Best and Worst of Ravens Preseason Rookies

The first-round safety was one of the few defensive starters who played in the game because it was his first appearance in his career. He was on the field for every snap of the Ravens' first three defensive drives and even logged three on special teams, where he made a block on the longest play of the game. Starks finished with one pressure and a solo tackle that he recorded on his first drive when he brought down fellow top overall pick, Colts tight end Tyler Warren, in the open field after a six-yard reception.

OLB Mike Green

On a night where the Ravens' pass rush as a whole showed a lot of promise, the second-round edge defender shone the brightest despite not recording a sack. He played 41% of the Ravens' total defensive snaps with 33 and was an absolute menace for the Colts' offense on the vast majority of them. He showcased an impressive blend of power, explosiveness and insane bend around the edge reminiscent of an Olympic speed skater. As a pass rusher, Green deployed an array of moves and recorded a pass rush win rate of 30%, tied for the second-most pressures on the team with three and his pass rush grade of 85.6 was the highest on the team according to Pro Football Focus. He finished with two total tackles, including one solo and flushed Daniel Jones up into the pocket and into the arms of Adisa Isaac for a sack.

LB Teddye Buchanan

With three-time Pro Bowl veteran Roquan Smith sitting out with most starters, the fourth-round linebacker got the starting nod at the MIKE spot. It meant he got to wear the green dot and was responsible for relaying the defensive calls and getting everyone lined up. Buchanan wasn't in on an abundance of tackles, finishing with just one assisted despite playing 50% of the team's total on defense with 40 and added another 13 on special teams. However, afterwards, he was praised for his communication skills by several teammates, including Starks.

OT Carson Vinson

Coming into the league from competing at the HBCU level, the fifth-round offensive tackle looked like the developmental prospect he was billed as because of his prototypical tools, but he is still in need of a lot of refinement. He led all Ravens offensive linemen in snaps played with 50, which accounted for 81% of the team's total and tied second-year quarterback Devin Leary for the most on that side of the ball. Even though he got beaten a few times in pass protection, according to PFF, he didn't give up any pressures.

CB Bilhal Kone

Before leaving the game in the first half with a gruesome season-ending knee injury, the sixth-rounder played 17 defensive snaps and one on special teams. He was having a strong day in coverage, in particular, including on the play he got injured when he prevented a completion in the red zone and he recorded a solo tackle.

K Tyler Loop

Following a perfect outing in his first time kicking at M&T Bank Stadium for the Ravens' open practice last Sunday, he missed his first field goal attempt just wide left, which probably spooked some fans, as that was the same direction his predecessor, Justin Tucker, missed from several times last season. Instead of letting it bring him down, Loop bounced back by drilling his second through the uprights from 52 yards out and it would've still been good from 60-plus. He was also perfect on all three of his extra-point attempts and made a solo tackle on a kickoff return.

WR LaJohntay Wester

After having a revolving door and a lack of juice at punt returner last season, the Ravens are poised to put both issues far in the rearview after getting a live glimpse of what the sixth-rounder is capable of in the preseason opener. On his first punt return opportunity, he aggressively and cleanly fielded the ball, then proceeded to make multiple defenders miss as he ripped off a 17-yard return. His second was even more electrifying as he not only caught the ball cleanly but made some nice moves before getting north and finding an alley for an 87-yard touchdown. As if his play on special teams wasn't special enough, he also led the team with 41 receiving yards that included an incredible 30-yard snag down the sideline.

DT Aeneas Peebles

No interior defensive lineman on the teams saw the field for more defensive snaps than the Ravens' sixth-round rookie, who goes by the nickname 'Fub' as he led them all with 42, which tied for the second-most among all rookies. Peebles played well against both the run and pass, recording three total tackles, including one solo, a pressure and batted one of his former Duke teammate Riley Leonard's passes at the line of scrimmage that had him and everyone else around hyped up.

IOL Garrett Dellinger

The seventh-round pick played the third-most offensive snaps among all linemen, with 28 that accounted for 45% of the team's total. He didn't give up a single pressure and helped pave the way in the ground game during that time.

ILB Jay Higgins

The undrafted free agent out of Iowa was right up there with Green and Wester as one of the brightest stars of the game for the Ravens. He finished as their highest graded player regardless of position with an overall grade of 88.1, thanks in large part to his outstanding performance in coverage, where he received a grade of 85. Higgins' biggest plays were an interception that ended one Colts drive and a batted pass at the line of scrimmage while coming on a blitz that forced a turnover on downs on Indianapolis' final offensive drive.

DB Reuben Lowery

The undrafted free agent out of Tennessee-Chattanooga has been one of the stars of Ravens practices dating back to the offseason program. He has been playing all over the secondary, and in this game, he took a lot of snaps at safety and comported himself well, making four total tackles, including a pair of solos.

ILB Chandler Martin

The undrafted free agent out of Memphis was another off-ball linebacker who made a strong impression in his first taste of NFL action in coverage, run defense and as a pass rusher. He recorded four total tackles, with his solo being a nice run stuff where he stood up a running back on third down for a short gain. Martin also recorded a pressure, a quarterback hit that helped force an intentional ground penalty and broke up a pass.

DT Jayson Jones

The undrafted free agent out of Auburn played 26 defensive snaps and stayed busy as he led all defensive linemen on the team and finished second among all rookies with four total tackles, including three solos and he recorded a pressure as an interior pass rusher.

CB Keyon Martin

The undrafted free agent out of Louisiana-Lafayette played the second-most defensive snaps on the team with 58% and led all rookies in total tackles with five, including three solos and recorded a pass breakup.

OLB Kaimon Rucker

The undrafted free agent edge defender out of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill helped keep the pressure on the Colts' quarterbacks in the second half. Even though he didn't record a sack either, Rucker still managed to tie for the most pressures on the team per PFF with four and led the team with a pair of quarterback hits. He played 31 snaps on defense, another three on special teams and finished with a pair of tackles, including a solo.