Even at the highest level, football is often not about subtlety.

Earlier this month, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase was a guest on “The Sitdown w/ Malik Wright” podcast, and when the conversation turned to the toughest cornerbacks he has faced, the All-Pro rattled off a handful of names. None of them play in Baltimore.

Even a neophyte would not confuse the 2024 Ravens defense with the 2000 edition.

“I know when I first got here, obviously the Ravens defense, I felt like teams feared what we did,” Ravens veteran cornerback Marlon Humphrey said. “Now, we are trying to get that back. But I mean, I don’t think the Bengals fear our defense. I don’t think the Steelers fear our defense.

“So those expectations, when it’s in your own division, people kind of like, ‘Sweet, we play the Ravens.’”

That was especially true for Chase, who broke an NFL record that had stood since 1963 with a staggering 21 catches for 457 yards and five touchdowns in a pair of shootouts against Baltimore last season. The Ravens won both, but the performances were emblematic of a deep and concerning problem that had lingered from the summer through much of last season.

Though Baltimore’s defense featured a dramatic turnaround down the stretch, it still ranked 31st in passing yards allowed per game (275.7). Many of those yards also came in chunks, especially early, with Baltimore allowing 58 passing plays of at least 20 yards, which was 18th-most in the league.

Whether that trend continues this season remains to be seen, but the early returns after the first week of training camp point toward a paradigm shift, if not a potential about-face.

First, the Ravens made significant personnel changes. They waived obstreperous safety Eddie Jackson in November and released malcontent safety Marcus Williams after the season. They also added veteran cornerbacks Jaire Alexander, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, and Chidobe Awuzie in free agency to a group that already includes Humphrey, an All-Pro in the slot last season, and rising second-year corner Nate Wiggins.

And though they lost defensive back Ar’Darius Washington for most if not all of the season because of a torn Achilles he suffered during offseason workouts, rookie first-round safety Malaki Starks has already drawn high praise from teammates and coaches for his ability, football IQ and maturity.

“He’s miles ahead of where I was at that point in his NFL career,” Hamilton said. “He’s just so instinctual, and he has that little bit holding him back, just because he hasn’t been in [the NFL for] a long time. So, once that clicks, then he’ll be a great player.

“I think he knows the playbook more than I did. He’s confident out there. He’s talking, and he’s just so willing to learn and be a sponge, and it’s very admirable for somebody his age.”

Alexander, meanwhile, in addition to talent when healthy, has brought a “swag,” Humphrey said, to a defensive backfield that has largely been devoid of it since the days of Marcus Peters.

“I think confidence is the biggest key you can have at cornerback,” Humphrey said. “So, I think he’s a perfect fit for our secondary.”

Coach John Harbaugh also made changes to his staff, notably firing assistant head coach/pass game coordinator Chris Hewitt as well as inside linebackers coach Mark DeLone, who lasted just one season. Harbaugh also did not bring back Dean Pees in a full-time role after he hired the former Ravens defensive coordinator as a senior adviser five games into last season.

Though they were part of the defensive turnaround later in the year, it was not difficult to read between the lines that the system was not being taught effectively, a point that crystallized in the form of communication issues that multiple players spoke about over the course of 2024. Defensive coordinator Zach Orr, in his first year calling plays at any level, also initially entrusted his assistants perhaps a little too much, further exacerbating the issues.

Replacing them are senior secondary coach Chuck Pagano and inside linebackers coach Tyler Santucci.

Pagano, a longtime NFL assistant who was part of Harbaugh’s first staff in Baltimore and later the coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 2012 to 2017, brings familiarity and experience. In 2011, his lone season as the Ravens’ defensive coordinator, Baltimore ranked third in yards allowed per game (288.9) and points per game (16.6).

Santucci, 37, is making his NFL coaching debut this season, but was considered one of college football’s top defensive coordinators. He helped turn around a struggling Georgia Tech defense last year, and before that led Duke and Texas A&M to top 25 defenses in scoring.

In the weight room and on the field, the Ravens have also been intentional about their goals.

Reviving the breakfast club workouts that took root with former Ravens safety Eric Weddle, Humphrey and a handful of others on offense and defense gather each morning for workouts at the team’s facility at 6 a.m., even though practice doesn’t begin until the afternoon. If a player shows up at 6:01, he has to wait until later.

In a tweak to the team’s grading system of every player on each play of every practice, coaches have honed in on a handful or so of specifics on both sides of the ball and especially on defense, including pursuit to the ball, blowing up blocks and forcing turnovers.

After ranking 13th in turnover margin, which included forcing the seventh-fewest turnovers in the NFL last season with 17 — and none in two playoff games — the latter has been a particular point of emphasis and has borne fruit with a few interceptions and several impressive pass breakups so far this summer.

“We’re getting better at teaching it, teaching in the classroom, showing opportunities on film, showing how to get the football out and understanding how important it is,” Orr said. “When we take the ball away, we’ll win. When we don’t, we’ve got a good chance of winning, but why put ourselves in that position?”

The new faces, in addition to the returning ones, should help.

Alexander has 12 career interceptions over seven injury-interrupted seasons, which included a career-high five for the Green Bay Packers in 2022. Awuzie, meanwhile, has seven in eight seasons. Humphrey is coming off a career-high six to lead the Ravens last year. And Starks had six in three seasons for Georgia.

All of which has the Ravens positioned to be one of the best defenses in the league again after just two years ago becoming the first team to lead the NFL in takeaways, sacks and fewest points allowed per game in the same season.

“Based off what we’re seeing defensively, guys are really running to the ball like it means something,” Humphrey said. “I think if we can get nine guys doing that, I think we’ll be a good defense. But if we can get 11 guys doing that to where it could be a cliff behind you, you just turn around, and we all go into the cliff together. … I think that’s something that I’ve seen early on that I think if we can keep building on, that we’ll be a great defense.”

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Through the first week of training camp, not much has changed.

On Saturday, the offense was flagged for five false starts in the 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 periods, including once from its own 1-yard line. A timeout also needed to be called at one point over apparent confusion on the play call.

Of course, now is the time of year to work out such kinks.

Still, it doesn’t make it any less annoying, especially when it’s a consistent problem.

“It’s real easy to get frustrated, which I do,” offensive coordinator Todd Monken said. “I’m the king of overreacting. But if you do that, then you’ll just go on one [with the snap] all the time and that doesn’t help you either.

“So where is that sweet spot? Now is the time to do that. We’re practicing some other things in the throw game and the run game to try like heck to be on point when we play the first game. But obviously we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Last season, left tackle Ronnie Stanley led the team with 13 penalties, per nflpenalties.com, with left guard Patrick Mekari with 11. Of those 24 flags, nearly half (11) came before the ball was snapped.

With Mekari now with the Jacksonville Jaguars, one would expect those numbers to be down this season, but that hasn’t been the trend through the first handful of practices.

Monken also said that there hasn’t been more variance in the cadences of snap counts this week, either.

“There really isn’t anything different other than were starting back up again and it’s hot and we have a number of guys going in the game,” he said. “Sometimes it’s the quarterback that takes a little bit of time at the line of scrimmage, more than he should, then all off a sudden you’re making calls at the line and you forget a different cadence. All those things are a part of it.”

He added that there’s no reason that Baltimore can’t be “elite” with its cadence.

