Ravens Have Three Veterans to Watch During Training Camp

The Baltimore Ravens, already one of the most skilled rosters in the NFL, added a few hired guns this offseason in putting themselves in the best possible position to win it all next February.

They earned themselves some acclaim around the league for their productive performance at the NFL Draft, but it was their older free agents who dominated ESPN's list of players to watch entering training camp.

Their most recent hire, Jaire Alexander, was added to the Ravens well after the prime of free agency had come and gone. The Green Bay Packers cornerback is aiming for a fresh start with Lamar Jackson, his old college teammate, in a fresh situation with championship aspirations.

"The availability of the former Green Bay Packers defensive back will be a major storyline to watch all summer," Jamison Hensley wrote. "Alexander has made the Pro Bowl in his last two healthy seasons, but he's missed a total of 34 games over the last four seasons. With Alexander signing his one-year, $4 million deal on the final day of minicamp, the first time the Ravens will see him on the field is training camp."

Alexander wasn't the only experienced voice the Ravens added to this fall's locker room in 2025. They also signed wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to another one-year contract, implementing the 5x Pro Bowler to Baltimore's deep wide receiver room as he prepares to join his fifth NFL team.

The Ravens don't have any true stars for Lamar Jackson to throw to, but Hopkins and his world-famous hands will try to build chemistry now that he's fully embracing the platoon-role portion of his career alongside Zay Flowers, Mark Andrews and Rashod Bateman.

"Training camp will be an important time for Hopkins and Lamar Jackson to gain chemistry," Hensley wrote. "With Jackson attending one voluntary workout and two minicamp practices, he's had limited time to work with Hopkins, Baltimore's biggest free agent addition on offense. Hopkins is coming off a season in which he totaled 610 yards receiving (the second-lowest of his 12-year career), but he is expected to produce more than the Ravens' recent No. 3 receivers in Nelson Agholor andOdell Beckham Jr."

Those two look to add some experience to several already-qualified position groups, but the Ravens were sure to fill some much-needed holes in the draft. While most of their newest prospects are given the leash to ease into their big-league roles, some new Ravens are expected to provide an immediate impact.

Punt returner LaJohntay Webster put half a decade into his collegiate development, and earned his way to Baltimore as the Ravens' sole draft pick at a skill position. They needed to inject some juice into the return game, with the young Raven earning the third and final spot on ESPN's list of players to watch as the full roster convenes late in the summer.

"Baltimore invested a sixth-round pick on Colorado wide receiver LaJohntay Wester, who has the speed to become an impact returner," Hensley said. "But if the rookie struggles, especially with ball security, Baltimore could turn to Tylan Wallace or look for a more experienced returner before the start of the season."