Here’s Why Each Ravens Rookie Could Start, And Why Most Won’t

The Baltimore Ravens have an unusually large rookie class.

The odds of all 11 selections making the team seem pretty low. Let alone many of them landing starting jobs early in the season, or, frankly, at all during their first season in the NFL. But this is the time of year when hope springs eternal in the NFL, with spring practices on the horizon, the fertile terrain when players are all in great shape and ready to shatter expectations!

Right?

Anyway, it’s a great time to size up how this rookie class stands and how likely it is that they will, or could, become starters for the 2026 Ravens.  

G Vega Ioane (14th overall)

Will Start: He is starting and no one is trying to hide it or pretend there was a competition. There was one NFL starting guard on the roster before he was selected 14th overall and now there are two. The only intrigue is him going to right guard – which is overthinking things in my estimation – with Simpson playing on the left side.

Won’t start: Heaven forbid he gets hurt

EDGE Zion Young (45)

Will Start: He was brough in to help on run downs immediately, and best I can still tell first down is an early down and the people on the field that first snap get deemed starters. That’s how it works. The true measure will be how many snaps he plays overall and whether he can make a dent getting to the passer at all.

Won’t Start: If he’s not a plus-and-play edge setter from Week 1, something’s up. He rubbed some teams the wrong way during interviews, and can be quite demonstrative and some would say immature. Could that set him back? We kinda doubt it.

WR Ja’Kobi Lane (80)

Could Start: This receiver’s room besides Zay Jones is bleak, and Jones has The Batia very different build and attributes to Lane. He can’t high point the ball like Lane or win on back shoulder fades like Lane and won’t show up as an endzone target like lane.

Won’t Start: But Flowers and Rashod Bateman will out-snap him and he needs to get bigger and stronger and winning in traffic is not his thing. He will show up in special situations and a lot in the redzone, but not routinely early inn drives, where his blocking also needs work. This team is still going to want to pound the rock on the ground.

WR Elijah Sarratt (115)

Could Start: I fancy his chances far more than Lane. Can block, likes to get physical and wins in a traffic jam. This offense.. navigating from its own territory, will prefer his catch radius and power-forward box out ability to other options.

Won’t Start: Interested to see how much 12 and 13 personnel rookie offensive Declan Doyle utilizes and how things shake out between the rookie WRs and rookie TEs. Bateman has had plenty of injury issues, too, which could open up a spot and Sarratt is more Day 1 pro ready than Lane.

TE Matthew Hibner (133)

Could Start: Maybe Doyle wants to roll the dice and send multiple receivers vertical on first down, maybe some under-center, play action, and he gets this kid lined up as a big slot target. Try to seize momentum early.

Won’t Start: His very presence on the field in a situation like that would be a tell of what’s to come. Like the dynamic with the WRs picked consecutively the second TE the Ravens took is more versatile and ready to fit in multiple ways. Outside of an odd personnel quirk in a particular game or two, we don’t see starting reps here. This feels very situational to us.

CB Chandler Rivers (162)

Could Start: The Ravens have lacked a prototypical slot guy like this since Arthur Maulett was having career years with them and think kid might have some Tavon Young in him and be able to flip his hips and stay with the smaller jitterbug receivers lined up inside. But even then, man, this is a crowded secondary.

Won’t Start: I actually fancy his chances more than a lot on this list just because of a potential match-up against a certain body type where he might be preferential to Marlon Humphrey or a safety. But man can he hold up against the run? This is a developmental prospect.

TE Josh Cuevas (173)

Could Start: Mark Andrews is 32 and has been breaking down in recent years, Hibner is much more of a one-trick pony and this tight end room got cleared out in free agency. Ravens signed a blocker but the Pro Bowl fullback (Pat Ricard) is also gone. He has more strength and blocking acumen than Hibner and could play in line or more around - HYPER

Won’t Start: I’d think that Doyle is leaning into more three-receiver sets with the composition of this roster and if Andrews was lost for some period of time they’d sign Darren Waller or David Njoku (which wouldn’t be a terrible idea right now, either).

RB Adam Randall (174)

Could Start: Hey, the owner picked him, so if he wants him on the field, damn it, he’s on the field! … We’re kidding. Just kidding. This is a developmental play.

Won’t Start: Are we counting the kickoff team as starters? Should find his way on special teams and a gadget play here or there perhaps. But only played RB for one season, has to figure out pass protection and hone those instincts. Over time this is an interesting piece catching balls out of the backfield.

P Ryan Eckley (211)

Will Start: He was picked because kicking guru Randy Brown thought he was the best punter in the draft and the perfect guy to replace departed Pro Bowler Jordan Stout (a fourth-round pick in 2022). It’s his job with nominal competition.

Won’t Start: His leg falls off.

DT Rayshaun Benny

Could Start: Everybody we spoke to raved about this kid from scouts to GMs. He can show up on early downs right now. Will help with run fits and has physicality and developmental pass rush.

Won’t Start: Ravens still have Broderick Washington and added Calais Campbell and have some other veteran big bodies on the roster. I believe this kid will fight his way into the rotation sooner rather than later despite being a seventh-round pick on a Super Bowl Or Bust team, but starting is a stretch.

OL Evan Beernsten (253)

Could Start: Some kind of absolutely nasty virus wipes out the OL room ahead of a game but somehow he avoids it. Act of God type stuff.

Won’t Start: Even with this OL quality and depth looking pretty shaky, I’m far from certain he’s going to make the team. Dude is about to turn 26 and it’s not like he’s a natural center (their biggest need) or even had experience snapping the ball. Ravens failed to take an interior lineman after Ioane, so threw their last dart here.

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