The Baltimore Ravens have added 10 new players via the 2020 NFL Draft and another five undrafted free agents to their roster. With the offseason ticking down to training camp, Baltimore is beginning to iron out how their depth chart looks to find holes they still need to address and what jobs are up for competition.
Though the Ravens returned 10 of their 11 starters from last season’s top-scoring unit, Baltimore actually has a lot more competition than you might think. Most of the starters are in place but players behind them will be jockeying not only for playing time come the regular season but the chance to make the 53-man roster at all.
With the roster as it stands following the 2020 NFL Draft and the few UDFAs they’ve actually signed, here’s how the Ravens’ depth chart is shaping up.
Quarterback:
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| Lamar Jackson | Robert Griffin III | Trace McSorley | Tyler Huntley |
As if it wasn’t obvious beforehand, Jackson’s MVP win makes sure he’s cemented into the top spot on the depth chart. With such an obvious starter in place, the questions really begin right after him.
While Griffin has earned trade talk before and could still be traded this offseason, he brings the most experience at quarterback which makes him better suited as the guy who would replace Jackson if an injury occurred. A similar skill set as the rest of the bunch doesn’t hurt either, making sure his backup role isn’t in jeopardy.
With Griffin the better choice as Jackson’s backup, that puts McSorley firmly in the third-string role at this point. The Ravens kept him on the 53-man roster all last season, even though he was active for just one game. That speaks volumes about how Baltimore feels about McSorley, not wanting to risk putting him on the practice squad where he could get poached.
As is usual for most teams at this time of the year, a fourth quarterback was added to the mix to be used as a training camp arm. Still, I wouldn’t discount Huntley from impressing enough to at least put a little fire under McSorley.
Running back:
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Mark Ingram II | J.K. Dobbins | Justice Hill Gus Edwards |
With the addition of Dobbins in the 2020 NFL Draft, running back is one of the most muddied positions on this team. There will be battles in training camp and the preseason to actually determine the final depth chart order, from the starting job all the way down to who makes the 53-man roster.
After a Pro Bowl season, I still have Ingram in the top spot. He’s a great all-around running back and his blocking ability on third downs makes him still too tough to formally kick out of the starting role. However, he’s likely to be pushed by Dobbins in training camp for reps and an impressive showing could be enough to see the rookie actually get more carries come the regular season.
Though I have the Ravens keeping four running backs on my 53-man roster prediction, I don’t think they’re going to want to automatically. They’ll want to see if either Hill or Edwards can prove themselves as the obvious better choice to trim down the depth chart a bit and save the roster spot. But I think Edwards and Hill do two different things well enough for Baltimore to ultimately want the extra depth at two important roles given how much they run the football.
Fullback:
| 1st | 2nd |
| Patrick Ricard | Bronson Rechsteiner |
Though the Ravens have two players on the roster at fullback, it’s not really much of a competition. Ricard is one of the best fullbacks in the league and his versatility as a defensive tackle keeps him in the top spot.
Baltimore has had more than one fullback on their 90-man roster for the last several years. Much like the fourth quarterback, it’s a way to keep an eye on a player while ensuring you’re not killing your actual guys by giving them too many reps in training camp. For Rechsteiner to make the cut, he’s going to have to prove invaluable on defense and/or special teams more than at fullback. But a solid training camp could see Rechsteiner make the practice squad for extra depth.
Wide receiver 1:
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| Marquise Brown | Willie Snead | Chris Moore James Proche De’Anthony Thomas |
Sean Modster |
The Ravens have their wide receiver group split into two different units, ultimately pointing to slot/outside usage as the primary difference to separate them. It’s worth noting Baltimore actually moves their wide receivers around a lot and don’t necessarily keep anyone in one specific role, so both units are probably less defined than I have it in this article.
Brown is clearly the best receiver the Ravens have on the roster. With his speed and after-the-catch agility, Brown is deadly from the slot and showed it often enough during his rookie campaign. Now that he should finally be healthy, he’s primed for a real breakout season in 2020.
As the most experienced wide receiver on the roster, Snead sits right behind him. Though I think Snead will eventually be pushed for playing time by guys like Proche and Duvernay, it’s still his job to lose at this point. Behind Snead gets really muddied, however, and I think it’s a toss-up for the final one or two spots at wide receiver.
Proche, Moore, and Thomas are likely going to be fighting for the last spot here. And considering all have experience as return specialists, that’s probably how the decision is going to be made. As a 2020 NFL Draft pick and with more upside as a wide receiver, Proche probably has the edge when it comes to making the team without it, though.
Modster is already on the outside looking in. He’s going to need to seriously impress to have a shot of making the 53-man roster.
Wide receiver 2:
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| Miles Boykin | Devin Duvernay | Jaleel Scott | Antoine Wesley |
As the flip side of the slot role I categorized ‘wide receiver 1’ into, this spot is all about the guys that can provide muscle on the outside.
Boykin is at the top of this group thanks to his work last season. Though Boykin only caught 13 passes last season, he steadily improved over the season and showed flashes of being a major weapon. He can be a great downfield blocker as well, which is probably why the Ravens felt comfortable letting Seth Roberts go in free agency.
