Ravens training camp preview: 20 players who will shape the summer
· Yahoo Sports
The Baltimore Ravens will enter training camp with championship expectations, a new offensive direction, and several position battles that could shape the 2026 season.
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Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry still give Baltimore one of the NFL’s most dangerous backfields, while Mark Andrews, Zay Flowers, and a reshaped receiver room give first-year offensive coordinator Declan Doyle plenty to work with. The defense has star power with Kyle Hamilton, Nate Wiggins, Nnamdi Madubuike, and Trey Hendrickson, but the Ravens still need to sort through depth, rotations, and several young players trying to carve out roles.
Training camp will be about more than stars. Baltimore must settle its center competition, define the rookie receiver roles, evaluate young pass rushers, and determine how the secondary pieces fit within head coach Jesse Minter's and defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver's systems.
These 20 players will help define the summer.
1. Lamar Jackson
Jackson remains the center of Baltimore’s championship hopes and the most important player in camp. His comfort in Doyle’s offense will shape everything, from the passing game’s explosiveness to the protection communication that must be rebuilt after Tyler Linderbaum’s departure. Jackson has already expressed excitement about the offense’s potential, and training camp will reveal how quickly his timing develops with Ja’Kobi Lane, Elijah Sarratt, and the rest of a receiver room that has more size and youth than in previous seasons.
2. Derrick Henry
Henry continues to defy the normal aging curve for running backs, but Baltimore must be smart about managing his workload. He has exceeded 300 carries in each of the Ravens’ last two seasons and in five of the past seven years, making Justice Hill, Keaton Mitchel,l and the rest of the backfield important to the long-term plan. Camp will offer clues about how Doyle wants to balance Henry’s power with Jackson’s mobility and whether the Ravens can preserve their star running back for the games that matter most.
3. Zay Flowers
Flowers remains Baltimore’s most dynamic wide receiver and one of Jackson’s most important playmakers. His ability to separate, create after the catch, and move around the formation gives the Ravens flexibility, especially as Lane and Sarratt adjust to the NFL. Flowers’ summer will be about sharpening timing with Jackson in a new offensive structure and helping set the standard in a wide receiver room where several young players are fighting for trust.
4. Mark Andrews
Andrews remains one of Jackson’s most reliable targets and a critical red-zone piece. He caught 48 passes for 422 yards and five touchdowns last season, and his connection with Jackson still matters as much as any individual matchup in Baltimore’s passing game. Andrews’ role could evolve under Doyle, especially if the Ravens use more size at wide receiver and create more personnel stress with multiple tight end looks. His health, rhythm, and red-zone usage will be central storylines at camp.
5. Vega Ioane
Ioane arrives with first-round expectations after the Ravens selected the Penn State guard at No. 14 overall. Baltimore drafted him to bring power, physicality, and pass-protection stability to an offensive line in transition. His production at Penn State, where he allowed zero sacks in 2025, gives the Ravens confidence he can play early. With Linderbaum gone and the center job unsettled, Ioane’s ability to become a steady starter at guard could make the entire line more comfortable.
6. Ja’Kobi Lane
Lane gives Baltimore something it needed: size and red-zone ability at wide receiver. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound rookie from USC caught 43 passes for 525 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2024, then followed with 49 receptions for 745 yards and four touchdowns in 2025. His fade-route skill, body control, and catch radius could make him an early scoring-area weapon for Jackson. Lane’s connection to former Ravens tight end Todd Heap and his familiarity with receivers coach Keary Colbert’s USC background only add to his intrigue.
7. Elijah Sarratt
Sarratt has already generated buzz because of his hands, production, and willingness to embrace the details of Doyle’s system. The rookie receiver caught 65 passes for 830 yards and 15 touchdowns at Indiana in 2025 after previously producing at Saint Francis and James Madison. His contested-catch ability, slot potential, and 31 receiving touchdowns over the last three seasons give him a defined path to a role. Camp will show whether he can earn Jackson’s trust by consistently being in the right place.
8. Dontae McMillan
McMillan enters camp trying to force his way into the backfield picture behind Henry and Hill. The Ravens’ running game always creates opportunity, but reserve backs must contribute on special teams, handle protection responsibilities, and prove they can be trusted in a physical offense. McMillan’s path is not simply about preseason rushing yards. It is about whether he can become useful enough in multiple phases to make Baltimore think twice at final cuts.
9. Danny Pinter
Pinter appears to have the early edge in Baltimore’s center competition because of his NFL experience and interior flexibility. The Ravens signed him after Linderbaum’s departure, and the center position will be one of the most important camp battles on the roster. Pinter does not need to become Linderbaum immediately. Still, he must prove he can handle protection calls, snap timing with Jackson, and the physical demands of anchoring the middle of the line.
