Five things to watch at Ravens’ mandatory minicamp – The Denver Post

What a difference a few months makes.

In March, the state of the Ravens was precarious. Uncertainty and acrimony swirled around franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson. There was a serious dearth of talent at wide receiver with a group that finished last in the NFL in yards. There were questions about who would plug holes at edge rusher and cornerback. There was a failing grade for the strength and conditioning program.

Now, as Baltimore transitions from the voluntary portion of offseason workouts to the three-day mandatory minicamp that begins Tuesday in Owings Mills, many of those problems have been addressed. As a result, the Ravens have gone from a ship with an uncharted course to one on the precipice of potential Super Bowl contention.

Still, there’s a long way between now and next February, and questions still loom. Here are the biggest topics heading into the final “live contact” portion of the offseason before the Ravens take a six-week break ahead of the start of training camp in late July.

Lamar Jackson’s progression in Todd Monken’s offense

In the three practices during voluntary organized team activities that have been open to the media, two things have stood out: New offensive coordinator Todd Monken has been much more active and vocal than predecessor Greg Roman, and Jackson has a more dynamic system at his disposal.

The execution of Monken’s scheme — which so far has featured a mix of screens, short throws, and more shots to the sideline and downfield — has been mixed, but that’s to be expected at this point. But there has been progress, too. Last week, for example, Jackson showed good chemistry with veteran Nelson Agholor, particularly on back-shoulder throws. There’s also been an emphasis on Jackson’s footwork in the pocket under new quarterbacks coach Tee Martin and more control given to the quarterback at the line of scrimmage.

“We’ve been in that world before, but not to this degree,” coach John Harbaugh said last week. “Obviously, Todd is right in there with Tee coaching the offense to the quarterbacks; that’s been really good. We’ve had a lot of one-on-one sessions, in terms of just how we’re going to operate and how the quarterbacks need to operate. I think you saw today [that] the communication is probably better than what you saw last week, so we’ve just got to keep building on that.”

This week, Jackson should have the most complete collection of talent around him to date this offseason. Harbaugh said he expects everybody on the 90-man roster to report for the mandatory practices.

Will Odell Beckham Jr. and J.K. Dobbins participate?

It’s a question worth asking, considering neither took the field during voluntary organized team activities.

Beckham, who signed his one-year, reported $15 million contract in April, has been working out on his own and is expected to be on hand. Players who skip the mandatory practices incur a hefty fine and usually do so over contract issues (see: New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley), but that’s not the concern here. How much Beckham — who hasn’t played in a game since tearing his ACL in Super Bowl 56 in February 2022 — does, though, will be a point of intrigue.

The same can be said of running back J.K. Dobbins, who likewise didn’t participate in any of the voluntary practices but for different reasons. He has stayed away since voicing his displeasure over his role in the Ravens’ wild-card loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Dobbins, who is in the final year of his rookie deal, was in town Monday, though, and it’ll be important to assert himself after having missed 27 of 50 regular-season games since the Ravens drafted him in the second round in 2020.

Receiver Rashod Bateman also hasn’t spoken to the media since his since-deleted tweet in March in response to general manager Eric DeCosta’s characterization of the team’s receivers, though he was at two of the three voluntary practices that were open to the media. Bateman only did drills in those sessions but his recovery from season-ending foot surgery has gone well, the team has said. Meanwhile, running back Gus Edwards might see limited action this week; Harbaugh said last week that Edwards won’t be “fully ready” until training camp.

Which rookies will stand out?

The Ravens’ first-year players were “drinking from the fire hose,” as defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald put it last month, as they got acclimated to life in the NFL. But that was then. The group has progressed since, particularly receiver Zay Flowers, inside linebacker Trenton Simpson and offensive tackle Sala Aumavae-Laulu, all of whom figure to be contributors this fall.

Harbaugh said last week that he was looking for what he saw on tape of the rookie class to carry over to the field and that they’ve exceeded that.

“In this environment, they look smooth, they’re moving well, they’re learning,” he said. “All the guys are learning well. So, we’re happy with those guys. All the rookies are doing a good job. Now, it’s rehearsal right now; it’s not really competitive, so we’ll see. Once the pads come on and once it gets competitive, we’ll know more.”

That won’t come until training camp.

Wide receiver group is suddenly deep

A once weak position has turned into something much better, assuming everyone is healthy.

In addition to Beckham, Bateman, Flowers, Agholor and Devin Duvernay round out the team’s top five receivers. After that are third-year wideout James Proche, newly signed veteran Laquon Treadwell and 2021 fourth-round pick Tylan Wallace.

Another player that could be worth watching is former Maryland standout and undrafted free agent Dontay Demus Jr. Though there are questions about his knee after a devastating injury in 2021, the 6-foot-3, 212-pound receiver was a stud before he got hurt.

In all, the Ravens have five former first-round picks at receiver (Beckham, Bateman, Flowers, Agholor, Treadwell), and there are still some questions about them, ranging from health to production. But how the group at large shakes out will be worth watching.

Defensive backs are worth watching, too

Cornerback was another concern going into this year’s draft with Marcus Peters hitting free agency, but the Ravens found a starter opposite Marlon Humphrey with the signing of Rock Ya-Sin. But it remains to be seen where the rest of the team’s cornerbacks fit.

Jalyn Armour-Davis and Damarion “Pepe” Williams both struggled last season as rookies, while Brandon Stephens has moved to safety.

Armour-Davis is also recovering from a hip injury he suffered in November and thus far has seen limited action in practice. Daryl Worley is back after re-signing earlier this year, but he played sparingly across eight games last season. Trayvon Mullen, a former second-round pick who joined the Ravens late last season and re-signed in March, brings the experience of having started 31 games, though most of those came in his first two seasons. And there’s rookie Kyu Blu Kelly, whom the Ravens drafted in the fifth round out of Stanford.

As for safety, Kyle Hamilton figures to start alongside Marcus Williams after Chuck Clark was traded to the New York Jets. But Hamilton could also see action in the nickel again.

Stephens, as mentioned, is expected to return to safety, where he started 11 games as a rookie in 2021 after four starts at cornerback last year. Geno Stone, now in his fourth year in Baltimore, will also be a contributor after starting seven games last season.

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