Ravens Rookie Could Make Debut vs. Falcons

After missing much of training camp, Baltimore Ravens cornerback T.J. Tampa could finally get into some preseason action.

Iowa State defensive back T.J. Tampa warms up prior to kickoff against Kansas State at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa, on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022. Iowastatevskansasstatefb 20221008 Bh / Bryon Houlgrave/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK

Most of the Baltimore Ravens' rookies made their debut in Friday's preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, and some of them even made great first impressions. Nate Wiggins broke up three passes on his first drive alone, while Roger Rosengarten was a steady presence at right tackle.

However, some rookies didn't get to join in on the fun, with cornerback T.J. Tampa being perhaps the most notable example. Tampa was a great value pick for the Ravens as they got him in the late fourth round when he was expected to go off the board on Day 2, but he has unfortunately missed most of training camp recovering from a sports hernia surgery.

Luckily, the Iowa State product recently made his return to practice, so the natural next step would be to get him into some preseason action. In fact, head coach John Harbaugh said on Tuesday that Tampa has "a good shot" to play against the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday.

"I would love to see [Tampa], it's just going to depend on his ability to do it with the recovery from bilateral sports hernia surgery," Harbaugh said. "I think he's got a good shot; we just have to see how it comes along in the next week or so."

Before anyone gets too excited, though, it's not at all certain that Tampa will play against Atlanta. According to Ravens.com editorial director Ryan Mink, the opposite may be more likely.

"The Ravens aren't going to rush the fourth-round pick back into action," Mink writes in a recent mailbag article. "As of Wednesday morning, he hasn't even participated in any 11-on-11 drills in training camp after returning to the field Monday. There's always a ramp-up period, and that would be a fast one to get him into game action."

Tampa, 22, is coming off a first-team All-Big 12 selection last season, in which he accounted for 44 total tackles, seven passes defended and two interceptions. He should be a good addition to the secondary whenever he comes back, even if he may not play much due to the Ravens' strong cornerback depth.

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