1-on-1 highlights

Training camp isn’t just about conditioning and running plays. The roughly two-hour long practices are broken down into different periods, focusing on specific areas of the game.

Perhaps the most glamorous and entertaining of them is when players go one-on-one, with receivers and tight ends matching up against cornerbacks and safeties mano a mano.

Saturday was no exception, as the session delivered a few fun plays.

Unsurprisingly, two-time Pro Bowl safety Kyle Hamilton shut down a pair of throws from backup Cooper Rush, first to Isaiah Likely, whom he was running stride-for-stride with, then Mark Andrews, whom he undercut to break up the pass after the tight end tried to juke him to the outside.

Second-year wide receiver Devontez Walker, meanwhile, made a nice catch against cornerback Jaire Alexander on a comeback route, while receiver Rashod Bateman plucked one off the turf on a similar route with Marlon Humphrey on him in tight coverage. The referee called the play incomplete, though, and Bateman flung the ball away in disgust after an obvious catch, while Humphrey sarcastically dapped up the official for the call.

Kicking update

The kicking job is still to be determined between sixth-round draft pick Tyler Loop and undrafted free agent John Hoyland, but one thing that’s not debatable is that the ball comes off Loop’s foot with an authoritative thump. That was evident again Saturday.

A day after only Loop kicked during practice, both men were in action, and Loop had the better day.

Ravens special teams coordinator explains thinking behind kicker battle

Hoyland converted on kicks from 26, 34 and 36 yards but was wide right from 42. Loop, on the other hand, drilled all six attempts from 33, 33, 26, 34, 36 and 40 yards.

How long will it be until a winner is decided?

“You just let the guys go out and compete,” special teams coordinator Chris Horton Jr. said. “What [senior special teams coach] Randy [Brown] has these guys doing is gonna prepare for them. When the winner shows, it’s gonna show. How soon is that gonna be? I don’t know.”

One possible timeline would be sometime between the Ravens’ first preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts in just under two weeks and the second against the Washington Commanders nine days after that.

More praise for the new guy

Alexander has a reputation of being a bit brash. He described himself as a bit “weird” and knows that he brings a certain energy to the defense.

So far, that’s been a welcome addition in Baltimore.

“He’s everything we thought he would be and more,” defensive coordinator Zach Orr said.

Kyle Hamilton said that his energy was something the defense needed. Humphrey added that he’s been fun to practice with.

During Saturday’s practice, Alexander had a pass breakup on a throw to Tylan Wallace up the sideline. A bit of sticky defense (with help from a less-than-perfect throw) forced the ball incomplete and Alexander wagged his finger like Dikembe Mutombo. Teammates have started doing his patented seatbelt celebration too.

“He brings energy, confidence, hard work and playmaking ability,” Orr said. “We go against our offense every day and they challenge our corners, especially on the outside. He’s done a great job. So we’ve been happy, pleased with him. He’s a great student of the game. I’m pleased with how fast he’s picked up the system. … He can still play at a top level.”

Attendance and injuries

For the second consecutive day, the Ravens had perfect attendance outside of wide receiver Keith Kirkwood and the trio of expected absences: Safety Ar’Darius Washington (Achilles tendon), on the physically unable to perform list, as well as linebacker Jake Hummel and rookie offensive lineman Emery Jones Jr., both on the non-football injury list.

There were two notable cornerbacks on Saturday who did not fully participate.

Chide Awuzie, who has a long injury history, spent most of Friday on the sideline. Harbaugh said that the 30-year-old is “fine” and that “he’ll be OK.” Awuzie did not participate in live scrimmage situations. He was seen running on the far field by himself.

Ravens rookie Bilhal Kone also appeared to leave practice and did not return.

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“It’s not too big picture right now,” he said Friday. “It’s a lot of little things.”

But on a day when the temperature soared near triple digits in Owings Mills, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson’s accuracy was a tad cold on some of those little things. To borrow from A.I., the great philosopher and former NBA star Allen Iverson, it’s just practice.

If there’s a player coaches and teammates aren’t worried about, it’s the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player, who is coming off career highs in touchdown passes and passing yards.

Jackson also, of course, did make some nice throws, connecting with Rashod Bateman on a couple of passes over the middle in 11-on-11 play. New receiver DeAndre Hopkins also bailed him out twice, pulling in one crossing throw that was slightly behind him as he had a step on cornerback Jaire Alexander and then making a sliding grab on an off-the-mark throw during 7-on-7 work with cornerback T.J. Tampa trailing.

The only player to throw for at least 4,000 yards and rush for at least 900 in the same season, Jackson also had a nifty run in which he faked the toss one way then broke the other, leaving the edge defender in his wake.

Unlike earlier in the week, when Jackson was able to connect with Bateman on a 60-yard touchdown with the receiver getting behind Nate Wiggins, the two were unable to link up on a similar play this time. Bateman had a step on Wiggins again, but with the ball underthrown, the speedy corner was able to close the gap and swat it away.

As Bateman came to a jog, he extended his arms, a signal for Jackson to get the ball deeper as he had earlier in the week.

Where’s Mike Green?

A year ago, Mike Green led college football with 17 sacks. Through the first few days of camp, the controversial edge rusher out of Marshall who fell to the second round because of a pair of sexual assault allegations is still looking for his first.

It’s early, but he hasn’t been close to getting to the quarterback, no matter who has been in.

On one play Friday, Green raced into the backfield only to get gobbled up by undrafted rookie fullback Lucas Scott. On another, he got off the line quickly and sped by rookie fifth-round tackle Carson Vinson, but the former Alabama A&M standout still kept him away from the quarterback on what should have been a pressure, if not a sack.

Green’s speed and quickness are obvious, but so far he hasn’t registered more than maybe a single pressure.

On Monday, players will be in pads for the first time. Green, who is expected to be a significant contributor in Baltimore’s pass rush this season, will be worth watching to see if he’s able to dial it up.

Tyler Loop’s best day

Tyler Loop has kicked at two of three training camp practices, sandwiching a scheduled day off Thursday, and has been perfect both days. But Friday’s session featured the first real look at the rookie’s boot, as he connected from 60-plus yards out.

Loop first took four attempts in red zone situations. The offense would run a play, then trot out the field goal unit. Those were all inside 25-yard attempts. After that, Loop ripped one kick after another.

He nailed five tries between 30 and 45 yards, inching back with each effortless make. Then came the real test. Loop fired a kick from 63 yards away off the right hash. It split the uprights with a few extra yards to spare, much to the delight of his teammates, coaches and the onlooking fans suffering through the July heat.

The Ravens also said on their team website that Loop converted a 68-yard attempt on the opposite field on a non-team drill.

After a solid, but not overly impressive minicamp and OTAs, which included one 60-plus-yard miss, Friday was Loop’s best kicking day of the offseason’s open practice portion.

Strap in

Whether Jaire Alexander invented it is up for debate. But during the veteran cornerback’s time in Green Bay, he certainly popularized what is known colloquially as the seatbelt celebration. The hand-across-the-chest move that mimics strapping in a seatbelt — a reference to strapping down a receiver — is popping up in the early days of Ravens camp.

Alexander debuted it Wednesday after breaking up a pass from backup Cooper Rush. On Friday, Marlon Humphrey whacked the ball out of tight end Isaiah Likely’s hands, stood up and promptly clipped the imaginary seatbelt to his waist.

