Ravens sleeper rookie turning heads after electric preseason debut

The Baltimore Ravens made 11 selections in the 2025 NFL Draft and signed various talented undrafted free agents. Not all can make the team, which makes preseason crucial for them to make a statement and prove themselves in the league.

In Thursday night’s win over the Indianapolis Colts, the rookies did just that. Whether it was on offense, defense, or special teams, several players stood out. One of those players was defensive lineman Aeneas Peebles.

Aeneas Peebles turns heads in preseason opener vs. Colts

Peebles had a tremendous debut, making three tackles and knocking down a pass at the line of scrimmage on a third-down play. He was one of the many Ravens pressuring the backfield all night long, showcasing his explosiveness off the line and relentless motor.

The 23-year-old desperately needed this kind of performance in the preseason opener. While earlier in the offseason, Peebles seemed like an easy choice for the Ravens’ 53-man roster, the defensive line room has quickly become crowded. Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones, and Broderick Washington Jr. will take the starting roles, but Baltimore has signed a couple of depth pieces over the past few months.

The Ravens signed veteran nose tackle John Jenkins in early June to replace the retired Michael Pierce, and more recently, they brought back Brent Urban for his eighth season in Charm City.

Jenkins should earn a roster spot as the team’s backup nose tackle to Jones, and Urban has long been a favorite of the coaching staff, so it will be hard to keep him off the team once the regular season gets underway. With a deep defensive line, Peebles’ standout preseason debut was that much more crucial.

The former Virginia Tech Hokie does bring an element of pass rush that Jenkins and Urban have not necessarily provided during their long NFL careers. Jenkins (4.5 career sacks) was signed purely to plug the run, and Urban (10 career sacks), although a versatile piece, does not bring the juice that Peebles could bring.

Baltimore may opt to keep six interior defensive linemen on their initial roster, but such a move would eliminate key depth at other positions. The roster decisions are already becoming increasingly difficult, and we are only one game into preseason action.

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