I have Duvernay behind Boykin and while he was often labeled as a slot receiver throughout the draft process, I don’t think he fits into that role exclusively. Duvernay played outside as well at Texas and though he blew up from playing in the slot, he has the skills necessary to play outside in the NFL. Much like Steve Smith Sr., Duvernay has the speed and physicality to get plenty of snaps on the outside for Baltimore, especially with Brown inside as a speed package.
Scott claims the third spot mostly because he’s actually made the 53-man roster before. But his spot on the roster in 2020 is far from guaranteed. He’s going to need to see improvement from last season to not get cut early like his draftmate Jordan Lasley did last year. Still, I have to think it’s his roster spot to lose at this point.
With limited depth in this role, Wesley could actually press Scott for his roster spot. More impressive showings in training camp and the preseason could push him from on the wrong side of the roster bubble to firmly on it.
Offensive tackle:
| 1st | 2nd | |
| Left tackle | Ronnie Stanley | Andre Smith |
| Right tackle | Orlando Brown Jr. |
Stanley and Brown are both coming off Pro Bowl seasons, though their starting jobs were never in jeopardy. However, it’s pretty shocking to see next to no depth behind them. Currently, Andre Smith is the only other offensive tackle on the team and he’s far from his best playing days.
Tackle is one of the most pressing needs I’ve identified for the Ravens following the 2020 NFL Draft. Even though Tyre Phillips could potentially slide over to tackle, that seems like a stop-gap solution at best currently and something Baltimore would likely only want to do in an absolute emergency.
Center:
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Matt Skura | Patrick Mekari | Trystan Colon-Castillo |
Even though Skura had an awful knee injury that ended his season and currently has him rehabbing with no clear timetable for his return, I’ve got him in the top spot. His recovery seems to be going well and until he’s firmly ruled out, I think the starting job is his to lose.
Behind Skura are two undrafted free agents, Mekari and Colon-Castillo. Mekari stepped in for Skura after his injury and played outstanding football. That leaves me to believe Mekari is the primary backup right now, though I’d expect Colon-Castillo to be given a chance to compete for that job.
I don’t have him on the depth chart at center but Ben Bredeson could also be in the mix if the Ravens feel they need more competition here. He has some experience but I believe he’s going to be competing at guard primarily.
Offensive guard:
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | |
| Left guard | Bradley Bozeman | Ben Bredeson | Will Holden |
| Right guard | Ben Powers D.J. Fluker |
Tyre Phillips | R.J. Prince |
Bozeman returns in the starting role at left guard after manning the position all of last season. But it would be foolish to not think both starting guard jobs are still up for competition this offseason too. While Bozeman has as close to a lock on that role as possible, Baltimore throwing everything against the wall there last offseason before making a late decision could point to even left guard not being settled.
However, all the talk is at right guard where seemingly everyone is going to get a chance at a starting job following Marshal Yanda’s retirement. Ben Powers was penciled in as the starter a few weeks ago but the addition to D.J. Fluker puts that into question now, seeing the pair likely at the top of the competition.
Behind them are the two draft picks, Bredeson and Phillips. Both will have a chance to make a push for the starting job but the Ravens have typically avoided rookies playing immediately on the offensive line. Their draft status puts them firmly in the mix still.
Behind them are two reserve players, Prince and Holden, who were with the team last season. They seem like longshots to land the starting job and are probably more fighting for a final roster spot more than anything.
Tight end:
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Mark Andrews | Nick Boyle | Charles Scarff |
With the trade of Hayden Hurst, this group is put into a pretty clear pecking order.
Andrews broke out last season and is the top-dog on the depth chart. He’s expected to follow up his sophomore year well and could actually improve his numbers in 2020 to cement his status as the top receiving tight end in football.
Boyle is primarily used as a blocking tight end but is an underrated receiving option too. He’s a lock as the second tight end on the roster but could see his role become more narrowed if the Ravens bring in another tight end — either a definitive blocker or receiver.
Scarff is in the third spot and isn’t a lock to make the 53-man roster even though Baltimore has kept three tight ends for a while now. He’s going to have to prove himself in training camp to begin with but could see more competition for a roster spot from someone the Ravens will likely bring in.
Baltimore Ravens offensive depth chart:
| Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| QB | Lamar Jackson | Robert Griffin III | Trace McSorley | Tyler Huntley |
| RB | Mark Ingram II | J.K. Dobbins | Justice Hill Gus Edwards |
|
| FB | Patrick Ricard | Bronson Rechsteiner | ||
| WR1 | Marquise Brown | Willie Snead IV | Chris Moore James Proche De’Anthony Thomas |
Sean Modster |
| WR2 | Miles Boykin | Devin Duvernay | Jaleel Scott | Antoine Wesley |
| LT | Ronnie Stanley | Andre Smith | ||
| LG | Bradley Bozeman | Ben Bredeson | Will Holden | |
| C | Matt Skura | Patrick Mekari | Trystan Colon-Castillo | |
| RG | Ben Powers D.J. Fluker |
Tyre Phillips | R.J. Prince | |
| RT | Orlando Brown Jr. | |||
| TE | Mark Andrews | Nick Boyle | Charles Scarff |