Then Wiggins, on his second pass breakup of a productive practice, did the signature celebration alongside Alexander.

Safety Kyle Hamilton was asked if he might get in on the big play fête. He thought about it for a second and decided maybe if it was a crazy play. Either way, the All-Pro safety has enjoyed the extra juice.

“We probably needed some of that,” Hamilton said. “Guys can be a little eccentric at times. I’m more even keeled so I need that brought out of me a little bit. Jaire does that for us. Everybody follows his lead when it comes to the energy. He’s only been here three practice days but everybody can feel the difference with him here.”

‘Miles ahead of where I was’

Hamilton was the 14th overall draft pick in 2022 and finished his rookie year with the highest Pro Football Focus grade by a first-year Ravens defender in the previous 16 years. He ascended to All-Pro status by his sophomore season and has been awarded two Pro Bowl bids in three seasons.

Hamilton believes that first-round pick Malaki Starks is “miles ahead of where I was at that point.”

“One, he’s just uber-talented,” Hamilton said of the former Georgia star. “He does amazing stuff without even trying and probably doesn’t even know that he’s doing it. He’s just so instinctual. And he’s that little holding him back but that’s just cause he hasn’t been in it a long time. Once that clicks, he’ll be a great player.”

Hamilton said that his rookie counterpart knows the playbook better than he did at that time, he’s confidently talking through plays and he’s a sponge in meeting rooms.

“He’s generous,” Starks said with a smile.

Starks hauled in his first interception of training camp Thursday, his first time picking off Jackson. Beyond the one highlight, he’s looked comfortable in live situations. Starks said that he often goes right to Hamilton trying to make sense of different scenarios.

“He’s so smart,” said Starks, who himself was lauded for his football IQ throughout the draft process. “You think you know football until you get around people who know football and you realize you don’t know that much about football.”

Wiggins stands out

If there was a player the day belonged to, it was Wiggins.

In the first 11-on-11 period, he broke in on a short pass to Anthony Miller and nearly intercepted Jackson. A moment later, he crashed in to blow up a sweep play.

Later, he tracked down Bateman on Jackson’s deep ball and easily poked it away.

Even with adding a few pounds, the listed 182-pound Wiggins is still rail thin, but he has been sticky in coverage and can fly.

“I think he’s gonna be one of the best in the league,” Hamilton said. “He’s one of those guys that’s not afraid to line up against whoever.

“Today especially, he’s competing at a high level. He’s done that the past three days. … I think he’s probably gonna have one of the bigger jumps from last year to this year than anybody on the team.”

Injuries and attendance

Last season, the Ravens were comfortably the healthiest team in the NFL with an adjusted games lost of just 16.3, per FTN Fantasy. That’s mostly been the case through the first week of training camp, too.

Hopkins, who missed Thursday’s session after landing awkwardly on his knee, was back on the field Friday and made a couple of nice grabs.

Meanwhile, cornerback Chidobe Awuzie spent most of the day on the sideline during team play, but Harbaugh said that the 30-year-old veteran, has a long injury history, is “fine” and that “he’ll be OK.”

The only new absence, meanwhile, was fellow receiver Keith Kirkwood.

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But the one-on-one drill during Thursday afternoon’s practice came to an end too soon, leaving the juicy matchup to the imagination, if not another day.

“What I like most is his swag to the game,” cornerback Marlon Humphrey said of his new defensive backfield mate. “I think confidence is the biggest key you can have at corner.

“He’s a perfect fit for our secondary.”

So far, Alexander, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, has been getting acclimated to his new teammates, surroundings and the defense. It was just the second day of training camp, and Alexander, who was released by the Green Bay Packers earlier this offseason, didn’t sign with Baltimore until the final day of mandatory minicamp in June, when players broke until earlier this week.

Still, he’s made his presence known on the field.

On Wednesday, he had a couple of pass breakups and was on the receiving end of a dime from his former college teammate, quarterback Lamar Jackson, who didn’t waste any time connecting with new receiver DeAndre Hopkins on a back-shoulder fade up the sideline. Hopkins was ruled out of bounds, but Alexander, who was in tight coverage, bowed in appreciation.

“I’m in love, what can I say?” Alexander said Thursday of his early impressions of the Ravens in what was his first meeting with reporters since signing a one-year, $4 million contract that’s worth up to $6 million with incentives that are mostly centered around his ability to stay healthy.

Staying healthy has been a big if, though. Alexander, 28, has missed at least 10 games in three of the past four seasons. Last season, he appeared in just seven games because of quadriceps and knee injuries.

After Thursday’s 2-hour session he said, “physically, I’m great.”

Mentally, too, it seems.

“It’s definitely a different culture here,” he said.

While Alexander did not elaborate on what was an ugly exit from Green Bay, it’s hardly surprising that he is thrilled to be reunited with Jackson.

“That’s my boy,” he said. “We was always talking about this.”

He also acknowledged that he might not have signed with Baltimore if not for the quarterback.

“That’d be tough man,” he said, pondering the question. “I probably would’ve explored more options. But that’s my boy and I wanna win [a Super Bowl] with him.”

Even with Jackson pleading for general manager Eric DeCosta to sign Alexander the moment he came available and the signing taking place the following day, it at least took some thought.

Alexander drew interest from about a dozen teams. He also wanted to play for a contender and where the “vibes” fit his unique personality.

Check and check.

“Vibes never lie,” Alexander said. “I’m big on energy, energy exchange. I got good vibes here. They wanted me here. They cared. That played the biggest part in it.”

It didn’t take long, Alexander said, to notice that things are “different” compared with his first seven years in Green Bay.

Recently, some Ravens players have rekindled breakfast club workouts, a tradition started by former Ravens safety Eric Weddle. A group of about eight, including Humphrey and Alexander, gather at 6 a.m. in the team’s weight room. If a player gets there at 6:01, Humphrey said, it’s too late.

The idea is to create an environment where everything matters, with accountability being important.

“We work hard here,” Alexander said. “The workouts are intense.”

As for Alexander’s role, that’s still to be determined, but his addition gives the Ravens plenty of flexibility in the secondary, including using Humphrey more in the slot, where he was an All-Pro last season, and playing more match-ups depending on the game and opposing receivers.

It also provides depth with injuries inevitable.

“I’m embracing any role here,” Alexander said. “My goal, and I know the team’s goal, is to win the Super Bowl, so however we can do that.

What does he provide in that goal?

“I’m gonna bring that energy and that juice,” he said. “Everything else will fall into place.”

He added that he “loves” the Ravens’ potential, and being around Humphrey, who Alexander said might be more weird than him. Alexander also spent time watching tape of old Ravens games, including one from two years ago when an agitated Humphrey mixed it up with a couple of Steelers defensive linemen during a game in Pittsburgh.

It’s no wonder then that Alexander and Humphrey have jelled.

Alexander also said he didn’t circle Week 17 on his calendar, which is when Baltimore travels to Green Bay to face his former team.

“I circle every week,” he said. “Everybody’s gonna get it.”

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And so it begins.

Jackson and the Ravens kicked off their first day of training camp under warm, sunny skies Wednesday in Owings Mills, where the goal of a trip to the organization’s first Super Bowl since 2012 began in earnest but remains a distant thought.

