Promising Ravens rookie’s training camp debut delayed by crushing setback

The Baltimore Ravens are barrelling into training camp with one of the best rosters in the NFL. They retained most of their stars and made crucial additions throughout the offseason. Several of those new players are rookies.

The Ravens brought in a draft class of 11 rookies deep. They did their due diligence on the undrafted free agent market, as well, filling out an already stacked roster nicely. The rookies arrived for Baltimore’s training camp on July 15, looking to showcase their talents and carve out a valuable role in 2025. However, one rookie showcase will have to wait.

Jeff Zrebic of The Athletic revealed that third-round pick out of LSU, Emery Jones Jr., will begin camp on the non-football injury list as he recovers from his shoulder surgery. Jones missed out on OTAs, and there was speculation about whether or not he would be ready for training camp this month. As it turns out, fans will have to wait to see him make his camp debut.

Emery Jones Jr. is already facing an uphill battle

Jones has been dealing with a labrum issue since the start of rookie minicamp in May. While head coach John Harbaugh was hopeful he would see the field during training camp, it is expected to be a while longer before he takes the field with his teammates in the coming weeks.

Baltimore is not going to push Jones until he is 100 percent ready to go. They are usually more careful with injury recoveries, especially with rookies who are adjusting to the professional level. While it would have been great to see Jones on the field competing for a key role on the Ravens’ offensive line, it should allow other linemen to emerge while he recovers to full health.

Jones could be the team’s starting left guard and provide versatility in 2025. Former Raven Patrick Mekari left for the Jacksonville Jaguars this past offseason, leaving plenty of opportunity for young up-and-comers on the roster.

Others competing for the left guard role are Andrew Vorhees and Ben Cleveland. Vorhees has been the favorite this entire offseason, and Cleveland re-signed in March, so there is a belief he could be a real contributor this year. It is not the strongest room, and Jones should be able to compete, but he will miss crucial time, which could hurt his chances of earning the starting job. 

Hopefully, Jones can make a quick return to camp, but if he does not suit up soon, fans will be wondering if he will even be ready for preseason.

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