The Baltimore Ravens will get their first extended evaluation of the 2026 rookie class when they host the Philadelphia Eagles in Saturday night’s preseason opener. Baltimore selected 11 players in April before signing 19 undrafted rookies. Quarterback Diego Pavia, offensive tackle Trevonte Sylvester and cornerback Matthew McDoom have since been waived, leaving 27 rookies on the active roster.
This ranking considers training-camp performance, projected role, roster security and potential opportunities during the regular season. It is not strictly a measurement of long-term potential or draft position. The order could change significantly once the rookies begin competing under game conditions.
27. Cortez Braham Jr., WR
Braham faces one of Baltimore’s most difficult roster paths because of the depth at wide receiver. The 6-foot-2 rookie must make an immediate impact as a pass catcher and special-teams contributor to gain ground against the receivers ahead of him.
26. Octavian Smith Jr., WR
Smith brings speed and local ties after playing at Maryland, but he is competing behind Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and several young draft picks. His ability to return kicks and contribute on coverage units could become more important than his receiving statistics.
25. Dion Wilson Jr., DL
Wilson has the size to play multiple positions along the defensive front, but Baltimore has considerable veteran and developmental depth at defensive tackle. He must display leverage, power and enough movement ability to separate himself during late-game repetitions.
24. Silas Walters, S
Walters recorded 200 tackles and 24 passes defensed during his career at Miami of Ohio. He enters a crowded safety room, making tackling consistency and special-teams production essential to his effort to remain in Baltimore.
23. Reid Williford, ILB
Williford finished his final season at Charlotte with 74 tackles and four sacks. His preseason evaluation will focus on whether he can quickly diagnose plays, tackle in space and contribute on multiple special-teams units.
22. Jahquez Robinson, S
Robinson brings experience from Alabama, Colorado and Auburn, but he had only 10 collegiate starts. His size and versatility are intriguing, although the Ravens need to see more consistent coverage and communication under game conditions.
21. Elijah Tau-Tolliver, RB
Tau-Tolliver produced 3,632 all-purpose yards during his college career and has experience as a kickoff returner. That versatility gives him a chance, but Baltimore’s deep running back competition will limit his offensive opportunities.
20. Lardarius Webb Jr., CB
Webb’s name carries considerable weight in Baltimore because his father became one of the most productive defensive backs in franchise history. The younger Webb must establish his own identity through coverage instincts, ball production and special teams.
19. Diego Pounds, T
Pounds brings valuable experience after making 32 college starts at North Carolina and Mississippi. The 6-foot-6, 335-pound tackle must show that he can handle NFL speed rushers and remain balanced against power.
18. Ethan Burke, OLB
Burke’s 6-foot-6 frame gives Baltimore another lengthy edge defender to develop. He must demonstrate that he can consistently use that reach against offensive tackles while holding his ground against the running game.
17. Ty Pezza, TE
Pezza transitioned from wide receiver to tight end and recorded 24 special-teams tackles during his career at Brown. His experience in the kicking game gives him a legitimate path toward consideration despite Baltimore’s crowded tight end room.
16. Dontae McMillan, RB
McMillan rushed for 1,014 yards during his final season at Eastern Michigan and added 375 receiving yards. He offers a balanced skill set, but his roster chances will depend heavily on special teams and making the most of limited carries.
15. Nick Dawkins, C
Dawkins joined former Penn State teammate Vega Ioane in Baltimore and entered a center competition featuring Ethan Pocic, Danny Pinter and Jovaughn Gwyn. The undrafted rookie may not win the starting job, but a steady preseason could make him an appealing developmental lineman.
14. Evan Beerntsen, G
Baltimore selected Beerntsen in the seventh round after investing its first-round pick in another guard. His ability to play multiple interior positions and contribute on special teams could determine whether the Ravens keep him on the initial roster.
13. Aaron Graves, DL
Graves finished his Iowa career with 15½ sacks, showing more pass-rushing production than many undrafted interior defenders. He must prove that his effort and hand usage can overcome a crowded defensive line competition.
12. Dominic DeLuca, ILB
DeLuca’s physicality and Penn State background make him a natural developmental fit for Baltimore. He has an opportunity to earn a role behind Roquan Smith and Trenton Simpson through disciplined defense and immediate special-teams production.