“I’m really not trying not to think that far,” Jackson, 28 and entering his eighth season in Baltimore, said. “Because every time we have those discussions, man, we get to the playoffs, we don’t punch in, we don’t finish. So I’m pretty much trying to finish camp the correct way and get ready for the Bills.

“I’m not really trying to think about the Super Bowl yet.”

Buffalo, on the other hand, is a more immediate target.

The Bills are the ones who ended the Ravens’ bid for a championship in excruciating fashion, 27-25, on a snowy evening at Highmark Stadium in January. The teams will meet again in Week 1 on Sept. 7, also in Orchard Park, New York, on “Sunday Night Football.”

First, though, six weeks of training camp, including three preseason games and two joint practices.

“We’re just trying to have a great day today,” coach John Harbaugh said when asked about Jackson entering his third year under offensive coordinator Todd Monken and second alongside three-time All-Pro running back Derrick Henry. “We have a lot of goals in terms of what we’re trying to do specifically with our offense. We’re trying to get better at 1,000 different things that apply to what we’re trying to do.

“That’s kind of an advantage of Year 3. We have a really good handle on who we are, what our guys are good at, our identity if you want to call it that.”

Jackson is of course at the nexus of that identity, and this is the time of year to refamiliarize himself with his pass catchers and introduce himself to new ones. Hopkins, a three-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowl selection, is the most notable among them.

There’s also new cornerback Jaire Alexander, a former college teammate of Jackson’s who signed with the Ravens earlier this offseason after his release from the Green Bay Packers.

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At one point, Jackson lofted a fade to Hopkins up the sideline, who made a nifty back shoulder grab with Alexander in tight coverage. Alexander got up and bowed in a sign of respect.

“He’s still that guy,” Jackson said of Alexander, a 28-year-old two-time All-Pro.

So is Jackson, particularly when it comes to experimenting with plays this time of year, even when it might not be the intended one.

“Coach Monk probably get on me a little bit because he be wanting me to throw the ball certain places,” Jackson said. “But I’m like sometimes in the game it might not happen the way it is in practice.

“I try everything. Sometimes coach let me get away with it, sometimes he gonna coach me.”

Their partnership has worked incredibly and historically well so far.

In 2023, Jackson set career highs in passing yards (3,678) and completion percentage (.672) and was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player after leading the Ravens to the league’s best record (13-4) and the AFC championship game. Last season, he was even better, with 4,172 passing yards, 41 touchdown passes and just four interceptions while also rushing for 915 yards and four scores.

Baltimore became the first team in history to throw for at least 4,000 yards and rush for at least 3,000, with Henry’s 1,921 the second-most in the NFL behind only the Philadelphia Eagles’ Saquon Barkley.

Yet, the Ravens believe they — and Jackson — can be even better.

“He works really hard at being better,” Harbaugh said. “That position, there’s so much that goes into playing that position and Lamar’s young.

“He’s already great. He’s not one of these guys who says I’m great, I’m there, I’ve arrived, I’m already there. He never looks at it that way. … He’s grown in every way.”

Still, at this point Jackson will only be measured by postseason success, and that has been tougher to come by.

Baltimore is just 3-5 in the playoffs with Jackson at the helm. In that span, he has thrown 10 touchdown passes but also seven interceptions. He has lost four fumbles as well.

In last season’s divisional round loss to the Bills, Baltimore had three turnovers while Buffalo had none. Two of them were by Jackson, who had an interception and a fumble.

How to fix that? “Just hold onto the football,” Jackson said.

For now, though, he has other things on his mind, like finding success in training camp.

“Just score on our defense,” he said when asked to define what that looks like. “We got one of the best defenses in the league. If we could put points on our defense or move the ball on our defense I feel like we’re having success.”

The offense, with all but one of its starters back from last season plus the addition of Hopkins, shouldn’t be a problem.

“We’re looking great on paper,” Jackson said. “But we’re gonna see when the time comes.”

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Van Noy’s NSFW defense on X — and quarterback Lamar Jackson’s tacit endorsement via re-post — of a teammate voted Associated Press first-team All-Pro was hardly surprising (never mind that Smith was second behind only San Francisco 49ers star Fred Warner on ESPN’s list). But every outsized reaction almost always carries at least a shred of stinging truth.

Smith’s 2024 performance was no exception.

He led the team in tackles (154) again in what was his eighth NFL season and third in Baltimore since the Ravens traded for him midway through 2022. He was disruptive in the passing game down the stretch as well, ranking as the fourth-best linebacker in the league, according to Pro Football Focus, with an 81.8 coverage grade from Week 11 onward.

But that is a painting only partially complete.

Overall, PFF ranked Smith as just the 86th best linebacker in the NFL last season with a mark of 65.2. Through his first nine games, he had only one tackle for loss, no sacks or quarterback hits, and three pass breakups.

Against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1, wide receiver Rashee Rice racked up seven catches for 103 yards, exposing some glaring weaknesses in the Ravens’ coverage that included Smith. In Week 9, Baltimore blew out the Denver Broncos, 41-10, but Smith had just three tackles in 54 snaps and, on one play, got juked badly by quarterback Bo Nix.

In between, communication issues permeated the defense as a whole. There were personnel problems that most notably included fellow inside linebacker Trenton Simpson’s struggles and eventual benching. And there was frustration with some of the coaching, the latter eventually leading to the firing of inside linebackers coach Mark DeLeone after the season.

Smith, the bellower of fiery pregame speeches and wearer of the green dot as the defensive play-caller, also acknowledged that his play was at times not up to its usual snuff, with reasons ranging from his body to trying at times to do too much to cover up for others.

“Coming into the year, I was banged up early in the year,” Smith told The Baltimore Sun recently, though he was not specific about lingering injuries that later led to hamstring issues during the season. “Some of that was just [needing to be] in better shape; then just focusing on doing my job and not [doing] anything more or anything less.”

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A lot has changed since then.

Smith is one of four players who second-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr spoke highly about after mandatory minicamp in June, noting that the 28-year-old is “running at some untimely speeds right now that he hasn’t ran at for us.” Simpson is also “a lot more confident,” Orr added, and now has an understanding of the defense that is “completely different from what it was last year,” according to Smith.

DeLeone, meanwhile, was replaced by Tyler Santucci, who was viewed as a fast riser in the college ranks and drew praise for his work at Georgia Tech, Duke and Texas A&M.

The Ravens have also made scheme and roster adjustments.

There is a growing trend toward more nickel and dime defenses — which deploy more defensive backs to counter a pass-heavy attack — which should alleviate some of the pressure on Smith. Malcontent safeties Eddie Jackson and Marcus Williams are also gone, the former waived before the end of November last year, the latter released in March.

The communication issues that plagued Baltimore during the first half of last season have also been cleaned up, and the communication has been “crystal clear” so far, Smith said.

“A lot of times last year, it would be like people would know what to do, but then not being on the same page sometimes would make this person look crazy or that person look crazy,” Smith continued. “All of us would look crazy at the end of the day.

“[At OTAs], this was the most installs that have been thrown at us, that I’ve been thrown at my entire career. It’s pretty sweet to see. Seeing how we respond, making minimal errors. It’s not nearly as many errors as before.”

It bodes well for a defense that just two years ago was historically great. It’s also just the start of training camp, which kicks off with the first full practice Wednesday.

