3 Players to Watch in Ravens Preseason Opener

The Baltimore Ravens begin preseason play against the Philadelphia Eagles.

North Carolina Tar Heels wide receiver Devontez Walker (9) catches a ball near Clemson Tigers cornerback Nate Wiggins (2) during the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. / Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports

Finally, football is back for the Baltimore Ravens.

The Ravens will begin their preseason schedule on Friday when they host the Philadelphia Eagles at 7:30 p.m. ET at M&T Bank Stadium. Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh announced earlier this week that quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry won't be playing, while Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni has kept his cards close to the vest on playing his starters like quarterback Jalen Hurts, newly-signed running back Saquon Barkley and receiver A.J. Brown.

Even with Jackson, Henry and other starters not playing, Baltimore's first preseason game will offer an opportunity for young players to get their first taste of NFL action and potentially set themselves up to have a role on a team with Super Bowl aspirations. Here are three players to watch for the Ravens on Friday night.

CB Nate Wiggins

Cracking the starting lineup as a rookie on a defense that allowed the fewest points per game and led the league in turnovers and sacks is a tall task, but an opportunity may have presented itself for cornerback Nate Wiggins to see playing time early on this season.

Ravens cornerback Arthur Maulet suffered a knee injury that will require surgery and keep him out into the regular season. Maulet appeared in 14 games last season and played 43 percent of the defense's snaps last season and had 37 tackles, two sacks and one interception.

With Maulet out for the foreseeable future, Wiggins will have an opportunity to position himself for early playing time. The Ravens' 2024 first-round pick had two interceptions, one of which he ran back for a touchdown and two forced fumbles in his junior season at Clemson.

Wiggins has reportedly impressed thus far in training camp and given that the Ravens are already down a cornerback, a strong showing against the Eagles could be exactly what he needs to position himself for immediate playing time.

WR Devontez Walker

Outside of Zay Flowers, there are question marks surrounding the Ravens' receiving corps.

Flowers led Ravens receivers with 77 catches for 858 yards and five touchdowns in his rookie season. No receiver on Baltimore's roster from last season had more than 400 receiving yards.

Baltimore took Devontez Walker in the fourth round after he had a strong junior season at North Carolina. Across eight games, he caught 41 passes for 699 yards and seven touchdowns.

If the Ravens' offense to going to become more dangerous in the passing game, they need another receiver to step up. A strong preseason showing from Walker could prove he's poised to step up and be a viable No. 2 receiver alongside Flowers.

OT Roger Rosengarten

No position has more question marks surrounding it for the Ravens than the offensive line.

Baltimore has the unenviable task of replacing three of its five starters from last season, a tall task for any franchise, let alone one that led the league in rushing yards per game and was fourth in points per game. One player vying to be one of the three new starters on the offensive line is 2024 second-round pick Roger Rosengarten.

Rosengarten was among the best pass-blocking offensive linemen in college football across his two seasons as the Washington Huskies' starting right tackle. The 6-foot-6 tackle didn't allow a single sack in nearly 2,000 pass-block snaps according to Pro Football Focus while protecting Michael Penix's blindside.

With the uncertainty surrounding Baltimore's offensive line, Rosengarten seeing early playing time as a rookie would be far from shocking. If Rosengarten can play well against the Eagles and throughout the preseason, it may give him the inside track to earn the starting right tackle position.

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