11. Joe Fagnano, QB
Skylar Thompson’s placement on injured reserve significantly improved Fagnano’s opportunity. The undrafted quarterback must now compete with recently signed Austin Reed for the third spot behind Jackson and Tyler Huntley.
Fagnano has spent more time learning Declan Doyle’s offense than Reed, but that advantage must translate into command, accuracy and efficient decision-making against Philadelphia.
10. Josh Cuevas, TE
Cuevas brings a physical playing style and experience in Alabama’s offense. Baltimore will evaluate him as both a blocker and receiver while determining how its depth chart should look behind Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely and Durham Smythe.
9. Rayshaun Benny, DL
Benny was widely considered one of Baltimore’s best value selections after lasting until the seventh round. General manager Eric DeCosta described the Michigan product as capable of contributing immediately, but the Ravens’ veteran defensive-line depth will make preseason production important.
8. Chandler Rivers, CB
Rivers has the speed, competitiveness and ball skills to compete for a role in the slot. Injuries to Nate Wiggins and Marlon Humphrey have created more opportunities throughout the secondary, giving Rivers an early chance to show he can handle NFL receivers.
7. Elijah Sarratt, WR
Sarratt was one of college football’s most productive red-zone receivers, catching 15 touchdown passes during his final season at Indiana. He has the size and physicality to become a reliable possession target, but Lane’s spectacular summer has overshadowed him.
The opener offers Sarratt an opportunity to remind the Ravens that they added two promising receivers during the middle rounds, not just one.
6. Matt Hibner, TE
Hibner’s athleticism and receiving ability have made him one of Baltimore’s most intriguing offensive rookies. He has worked in a deep tight end room, but Isaiah Likely’s absence could create more preseason snaps and targets.
Hibner must also demonstrate sufficient growth as a blocker to earn a game-day role alongside Andrews and Smythe.
5. Adam Randall, RB
Randall’s transition from Clemson wide receiver to NFL running back remains one of the rookie class’s most compelling stories. His 6-foot-3, 240-pound frame provides a combination of size and receiving ability that Baltimore does not have elsewhere in the backfield.
Pass protection, ball security and vision will be important against Philadelphia. Randall has the talent to secure a roster spot, but the preseason will reveal how quickly he has adjusted to his new position.
4. Ryan Eckley, P
Eckley enters the opener as Baltimore’s only punter, giving him a direct path to the starting job. The sixth-round selection averaged 48.5 yards per punt during his final season at Michigan State and offers several directional techniques designed to make returns difficult.
His evaluation will include distance, placement and hang time. Eckley must also operate cleanly as Tyler Loop’s holder on field-goal attempts.
3. Zion Young, OLB
Young has the physical profile to contribute immediately as a second-round selection. His power, length and relentless playing style should translate against both the run and pass, although he joins an experienced position group featuring Trey Hendrickson and several developing edge defenders.
Baltimore does not need Young to become an immediate starter. It does need him to show that he can earn rotational snaps, set a firm edge and generate consistent pressure.
2. Vega Ioane, G
Ioane was drafted No. 14 overall to become a foundational member of Baltimore’s offensive line. The former Penn State guard has worked beside Roger Rosengarten and is expected to play against Philadelphia while several established starters rest.
The preseason opener will be Ioane’s first opportunity to handle unfamiliar NFL defensive linemen in a live setting. Communication, pass protection and avoiding mental errors will matter more than dominating every individual rep. He remains the rookie with the clearest path to a starting role.
1. Ja’Kobi Lane, WR
Lane enters the opener as the Ravens’ highest-ranked rookie because no first-year player has generated more training-camp momentum. The 6-foot-4 receiver has repeatedly produced highlight catches, displaying the catch radius, body control and strong hands that made him a third-round selection.
His practice performances have created legitimate expectations about his ability to claim the No. 3 receiver role behind Flowers and Bateman. The next step is proving that those traits translate against an opponent capable of disrupting his routes and challenging him at the catch point.
Lane does not have Ioane’s guaranteed starting position or Young’s draft status. However, his summer has created the most excitement, and Saturday night provides his first opportunity to validate it.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Ranking the Ravens rookie class heading into first preseason game