5 Things We Learned From Ravens Preseason Opener

There are several revealing takeaways from the Baltimore Ravens’ 20-19 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday.

With a few starting spots and several key roles up for grabs the team got some early indications of who the front runners should be, who can be reliable upon and who can’t be counted on to fill their needs.

Here five of the main things that can be learned from Saturday’s decisive victory.

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Kevon Seymour training camp hype is real

While Marlon Humphrey has been the top dog and Jalyn Armour-Davis is pushing Rock Ya-Sin for the spot behind Humphrey, the other noticeable storyline out of the cornerbacks has been Kevon Seymour’s consistent and good play. While in previous seasons he’s been primarily a special teamer, he’s now pushing for a more prominent defensive role. That was proven in the first preseason game when Seymour didn’t allow a catch all game.

When a receiver did get their hands on a ball finally, it was only because there was offensive pass interference.

Outside of Seymour, the rest of the corner room is still a bit of a question mark. Brandon Stephens had tight coverage all game and seems to be constantly right on the edge of being a consistent No. 2 type of player. But receivers constantly pull in catches against him and he isn’t physical enough in finding the ball. He did find a couple of clutch plays in the game.

Ar’Darius Washington had what was essentially a game-sealing interception but was found in coverage at times before. He has the skill set to be the every-down nickel corner but can he lock it in in time for the season?

Kyu Kelly’s only target was a pass breakup but hasn’t really had any buzz from training camp going into the game.

There’s also Ya-Sin and Armour-Davis, who didn’t play but figure to be two of the top three corners. Despite the youth and relative inexperience, this group has potential, especially considering the safety help they’ll receive. It’s very possible they succeed without additional help. But reinforcements need to be considered heavily before going with the risqué option of raw potential. – Zach Canter

Tyler Huntley is still the best option at QB2

The fourth-year pro came into this preseason in an open competition with journeyman veteran Josh Johnson and while they posted similarly solid stat lines with 8 completions on 12 or fewer attempts, Huntley’s stats came on only two drives from the second half while Johnson played the entire first half and had five.

The difference in how smoothly and more in rhythm the Ravens’ offense looked with the former undrafted free agent under center running things to start the second half was noticeable.

Huntley was able to use his mobility to extend and make plays in a way that Johnson clearly isn’t capable of at this stage of his career. Huntley led a 13-play drive that covered 75 yards and was capped off by a nice pitch and catch back-shoulder touchdown to a player that will be mentioned a little later. – Joshua Reed

Keaton Mitchell was more explosive than his stats suggest

Even though the undrafted rookie running back finished with 11 yards on six carries, he displayed his vaunted speed, burst, acceleration and explosiveness on numerous occasions, including a 35-yard touchdown that was negated by a holding penalty.

He caught a pass for nine yards and showed some juice as a kick returner with 73 yards on three return opportunities. The battle for the fourth running back spot will certainly be a tight one between him and veteran Melvin Gordon who also ran and caught the ball well. – Joshua Reed

WR6 competition is likely a two-man race now

Neither Tylan Wallace nor Laquan Treadwell went off with a big day on offense but they did show the areas of their game that will help them make a push for what will likely be the final roster spot on the wide receiver depth chart.

Wallace had already proved what kind of special teams ace he can be in his first two years in the league but had yet to flash much on offense with just six career receptions in 26 games. Treadwell is a former first-round pick who hasn’t played much on special teams during his first seven years in the league but he hopes to make the Ravens roster that is already well-stocked with weapons; he needed to prove that he can make an impact on special teams in addition to being a viable pass catcher. Wallace was on the receiving end of Huntley’s touchdown pass and made a great adjustment to the back shoulder throw while Treadwell made the first tackle of the game on the opening kickoff.

While they were busy and successful in proving why they should be in consideration for retention on the final roster, fourth-year pro James Proche likely took himself out of the running for the spot with his poor performance. He made the biggest blunder of the game when he fumbled a punt return right after the Ravens’ defense forced a punt with back-to-back negative plays. His first three years with the team have been underwhelming at best outside of a few promising flashes in 2021 but his latest mistake might have been the nail in his proverbial coffin in Baltimore. – Joshua Reed

No panic over the lack of front 7 splash

Despite it being his second year, it was David Ojabo’s first preseason experience. While many were hoping for a splash from him, he had a quiet night though he strung together some good pass-rush moves and sequences. It’s also important to remember this was his first opportunity to game speed test what new outside linebacker coach Chuck Smith, known as Dr. Rush, has been teaching. Combine that with many front seven starters missing such as Roquan Smith, Patrick Queen, Michael Pierce, Justin Madiubuike, Broderick Washington, and Odafe Oweh, it’s no surprise that the early portion of the front seven didn’t deliver how some wanted. While the success of the front seven will be paramount to helping a raw cornerback room, the time to panic is not yet. – Zach Canter