The expectation from the organization and Smith himself is a much better performance this season. With three years remaining on a five-year, $100 million contract that makes him the highest-paid player at his position, it will have to be for the emotional and physical heartbeat of the defense.

“It’s about being in good shape and having a clear understanding of what’s going on,” Smith told The Sun when asked what his biggest focus heading into the year is. “For myself, eating better and taking better care of myself and make sure I’m taking care of that and not letting it grow into something else.

“In this league, it’s what have you done for me lately.”

Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1.

It was quite a different scene last September.

Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri, defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs, rematch of the AFC championship game, prime-time. Helluva welcome-to-the NFL moment for Orr, 33, the second-youngest defensive coordinator in the league when John Harbaugh ordained him to replace Mike Macdonald after Macdonald departed last offseason to become the Seattle Seahawks coach.

“It was crazy,” Orr told The Baltimore Sun of the Chiefs. “They pulled out ALL the tricks.

“The game, it happened a lot faster than what I anticipated from a play-calling standpoint. They were pulling out all the stops to make me uncomfortable. I was thinking about how they would attack our defense and our scheme. I didn’t think how they would try to mess with me as a play caller.”

Kansas City coach Andy Reid has been around — three Super Bowl titles with the Chiefs, 2002 Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he was Ravens coach John Harbaugh’s boss — and did just that.

Among the tricks: Often waiting until the play clock got under 15 seconds to put the offensive personnel group on the field. That’s the mark that Orr’s radio to on-field play caller and linebacker Roquan Smith cut out by rule, thus rendering communication impossible and forcing the brain of Orr, in his first year of calling plays at any level, to scramble.

“Week 1, I feel like I let the defense and the team down,” Orr continued. “I didn’t feel like we was ready to roll from my standpoint. I put that 100% on me. I felt bad. I felt sick to my stomach.”

The pain would subside, but it would take a while.

After losing a nail-biter to the Chiefs, 27-20, the lowly Las Vegas Raiders stunned Baltimore at home. Three victories followed, but the defense was a sieve. So after Week 5, Harbaugh hired his former defensive coordinator, Dean Pees, as a senior adviser.

Meanwhile, the criticism mounted.

Just a year earlier, the Ravens had become the first team in NFL history to capture the defensive triple crown, leading the league in sacks, takeaways and points allowed. Now, they were the antithesis of that, the nadir coming in a pair of games against the Cincinnati Bengals in Weeks 5 and 10 in which quarterback Joe Burrow threw for a combined 820 yards and nine touchdowns and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase had 21 total catches for 457 yards and five scores.

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“You could look at it and be like, ‘Do they not think I’m capable of the job?’ Or you can look at it like, ‘Maybe I need some more help and maybe this guy could help me out,’” Orr said of the Pees addition. “If we tell the players they gotta be team players, we gotta be team players.

“It definitely motivated me, though. I’m a highly motivated guy.”

Orr, a former linebacker with the Ravens whose career was cut short because of a congenital spine and neck condition in 2017, could also bury himself in his work, he said.

That wasn’t the case for his family, though. It was tough on his wife and father and others in his family.

“They know there’s going to be criticism, they know there’s going to be praise that comes with it, but I don’t think they anticipated how much it might’ve been,” Orr said. “They were calling me all the time saying, ‘Are you good?’”

He was.

“It’s hard when people don’t know what’s really going on and you have to go with what’s out there,” Zach’s father Terry Orr, a former tight end for Washington and the San Diego Chargers, told The Sun. “But I thought he handled it like a champ and said what needed to be said and kept on grinding.

“He never got down. I know he was frustrated, but he never got down. I think that helped not just with his players, but with us as well.”

What also helped was that Orr — who was likely headed to Seattle to become Macdonald’s defensive coordinator before Harbaugh quickly hired him the day after then-Ravens defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson bolted for the Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator opening — finally felt comfortable enough to make significant changes in several areas.

Malcontent safety Eddie Jackson was benched, then waived. Aggrieved and also struggling safety Marcus Williams was also benched in favor of Ar’Darius Washington. All-Pro, do-everything safety Kyle Hamilton was deployed more often on the back end to help stanch deep passes. Struggling second-year inside linebacker Trenton Simpson was benched in favor of a rotation of veterans Malik Harrison and Chris Board. The structure of defensive meetings was changed, with position groups sometimes lumped together and players empowered to ask questions and share their thoughts. The scheme was tweaked.

“Earlier in the season I was trying so much to keep so much [of the] carryover [from the previous year],” Orr said. “The system is the system and it’s been the system since Harbaugh started here, but every year has it’s own little twist based off opponents and personnel.”

Once it took hold, the improvements were dramatic, with Baltimore boasting one of the league’s best defenses down the stretch.

“I felt that, sadly, there’s a lot of things that were being coached that were coached correctly, and when he put it out there for us we weren’t clicking, as far as on the field,” cornerback Marlon Humphrey said. “It actually held us back as a defense from what we could call if we couldn’t execute what was called, so some of the things had to get a lot more simple until we could show that we could execute these things.

“Every single player was somebody not doing what they were supposed to do in those first however many weeks, and I think the biggest change was just all 11 guys doing their job.”

Those around Orr noticed the impact it had as well, for the team and for the rookie coordinator.

“My opinion was it was hard for him because it was first year coming in, I’m the DC, this is what I’m doing,” Terry Orr said, adding that father and son would talk after every game and the former would just let the latter go on unimpeded to get things off his chest. “I think he was slow to pull the trigger. He knew what he needed to do, but you’re in that position, it’s just tough.

“But then he was able to put his chest out and say yeah I got it, I’m in charge. … He didn’t really feel in his mind he was in charge.”

Many on the outside credited Pees and some inside did as well, including Harbaugh, who praised the veteran coach for helping the unit reconnect with its defensive roots that Pees had helped established during his tenure as defensive coordinator from 2012 to 2017.

But this spring, Ravens pass rush coach Chuck Smith gave an impassioned, 491-word defense of what Orr had done.

“I watched this coordinator stand on 10 toes,” Smith said, in part. “Zach is the guy. Zach Orr, I’m telling you, is going to be an incredible coordinator, and let me tell you why. When we were struggling last year, I watched him stand in front of these mics every week and talk to you all, and he didn’t flinch. But I also watched him stand in front of the room [when we] played the Bengals, and it wasn’t like we were celebrating because, from a defensive standpoint, they did a lot. They had a great day on us. Zach Orr looked those players in the eye, and he never lets the highs get too high or the lows get too low; he stayed in the middle.

“He always would be positive, but he was tough. He’s tough on the coaches and the players. He would tell everybody, and he would show everybody how close we were to actually having success. It might be an angle of a defensive back running to the ball, or it might be a pass rusher that ran past the quarterback, and the quarterback ran. Zach would stand and talk to everybody, and he led. He never flinched. … I know last year a lot of people in the media were saying, ‘Well, this guy came in and helped.’ No, Zach Orr did it. … He’s a special coach, and I’m really blessed to be around a guy like that.”

If the games against the Bengals were rock-bottom, then Baltimore’s Week 17 contest against the Texans in Houston was its zenith.

Christmas Day. Netflix. A Beyonce concert at halftime. The need for the Ravens to win against the AFC South-leading Texans to keep their AFC North title hopes alive.