10. Jovaughn Gwyn
Gwyn is Pinter’s most direct challenger at center. He has interior versatility and has been heavily involved in the competition, making padded practices essential to his chances of success. Baltimore’s offense asks a lot from its center, especially with Jackson’s cadence, Henry’s downhill run game, and Doyle’s new system. If Gwyn wins the job, it will likely be because he proves he can communicate clearly, move well in the run game, and hold up against power.
11. Trey Hendrickson
Hendrickson gives Baltimore an established pass-rush presence and changes the edge room’s ceiling. His arrival places pressure on the rest of the rotation while giving Weaver a proven rusher who can win in high-leverage situations. Camp will be about fit, chemistry, and how the Ravens deploy him alongside Tavius Robinson, Mike Green, Adisa Isaac, Zion Young, and others. If Hendrickson looks comfortable quickly, Baltimore’s defense becomes far more difficult to block.
12. Zion Young
Young is one of the more interesting rookie defenders on the roster because of his power, size, and motor. The Missouri product had 42 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, two forced fumbles,s and 14 quarterback hurries in his final college season, giving Baltimore an SEC-tested edge defender to develop. The easy comparison is Za’Darius Smith, given Young’s frame and power-based profile. Still, his immediate job will be earning rotational snaps and special teams work in a crowded edge room.
13. Trenton Simpson
Simpson enters a major summer after Roquan Smith praised his growth during the offseason. His athleticism has never been the issue, but Baltimore needs him to become more consistent, decisive, and dependable next to Smith. Simpson’s range gives the Ravens flexibility, especially in a defense that can disguise pressure and coverage. Camp will determine whether he is ready to become a true every-down linebacker or remains part of a rotation.
14. Kyle Hamilton
Hamilton is already one of the NFL’s best defensive players, but his importance grows in a defense under Minter and Weaver. He can play deep, cover tight ends, fit the run, blitz,z, and function as the matchup eraser who allows Baltimore to disguise its intentions. Hamilton has praised Minter’s clarity and no-gray-area approach, and camp will show how the Ravens plan to maximize one of the league’s most versatile defenders.
15. Nate Wiggins
Wiggins is one of the most important young corners on the roster. His speed, length, and coverage ability give Baltimore a true outside cover option, but the next step is consistency. The Ravens have enough secondary talent to be flexible. Still, Wiggins’ development could determine how aggressive Weaver can be with Hamilton, Marlon Humphrey,y and the rest of the defensive backfield. A strong camp from Wiggins would raise the entire defense’s ceiling.
16. Jaylinn Hawkins
Hawkins gives Baltimore valuable safety depth and experience behind Hamilton, Malaki Starks, and the rest of the defensive backfield. He stood out during offseason work and can help in sub-packages, special teams, and rotational roles. The Ravens have a deep secondary, but camp will determine how many safeties they keep and which players can handle multiple responsibilities on game day. Hawkins’ versatility gives him a real path.
17. Nnamdi Madubuike
Madubuike remains the centerpiece of Baltimore’s defensive front. A neck issue limited him during the offseason work, but the Ravens need him healthy and disruptive once camp begins. His ability to collapse the pocket from the interior makes life easier for every edge rusher, and his presence changes how offenses protect against pressure. If Madubuike is fully healthy, Baltimore’s defensive line can again be one of the team’s greatest strengths.
18. Aeneas Peebles
Peebles enters camp with a chance to earn a rotational role on the defensive line. Baltimore’s front has established pieces, but the Ravens always value interior depth, especially players who can penetrate, play with leverage, and contribute in waves. Peebles’ summer will come down to whether he can handle NFL power, maintain gap discipline, and make enough plays in padded practices to force himself into the defensive line conversation.
19. Chandler Rivers
An intriguing rookie, Rivers is part of a crowded defensive back competition that special teams and versatility will shape. The Ravens have stars at the top of the secondary, but the back end of the roster will depend on players who can handle multiple roles. Rivers must prove he can contribute in coverage, tackle reliably, and become useful enough in the kicking game to justify a roster spot. His margin for error will be slim.
20. Ryan Eckley
Eckley may not play a glamorous position, but he enters camp as one of the Ravens’ important special teams players. The Michigan State product averaged 48.5 yards per punt last season, the second-best single-season mark in program history. Baltimore has long valued field position, and a reliable punter can quietly shape games by protecting the defense and forcing opponents to drive long fields. Eckley’s consistency will matter throughout camp and the preseason.
The Ravens have enough star power to enter the season with legitimate AFC expectations, but training camp will determine whether the supporting pieces are ready. Jackson must take command of Doyle’s offense, the center competition must produce a reliable starter, the rookie receivers must define roles,s and the pass-rush rotation must settle around Hendrickson and Madubuike.
If enough of these 20 players answer their summer questions, Baltimore will enter 2026 with one of the NFL’s most complete rosters and a realistic path toward another deep postseason run.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Ravens training camp preview: 20 players who will shape the summer