The Baltimore Ravens will open the preseason against the Philadelphia Eagles for the second year in a row at home in M&T Bank Stadium on Friday night. With starting jobs, rotational roles and depth spots on both sides of the ball up for grabs, here are 15 players on offense to watch for in the team's first taste of exhibition action.
OG Andrew Vorhees - The second-year pro dropped to the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft and missed his entire rookie season with a torn ACL he suffered at the combine. Fast forward to this year and he is in pole position to win the starting left guard job where he will be "playing meaningful football" for the Ravens in 2024 just as general manager Eric DeCosta predicted after trading back into last year's draft to select him. Vorhees is essentially a rookie in terms of NFL experience and will get his first taste against the Eagles.
OT Roger Rosengarten - The second-rounder out of Washington actually is a rookie and is also competing for a starting job as the potential replacement for Morgan Moses at right tackle. He will likely see the field early in the game and might spend a little time on the blindside if they want to get another lineman some live reps on the right side.
IOL Ben Cleveland - The fourth-year pro might very well start the game at center where he has been cross-training and running with the first team since 2023 Pro Bowler Tyler Linderbaum has been out with a soft tissue injury. Heading into a contract year, Cleveland is also competing to replace Kevin Zeitler at right guard and is out to prove to the Ravens or any other team watching him that he can play anywhere in the interior he is needed.
G/T Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu - The second-year pro competed for the starting left guard spot as a sixth-round rookie last year and ultimately lost out to veteran John Simpson who departed in free agency. He is gunning for the same spot again this year but will also likely spend some time in the preseason playing his natural position of tackle that he stood out at in college.
G/T Daniel Faalele - The third-year pro entered training camp as Rosengarten's chief competition at right tackle but the Ravens have been experimenting with him bumping inside to guard. Against the Eagles, the 2022 fourth-rounder will have the opportunity to work through his growing pains in live action as he also looks to secure one of the starting vacancies in the offensive trenches.
C Nick Semac - The seventh-rounder out of Michigan State is competing with Cleveland and others for the role to serve as Linderbaum's primary backup. He will likely get his first shot when one of his fellow competitors moves to one of the two guard spots and could possibly see some snaps at one of those two spots himself.
QB Devin Leary - The sixth-round rookie signal-caller out of Kentucky will be one of the most intriguing players to keep an eye on this preseason because he is not afraid to cut the ball loose and showcase his arm talent. However, he also needs to show he can take care of the ball better throwing a dozen interceptions in his final collegiate season which were more than double his previous single-season high total through his first four years.
QB Emory Jones - The undrafted rookie signal-caller out of Florida will be out to make a case for himself to be the Ravens' developmental prospect and No. 3 on the depth behind Lamar Jackson and Josh Johnson. To do so, he will need to outshine Leary at a consistently higher clip in the preseason starting against the Eagles.
RB Rasheen Ali - While undrafted free agents Owen Wright and Chris Collier will get their fair share of carries and touches, the fifth-rounder out of Marshal has a chance to be one of the stars of the preseason for the Ravens with four-time Pro Bowler Derrick Henry not taking part in any exhibition action. With three spots on the starting offensive line up for grabs, he could be running behind some variation of the eventual first-team blocking unit on Friday night.
TE Qadir Ismail - For the second straight year, a Ravens legacy whose father helped bring the first Super Bowl title back to Baltimore will have a chance to contend for a roster spot as an undrafted free agent. Ismail is a converted wide receiver who previously played quarterback and has been impressing his teammates and coaches alike in his transition to tight end. Now he'll get a chance to do the same against another team with his dad -- Qadry Ismail -- in the building.
WR Malik Cunningham - Ismail isn't the only former quarterback making a transition to a new position with a lot at stake in the preseason. The second-year pro went undrafted last year and spent most of his rookie year with the New England Patriots before finishing it with the Ravens. He is fully committed to making a position switch to wide receiver and has looked good doing so dating back to the offseason program. Cunningham will get his first crack at making plays against another team when he faces the Eagles.
WR Devontez Walker - The fourth-round rookie out of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill should also be fun to watch this preseason with the vertical playmaking ability and blazing speed he possesses. After going up against arguably the deepest and best secondary in the league with pads on the past couple of weeks, he'll be well prepared and chomping at the bit to blow past some defensive backs from another team.
WR Dayton Wade - The undrafted rookie out of Ole Miss who plays much bigger than his size suggests was a big-play threat and contested catch merchant in college. Players like him have the right kind of mentality and opportunity to shine in the preseason and put themselves in a position to make someone's team if not the Ravens.
WR Sean Ryan - The second-year pro was an undrafted free agent last year and had some strong performances in the preseason, particularly against the Eagles in which he recorded four catches for 37 receiving yards and a touchdown that was called back due to a penalty but was impressive nonetheless. While his exhibition exploits weren't enough to earn him a spot on last year's revamped wideout depth chart, after some notable offseason losses, he might stand a better chance this time around if he does even better.
WR Russell Gage - The seventh-year veteran just joined the team earlier this week but is the second-most experienced player the Ravens currently have at the position after Nelson Agholor. After missing all of last season with a torn patellar tendon Gage will be out to prove how quickly he has picked up the playbook and how much of a proven playmaker he can still be if given the chance.