The game was a rout, 31-2, with the highlight a fourth-down stop by Washington at the Ravens’ goal line that was followed by the 5-foot-8, 180-pound defensive back sending his defensive coordinator to the NRG Stadium turf amid the celebration.

RAVENS DEFENSE STOPS MIXON AT THE GOAL LINE. #NFLonNetflix#BALvsHOU on @Netflix pic.twitter.com/Nvn6E0lkjq

— NFL (@NFL) December 25, 2024

“To go out there and put on a complete performance like that was great,” Orr says now. “It was one of the best days of my life. I’ll never forget that.”

Yet as training camp kicks off with the first full practice, Orr knows that there is more work to be done.

Baltimore ranked 31st against the pass last season, and while the Ravens were second in the league in sacks, they were middle of the pack in pressure rate. After forcing 31 turnovers in 2023, the Ravens also had just 17 takeaways last season, with only six teams forcing fewer.

They also turned the ball over three times in a divisional round loss to the Buffalo Bills, while the Bills did not turn the ball over.

The belief in Orr, though, has never wavered.

“We all grow, get better,” Harbaugh said. “You learn from successes and failures, and Zach’s great about that. He is very humble, good combination of humility and confidence. Very, very, very charismatic guy, really smart [and a] good teacher. All those things that I knew, and you see it every day.”

Now fit with a roster that is perhaps the best in the league, though, and includes a pair of highly touted rookies in safety Malaki Starks and edge rusher Mike Green, along with free agent cornerbacks Jaire Alexander and Chidobe Awuzie, Orr’s eyes are wide again. The excitement is palpable for him and his players.

“Just the way he commands the room, you can tell there’s a difference in the confidence in him and everybody in the room, and he puts that confidence in us,” Hamilton said. “So, we follow his lead.”

Added Smith: “He’s just so in tune with every little thing, even with the back end. It’s pretty sweet to see. I think it’s gonna be a very special year for him, as well as our defense.”

And for Orr, that would be the happiest place on earth.

Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1.

Rookies reported to training camp in Owings Mills on Tuesday, tying for the earliest date in the NFL. Coaches like to get young players in the building as soon as possible so they can acclimate to their first camp, get the attention they need before the arrival of the full roster, and continue to bond with one another. The rest of the team reports Tuesday, with the first practice taking place the following afternoon.

That is, in earnest, when the quest begins for what Baltimore hopes will be its third Super Bowl title and first since the 2012 season. Championship expectations are the norm for the franchise, but they have perhaps never been higher, given the acrid taste still lingering from last season’s divisional round loss to the Buffalo Bills and a roster that is possibly not just the best in the league but maybe unrivaled in the organization’s 31-year history.

“You can kind of see the trajectory that we think we’re on,” safety Kyle Hamilton said last month. “Still a lot of work to be done, obviously, and [it’s] going to continue throughout the season. But I mean, we’re off to a great start.”

Hamilton added that it felt like the defense was playing “12-on-11” during minicamp, a good sign for a unit that ranked 31st against the pass last season.

On offense, quarterback Lamar Jackson is coming off career highs in passing yards (4,172) and touchdown passes (41), while Baltimore led the league in total yards (7,224) and rushing yards (3,189) and ranked third in points per game (30.5). With all of its major skill players returning, an offensive line largely intact from last season and the addition of wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins along with fully healthy running back Keaton Mitchell, it’s reasonable to think that the ceiling could be even higher.

So as training camp kicks off, here’s what to watch for:

What will DeAndre Hopkins’ role be?

“I don’t really see ‘D-Hop’ as a third receiver,” Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken said last month. “I see him more as, we have three starters at wide receiver, but we also have the two tight ends. So, it’ll be interesting as we get going, especially once we get to camp and we get the pads on, how we can integrate him into the offense, but we’re excited.”

There are legitimate reasons to be.

Unlike Odell Beckham Jr. — the other receiver Jackson had requested the team acquire during the quarterback’s 2023 contract negotiations — the potential impact of Hopkins could be substantial. While it’s unlikely that he’ll come close to matching the 82 catches he has averaged over his 12-year career, particularly on an offense that has a lot of mouths to feed, he should still tally a respectable number of targets while importantly being a key figure in short-yard and red zone opportunities, two areas he continues to excel at even at age 33.

One big reason is his ability to catch passes in a crowd.

Last season, Hopkins had 56 catches for 610 yards and five touchdowns between the quarterback-deficient Tennessee Titans and the Patrick Mahomes-led Kansas City Chiefs. Of players with at least 20 tight window targets in 2024, Hopkins tied for the 14th-best reception rate (38.1%), according to TruMedia.

He also tied for 22nd in ESPN’s open score with Cincinnati Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase, proving that he’s still capable of finding the patches of grass where defenders aren’t.

Who will win the kicking battle?

With the Ravens having moved on from Justin Tucker, who has since been suspended 10 weeks by the NFL over sexual misconduct allegations from more than a dozen massage therapists, there will be an open kicking competition for the first time since 2012. That summer, Tucker, an undrafted free agent out of Texas, beat out incumbent Billy Cundiff.

This year, Tyler Loop, whom Baltimore selected in the sixth round out of Arizona in April and who was the lone kicker that senior special teams coach Randy Brown identified as draftable in the class, is the favorite. But he also has legitimate competition in John Hoyland, an undrafted rookie out of Wyoming.

“I think the biggest thing is to try to put them in tough situations as much as we can,” coach John Harbaugh said of the two kickers. “And then, you get into the situations, and the team situation is one thing, then the game scenarios are the next thing where they have to run out and make it like a game.”

So far, each has had good and bad days, and their performances will be scrutinized daily in training camp until one of them is named the starter — unless the Ravens decide to bring in a veteran, which could be another possibility.

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Is this a make-or-break year for Trenton Simpson?

Harbaugh has said that he expects Trenton Simpson, who was benched after starting the first 11 games last year, to be the starting weak-side linebacker alongside Roquan Smith this season. That’s easy to do in the spring.

Once the pads go on will be more telling, though there have been some positive signs so far, most notably his much-improved grasp of the defense.

“He’s a lot more confident, man,” defensive coordinator Zach Orr said of the third-year former third-round pick out of Clemson. “This is the most confident that I’ve seen Trenton, and he’s a lot more relaxed before the play. I hear him talking. This is the most I’ve heard him communicate on the field, so I’m excited.”

One reason for the improvement is the work of inside linebackers coach Tyler Santucci, who last year at Georgia Tech turned the Yellow Jackets’ defense from worst in the Atlantic Coast Conference to fifth-best and in 2023 was a nominee for the Broyles Award, given to the nation’s top assistant coach, while at Duke.

Still, fourth-round rookie Teddye Buchanan is an intriguing player who could potentially challenge Simpson. He’s a former high school quarterback, something Ravens coaches believe has aided his pass coverage. “He flies around, he seeks contact, he can play in space, and he’s a smart player,” Orr said.

But with Malik Harrison and Chris Board having departed in free agency, it will be imperative that Simpson becomes at least a reliable early down linebacker.

Will David Ojabo blossom or bust in his fourth year?

Baltimore’s top four outside linebackers on the depth chart will be Odafe Oweh, Kyle Van Noy, Tavius Robinson and rookie second-round pick Mike Green, who led college football in sacks last season at Marshall. With the expectation that the Ravens will carry five players at the position, that leaves David Ojabo and Adisa Isaac to slug it out for the final spot.

