosengarten has also been picking up and passing off stunts and twists with ease, no simple feat against Orr’s blitz packages.

It’s tough, however, to glean too many takeaways from offensive line play with no pads and minimal contact. Rosengarten’s chances of winning the starting right tackle job will be better assessed once the pads come on and he’s up against Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo trying to get to the quarterback.

Devontez Walker and T.J. Tampa Jr. continued their series of 1-on-1 matchups, which were the highlight of OTAs. Tampa found more success than he did last week, especially when he can play his physical brand of football, but that’s still limited at this stage of the offseason. Walker has taken to the Ravens offense nicely, diversifying his route tree and looking comfortable sitting down against zone coverage.

Safety Sanoussi Kane made a nice play on the ball for the third straight week, batting down a Lamar Jackson pass at the line of scrimmage while coming on a blitz. The seventh-round pick is coming along nicely, giving some more heft to early comparisons to Geno Stone.

Pass Catcher Stock Watch

The Ravens’ receiver rotation isn’t clear behind Bateman, Flowers, and Agholor, with a number of young wideouts making their case for a spot.

Tylan Wallace’s special teams prowess should make him a lock for the 53-man roster, but he could push for a bigger role on offense entering his third season. In past summers, he’s stood out against the cornerback depth of the Ravens and their preseason opponents, but beating Brandon Stephens twice on Tuesday is a step up. First, Wallace created some late separation from his fellow 2021 draft pick to secure a red zone touchdown before drawing a pass interference penalty on Stephens on a go route later in the day.

Further down the depth chart, Sean Ryan and Malik Cunningham built on their solid showings at OTAs, reeling in almost everything thrown their way. Both could make a push to be the sixth receiver on the Ravens’ roster; this is the second straight summer that Ryan has stood out among the reserve receivers, and Cunningham’s potential as a returner could be a bigger factor with the new kickoff.

The entire receiving corps cleaned up the drops that plagued them last week. Only Nelson Agholor dropped an easily-catchable ball, and he immediately made a catch in traffic downfield on the next rep.

Baltimore’s pair of Isaiahs had the catches of the day; Isaiah Likely rose above the defense for a one-handed snag, and Isaiah Washington kept his feet inbounds on a tough contested catch down the sideline.

Bits, Pieces, and ‘Loose Bodies’

A number of players who were absent at OTAs participated in Tuesday’s practice, including Marlon Humphrey, Kyle Van Noy, and Michael Pierce. Humphrey and Van Noy were full participants, while Michael Pierce and David Ojabo are still ramping up.

Kyle Hamilton paced the sidelines in street clothes due to a recent minor surgical procedure. John Harbaugh explained that Hamilton had some “loose bodies in his elbow,” and gave a two-to-three week timeline for his recovery. The star safety should be ready for training camp at the end of July.

Rookies Adisa Isaac and Beau Brade both suffered minor injuries at rookie minicamp, sidelining them for OTAs. At Tuesday’s practice, Isaac could be seen working with a trainer off to the side as he fully rehabs his hamstring. Brade participated in special teams drills, but spent the rest of practice conditioning as he works all the way back from a foot injury.

‘Once a Raven, Always a Raven’

Also present at Tuesday’s practice were 80 former Ravens, spanning the franchise’s history with alumni from 1996 to 2018. Among those present were Ray Rice, Torrey Smith, Adalius Thomas, Jamie Sharper, Jacoby Jones, Kamar Aiken, and Trevor Pryce.

The players’ reunion, organized by Ravens Director of Legacy Engagement Matt Little, featured a post-practice barbecue as well as a trip to Top Golf on Monday. There were a number of heartwarming moments as players greeted each other, reminisced about their careers together and swapped stories across more than three decades of Ravens football.

More Minicamp Notes

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