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7 key Ravens who need to elevate their game in 2025

7 key Ravens who need to elevate their game in 2025

USA Today4 hours ago

With Baltimore's training camp fast approaching, we're looking at seven Ravens who'll need to elevate their games in 2025 for continued team success
Ravens rookies will report to the Under Armour Performance Center for training camp in 17 short days, signaling the start of an intriguing regular season for Baltimore.
John Harbaugh's team has few holes on both sides of the football, but several key positions will see competition, and a breakout campaign from an under-the-radar player could help ignite a run to the Super Bowl in Santa Clara. Expectations are high, and Zach Orr's defense has added elite talent at all three levels.
With training camp just around the corner, we're looking at seven key Ravens who'll need to elevate their games in 2025.
OL Andrew Vorhees
Ronnie Stanley is elite when healthy, Tyler Linderbaum is a Pro Bowler, Daniel Faalele was a Pro Bowl alternate, and Roger Rosengarten has established himself as one of the best young right tackles in the NFL. That leaves third-year left guard Andrew Vorhees, who'll need to win the starting job and then elevate his game to help Baltimore continue its streak as the NFL's top rushing team.
DT Travis Jones
Nnamdi Madubuike is an All-Pro, but with Michael Pierce announcing his retirement, the time is now for defensive tackle Travis Jones to establish himself. Jones logged 42 tackles (22 solo), including 1.0 sacks, in 17 regular-season games in 2024.
The 2022 third-round pick started in 15 of 17 regular-season games, and he'll need to increase his production in 2025.
WR Devontez Walker
Baltimore has a solid trio of Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and DeAndre Hopkins at the wide receiver spot. Still, injuries happen, and the Ravens would prefer to have Walker elevate his role over Tylan Wallace or the rookie LaJohntay Wester. Head coach John Harbaugh recently commented on the former UNC player.
"Every day, all he does is show up and go 100 miles an hour," coach John Harbaugh said at the conclusion of minicamp, via the team's official site. "He's got a chance to be really good."
Walker ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, and he'll look to be Lamar Jackson's big-play weapon.
OLB David Ojabo
Baltimore has one of the NFL's deepest edge rush units, and that was before the addition of Mike Green in the second round of April's draft. Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh are the established starters. Green is an elite pass rusher, while Adisa Isaac, Tavius Robinson, and David Ojabo will all look to carve out a role. Robinson was just called a centerpiece of the Ravens' defense, and Isaac is a second-year player who spent most of 2024 injured. That leaves Ojabo, who has the benefit of being the club's International Pathway player, but who could be on his final stand with the team.
Ojabo, 25, became a household name in 2021, recording 11 sacks at Michigan and establishing himself as a likely first-round pick. His draft stock took a massive hit after he tore his ACL at his pro day, and he's yet to regain that elite form or athleticism.
DE Broderick Washington
Washington is more of a defensive tackle than he is a pass rusher, but his presence is needed on a retooled Ravens defense that has elite talent in the secondary. Washington logged 21 tackles (nine solo), including 2.0 sacks, during 15 regular-season appearances (five starts) with Baltimore in 2024. He also had two passes defensed and one forced fumble.
OL Daniel Faalele
A massive player who struggled at offensive tackle, Faalele found his footing after a switch to the offensive guard position, earning Pro Bowl alternate honors in 2024. Faalele won the starting right guard job out of training camp and played every single offensive snap in every game last year. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Faalele surrendered one sack and 32 pressures in 578 pass-blocking opportunities in the previous season. Faalele needs to improve as a run-blocker.
CB Nate Wiggins
Wiggins had a solid debut with 33 tackles, an interception returned for a touchdown, 13 pass breakups, and a forced fumble. He earned seven votes for the Associated Press's Defensive Rookie of the Year Award and finished 11th in the voting. After bulking up this off-season, Wiggins will look to take his place among the NFL's best cornerbacks, while learning even more about the position from new teammate Jaire Alexander.

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