Unfortunately for Ojabo, injuries have derailed his career. And even when he has been healthy, he has not been the kind of impact player the Ravens hoped he could be when they selected him in the second round of the 2022 draft out of Michigan.

Isaac’s development was also stunted last year as a rookie because of injuries, so in many ways this year will be like a first season for the 2024 third-round pick out of Penn State.

“One of the things that Adisa has worked really hard on is he’s understanding the defense,” pass rush coach Chuck Smith said. “He’s in good shape, he’s having a good ‘get-off,’ he’s working hard in his coverage — all the different things that you want a guy to do. … I can’t wait to see when we put the pads on in camp and get after it. That’s going to be really the measuring stick of where he’s at.”

Put another way, check back this summer.

There have been plenty of Ravens pass rushers who finally broke through in their fourth year, including Paul Kruger in 2012, Pernell McPhee in 2014, Za’Darius Smith in 2019 and Oweh last year. But expecting Ojabo to do the same is probably a stretch.

Who will emerge on the offensive and defensive lines?

Barring any surprises, the Ravens already know and feel good about who will start for them on the offensive and defensive lines.

On offense, Ronnie Stanley and Roger Rosengarten will anchor left and right tackle, Tyler Linderbaum returns for his fourth year at center and Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele are the frontrunners at left and right guard. On defense, Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones, Broderick Washington and newly added veteran John Jenkins figure to be the top four up front.

But beyond that is where there are questions for both lines.

While Baltimore was easily the healthiest team in the league last season, just one injury to a starter on either line could be problematic. That’s the case for most NFL teams, but most teams aren’t contending for a Super Bowl, either.

That’s why the losses of versatile offensive lineman Patrick Mekari, who signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency, and veteran defensive linemen Michael Pierce and Brent Urban could be tough to make up for. The cupboard isn’t entirely bare, but there is uncertainty.

The hope for the offensive line is that veteran Joe Noteboom will be a dependable swing tackle and that rookies Emery Jones Jr., who missed all of spring with a shoulder injury, and Carson Vinson can develop. Ben Cleveland, now in his fifth season, provides experienced depth on the interior.

Things are perhaps more concerning on the defensive side, particularly if Jones and Washington have to deal with injuries as they did last season. Having to play undersized rookie Aeneas Peebles or second-year undrafted free agent C.J. Ravenell for a meaningful amount of snaps would be difficult.

It’s also possible someone else from the pack of reserves could surprise this summer, though that seems less likely.

Which rookies will have the biggest impact?

The Ravens usually depend on at least a couple of their rookies to be significant contributors right away. and that’s true again this year.

With safety Ar’Darius Washington expected to miss most if not all of the season after tearing his Achilles tendon during offseason workouts, first-round pick Malaki Starks will play early and often. That was likely always going to be the case given how much he has already impressed coaches, but his role now takes on even greater importance.

Likewise, Green, who had 17 sacks and a 20% pass rush win-rate for the Thundering Heard last year, figures to be a regular in the pass rush rotation from the start. Though Kyle Van Noy led the Ravens with 12 1/2 sacks last season, he’s now 34 years old, so it will be imperative to manage his snap count wisely.

As mentioned, Loop or Hoyland will also have big shoes to fill in replacing Tucker, who, despite the worst season of his career last year, was automatic for over a decade and was responsible for producing some of the team’s biggest moments.

Buchanan, who, like Simpson, has excellent speed and athleticism, is worth watching, as is sixth-round rookie receiver LaJohntay Wester, who is small but fast and will have a chance at becoming the starting punt returner, a position that was a weakness last season.

Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1.

Five weeks later, Baltimore’s roster will be trimmed from 91 players to 53, with up to an additional 16 signed to its practice squad (or 17, if one carries an international designation, such as outside linebacker David Ojabo).

The difficult reality for many players on the fringe hoping to find their way onto the active roster, however, is that the Ravens simply don’t figure to have many openings with perhaps the best and deepest collection they’ve had in the 31 years of an organization that boasts two Vince Lombardi trophies. Training camp is about preparation, but it’s also often about competition, and simply put, there are few jobs up for grabs.

Still, there are opportunities — role players, reserves, they all matter.

There will also inevitably be injuries. Already, Baltimore lost safety Ar’Darius Washington to a torn Achilles tendon during offseason workouts, which means someone has to fill his void alongside All-Pro Kyle Hamilton and rookie first-round pick Malaki Starks.

With that in mind, here’s a look at how the Ravens’ final roster could end up looking after training camp concludes:

Quarterback (2)

Lamar Jackson, Cooper Rush

For the first time in a while, the Ravens have invested more than just the minimum when it comes to Lamar Jackson’s backup, signing Cooper Rush this offseason to a two-year, $6.2 million deal that’s worth up to $12.2 million.

Rush, who will turn 32 in November, is also an upgrade over 39-year-old journeyman and former No. 2 Josh Johnson. The former Central Michigan standout appeared in 38 games (14 starts) for the Dallas Cowboys and last season completed 60.7% of his passes for 1,844 yards and 12 touchdowns with five interceptions over 12 games, which included eight starts.

That also means that second-year quarterback Devin Leary, who continued to struggle in the spring, is bound — at best — for the practice squad.

Running back (3)

Derrick Henry, Justice Hill, Keaton Mitchell

With Keaton Mitchell appearing to be fully healthy from a brutal torn ACL that he suffered in mid-December 2023, Rasheen Ali, a fourth-round draft pick last year, looks to be the odd man out.

Though Ali has kick return ability and showed improvement this spring, the expectation is that Mitchell, with his elite speed, will fill that role along with being more involved in the offense. Baltimore could carry four running backs, but that’s unlikely with needs elsewhere and not enough of a role for Ali.

Wide receiver (6)

Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, DeAndre Hopkins, Devontez Walker, Tylan Wallace, LaJohntay Wester

For a team that has been rightfully maligned when it comes to some of its past wide receiver groups, there is much to like about this room with Zay Flowers coming off a Pro Bowl season, Rashod Bateman healthy and blossoming, veteran DeAndre Hopkins providing elite hands and know-how to get open and 2024 fourth-round pick and speedster Devontez Walker performing considerably better than he did as a rookie.

Meanwhile, Tylan Wallace is a special teams ace and excellent blocker with dependable hands, and sixth-round rookie LaJohntay Wester should have the inside track to the punt return job given his speed and shiftiness. Add it all up and Anthony Miller, Dayton Wade, Keith Kirkwood, Malik Cunningham, Jahmal Banks and Xavier Guillory are, at best, probably battling for one spot, if Wester struggles, with the practice squad a more likely destination for some of them.

Tight end/fullback (4)

Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, Charlie Kolar, Patrick Ricard

Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar are all in the final year of their contracts, so it’s a big year for the group and also probably the last all three will be together. Andrews will turn 30 in September. Likely, 25, is the logical heir apparent. Kolar, 26, has developed as a blocker, has reliable hands and is a likable locker room presence. Patrick Ricard, who was an All-Pro last season, has a lock on the fullback/tight end role. Put another way, Zaire Mitchell-Paden and Sam Pitz are at best practice squad players.

Offensive tackle (4)

Ronnie Stanley, Roger Rosengarten, Joe Noteboom, Emery Jones Jr.

