OTL: Ravens Training Camp Battles to Watch

Phase three of the Ravens’ offseason workout program is nearing its conclusion.

With OTAs now in the rear-view mirror, Baltimore will move into its mandatory minicamp this week before the wait begins until training camp later in the summer.

The Ravens have a clear goal of returning to playoff contention under first-year head coach Jesse Minter after last season’s disappointing 8-9 finish.

A number of starting roles are already set in stone, but a few crucial positions remain up for grabs as we head into the meat and potatoes of the offseason. And if the Ravens want to meet their season objective of bringing playoff football back to M&T Bank Stadium, they will need considerable contribution from these key roles.

Here are some of the biggest positional battles to watch this summer when Baltimore reports to training camp.

Center

Competitors: Danny Pinter, Corey Bullock, Jovaughn Gwyn, Nick Dawkins

The most notable of the Ravens’ individual competitions is taking place in the middle of their revamped offensive line.

Losing former first-round pick Tyler Linderbaum to the Las Vegas Raiders, who signed Lindy to the most lucrative contract in the position’s history, resulted in one of the team’s biggest vacancies of the offseason. And after general manager Eric DeCosta chose not to select a center in the 2026 NFL Draft, Baltimore possesses an assortment of raw options to fill Linderbaum’s shoes.

The early frontrunners in the race include veteran Danny Pinter and former undrafted free agent Corey Bullock.

Pinter, 29, spent his first six seasons with the Indianapolis Colts where he started 10 out of 77 career games. The former fifth-round pick was featured in all 17 games a season ago, making him the most experienced option currently on Baltimore’s roster.

Bullock, a standout in each of his first two NFL preseasons, made the initial 53-man roster for the first time in his career last season. Though his experience is limited, the Maryland native boasts youth (24 years old), upside, and positional versatility.

The Ravens also have Jovaughn Gwyn and Nick Dawkins to round out the offseason unit.

Gwyn, 27, was signed by the team in free agency after he spent three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. Though he only played in 19 games across three years, the former seventh-round pick gained a lot of familiarity with Baltimore’s offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford.

The Ravens signed Dawkins as an undrafted free agent out of Penn State last month. The 24-year-old played alongside first-round guard Olaivavega Ioane and made 12 starts for the Nittany Lions in 2025.

“[It’s] not necessarily a depth chart competition at this point,” Minter said during early offseason workout programs. “They get the same amount of reps.”

“The whole idea of the offseason is to put yourself in position to compete for the job in training camp, and I think all of those guys are doing that,” he added.

Inside Linebacker

Competitors: Teddye Buchanan, Trenton Simpson

One of the team’s most intriguing unanswered questions revolves around which young linebacker will start alongside three-time All-Pro Roquan Smith.

Both Teddye Buchanan and Trenton Simpson have experience doing so, giving each candidate a leg to stand on.

Minter does implement a ton of rotation into his defensive scheme, meaning both of these players will likely receive a fair share of playing time given their untapped skill sets. Still, a winner must be declared.

Buchanan, a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, is still recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in a Week 14 game against the Cincinnati Bengals last year. He finished his rookie year with 93 tackles in 14 games (13 starts), earning a spot on the 2025 PFWA All-Rookie Team.

The 23-year-old out of California was graded the second-best tackler on the team only behind two-time All-Pro Kyle Hamilton.

When Buchanan went down, Simpson stepped up.

A former third-round pick out of Clemson, Simpson is entering his fourth season after playing 406 snaps in 16 games in 2025. The 24-year-old posted 66 tackles and 2.5 sacks while showing a great deal of coverage improvement.

OTL: Early Summer Thoughts on Simpson, Humphrey, & Minter

Will Baltimore’s new defensive coaching staff unlock the potential of the speedy Simpson, or will Buchanan reclaim his starting spot following his full recovery?

Edge Rusher

Competitors: Mike Green, Tavius Robinson, Zion Young

Just days ago, the AFC North waved goodbye to a fearsome edge rusher after the Cleveland Browns sent reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams. The deal not only removes the most disruptive defender in the league from Baltimore’s schedule, but it also makes Trey Hendrickson the second-best pass rusher in the division.

A four-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro, Hendrickson battled with a series of injuries in his 2025 season. Before that, however, the 31-year-old veteran posted 17.5 sacks in consecutive seasons for the Bengals. In his time with Baltimore’s division rival, he always created opportunities for the edge rushers on the opposite side of the line.

Sam Hubbard accrued at least six sacks in both of his 2023 and 2024 seasons. Joseph Ossai posted a career-high five sacks in 2024.

The most sacks that a Ravens edge rusher totaled in 2025 was Tavius Robinson’s 4.5. That output appears destined for change with Hendrickson in town.

Baltimore owns a plethora of young and fiery options to line up alongside the veteran. Robinson is one of them.

A fourth-round pick from Ole Miss back in 2023, Robinson has always possessed the tools to make the leap as a starting NFL edge rusher. But, injuries and inconsistency have seemingly always posed an obstacle to that outcome.

Robinson posted a career-high 18 pressures and nine hurries for the Ravens in 2025, along with the first forced fumble of his three-year NFL career.

Baltimore selected Mike Green out of Marshall in the second-round of last year’s draft, hoping his speed and bend could add a dominant force to the team’s defensive line. With 3.5 sacks and 34 pressures in 17 games in 2025, he didn’t exactly do that in his rookie year. However, the kid has potential.

With Minter at the helm, Green is in good hands. Baltimore’s new head coach helped Los Angeles Chargers second round edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu develop into a 13-sack Pro Bowler. There is no telling what’s in store for 22-year-old Green.

Lastly, the Ravens drafted Missouri’s Zion Young with the 45th pick of this year’s draft. Known for his violent form of pass rushing, Young totaled 6.5 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss with the Tigers last season.

Though it is more likely that Green and Robinson will have priority at the position as returning players, Young is a serious threat to make waves down the line. Maybe even as early as training camp.

Who do you think comes out on top of each of these battles?

The post OTL: Ravens Training Camp Battles to Watch appeared first on Russell Street Report.

Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2026/06/08/out-to-lunch/otl-ravens-training-camp-battles-to-watch/