With Ronnie Stanley eschewing a likely more lucrative free-agent deal to stay in Baltimore and Roger Rosengarten coming off a solid rookie season, the Ravens are set with their offensive line bookends. Adding veteran Joe Noteboom and his 35 career starts also gives them the swing tackle they usually covet.

After that is where some possible roster gymnastics could be at play.

Emery Jones Jr., a rookie third-round pick out of LSU, might not be ready for the start of the season after missing all of the spring with a shoulder injury. If so, that would open the door for another player, such as fifth-round rookie Carson Vinson or possibly second-year tackle and former Maryland product Corey Bullock.

Guard (4)

Daniel Faalele, Andrew Vorhees, Ben Cleveland, Garrett Dellinger

Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele, last year’s starters at left and right guard, respectively, are the front-runners to do so again this year. Ben Cleveland, who is entering his fifth season, provides familiar depth.

But Cleveland, who was arrested on suspicion of DUI in the offseason, could be looking at a potential suspension, and that might impact what Baltimore does here, at least initially.

Garrett Dellinger, a seventh-round rookie out of LSU, is someone they’re high on, but he also worked some at center this spring. Darrian Dalcourt, who spent his rookie year on the practice squad, could perhaps work his way into the equation, but that seems unlikely.

Center (2)

Tyler Linderbaum, Nick Samac

The Ravens declined Tyler Linderbaum’s fifth-year option, but that was a financial move more than anything else as they’d like to work out a long-term extension with the two-time Pro Bowl selection. Nick Samac, meanwhile, enters his second season as the favorite to back up Linderbaum, who has at times dealt with injuries, including to his neck. Samac could also potentially be pushed by Dellinger.

However it plays out, the expectation is for the Ravens to have nine or more likely 10 offensive linemen on the roster.

Defensive line (5)

Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones, Broderick Washington, John Jenkins, Aeneas Peebles

Nnamdi Madubuike and Travis Jones figure to gobble up most of the snaps, with Broderick Washington next in line. John Jenkins, who is entering his 13th season after spending the past two with the Las Vegas Raiders, will fill the void of retired Michael Pierce. Aeneas Peebles, a sixth-round pick out of Virginia Tech, is undersized but quick off the line and makes for a potentially intriguing pass rusher. C.J. Ravenell, now in his second year, could also push Peebles for that final interior spot.

Outside linebacker (5)

Odafe Oweh, Kyle Van Noy, Tavius Robinson, Mike Green, Adisa Isaac

After three years marked by injuries and a lack of productivity, David Ojabo could get squeezed out. Odafe Oweh, Kyle Van Noy, Tavius Robinson and recently signed second-round pick Mike Green are all locks to make the roster. That leaves the final spot for Ojabo or Adisa Isaac, who played just 78 snaps between defense and special teams as a rookie last year because of injuries, and it figures to be one of the few training camp battles worth watching.

Other linebackers — Malik Hamm, Diwun Black and Kaimon Rucker — face longer odds.

Inside linebacker (4)

Roquan Smith, Trenton Simpson, Jake Hummel, Teddye Buchanan

Coach John Harbaugh said that he expects Trenton Simpson — who was benched last season — to be the starting weak-side linebacker next to Roquan Smith. Baltimore used a fourth-round pick on Teddye Buchanan, a former high school quarterback who led California in tackles (114) and tackles for loss (12) last year. Simpson is the favorite to start, but Buchanan is one of at least a few rookies worth keeping an eye on this summer.

The other linebacker likely to help replace the departed Chris Board-Malik Harrison duo is Jake Hummel, a special teams stalwart who saw an increased role at inside linebacker each of the past two seasons with Los Angeles Rams.

Cornerback (7)

Marlon Humphrey, Nate Wiggins, Jaire Alexander, Chidobe Awuzie, T.J. Tampa, Jalyn Armour-Davis, Bilhal Kone

Baltimore plays with a plethora of defensive backs, so that should mean plenty of snaps and mix-and-match options with Marlon Humphrey, Nate Wiggins, who was one of the best corners in the league down the stretch as a rookie last season, the newly acquired (and oft-injured) two-time All-Pro Jaire Alexander as well as veteran Chidobe Awuzie (another player with a long injury history). The Ravens are also high on second-year fourth-round pick T.J. Tampa, and Jalyn Armour-Davis, who, when healthy, has been a solid contributor.

Bilhal Kone, meanwhile, could be battling fellow sixth-round rookie Robert Longerbeam, as well as Reuben Lowery, an intriguing undrafted free agent who always seemed to be around the ball in the spring. Or, Baltimore could add to their cornerback room with another veteran this summer as they have in the past.

Safety (4)

Kyle Hamilton, Malaki Starks, Sanoussi Kane, Beau Brade

Washington’s aforementioned injury that will keep him out most, if not all, of the year means that Baltimore could look to add a veteran safety sometime this summer, and there are plenty of options still available.

Either way, Kyle Hamilton and first-round pick Malaki Starks figure to be the top two options, followed potentially by Kone or a player still to be added. Baltimore could also look to potentially deploy Armour-Davis or Awuzie at safety.

Special teams (3)

Tyler Loop, Jordan Stout, Nick Moore

For the first time since 2012, the Ravens will have an open kicking competition after parting ways with Justin Tucker, who was also suspended for 10 weeks by the NFL over the sexual misconduct allegations brought against him by more than a dozen massage therapists.

Tyler Loop, a sixth-round pick out of Arizona, is the favorite, but undrafted free agent John Hoyland out of Wyoming will have a crack at the job, too. So far, both have had good and bad days.

This will also be the most analyzed position battle of training camp.

Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1.

The outside linebacker out of Marshall was the last of Baltimore’s 11 draft picks to sign.

The delay for Green, selected 59th overall, and other second-round picks from this year’s class was over the amount of guaranteed money. While fully guaranteed contracts are the norm for first-round draft picks, that had not the case for players taken in the second round or later. It’s not clear how much guaranteed money is in Green’s contract,

So far, only two players selected in the second round in April — Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins, taken 34th overall, and Cleveland Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger, selected 33rd — have signed fully guaranteed deals.

While the situation lasted longer than usual, it was also not surprising.

Once Higgins and Schwesinger signed fully guaranteed deals, other second-round picks were inclined to wait. But when 49ers rookie defensive lineman Alfred Collins, whom San Francisco selected 43rd overall, agreed on Wednesday to a four-year, $10.3 million contract that included reportedly over $9 million guaranteed, that helped get things moving for others. It’s not clear how much of Green’s deal is guaranteed.

While Green was able to participate in rookie minicamp, organized team activities and mandatory minicamp earlier this offseason because of an agreement that he signed, as most unsigned rookies typically do, he would not have been able to practice at training camp, which opens Wednesday, until he was under contract.

But with Thursday’s news, that’s no longer a concern for Baltimore. After leading the Football Bowl Subdivision with 17 sacks last season, Green is expected to be a prominent part of the Ravens’ defensive plans this year.

In another move, the Ravens also added defensive back Ar’Darius Washington, who tore his Achilles tendon during a workout this offseason, to the active/physically unable to perform list.

Washington, 25, is expected to miss most if not all of the season. If he is moved to the reserve/PUP list after roster cuts are made at the end of training camp, he will have to miss at least the first four games of the season and will not count against the 53-man roster.

Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1.