Ravens Sign Former First-Round Pick to Practice Squad

The Baltimore Ravens are making an interesting addition after the loss to the Detroit Lions.

Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Taven Bryan (96) reacts after sacking Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, during a game against the Chicago Bears at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Baltimore Ravens are making a notable addition to their practice squad after a crushing Week 3 loss to the Detroit Lions.

Per reports from NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, the Ravens are signing former Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Taven Bryan to the practice squad as defensive lineman Nnamdi Madubuike continues to deal with a neck injury.

A former first-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2018 NFL Draft, Bryan spent the past two years with the Colts after starting 16 games for the Cleveland Browns during the 2022 season. He played his first four years with the Jaguars.

In 113 career regular-season games (46 starts), Bryan has tallied 154 total tackles (85 solo), 11.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and three pass breakups.

The Lions finished with 224 rushing yards in the 38-30 win over Baltimore thanks to the two-headed rushing attack of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh made it clear after the loss that the run defense as unacceptable.

"There's nobody in that locker room that thinks that's good enough," Harbaugh said. "That's disappointing. That's bad run defense, and that's not who we are. It cannot be who we are. It's not going to be acceptable, and it has to be better."

Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton added that it's more "demoralizing" to allow a team to run the ball well than give up yards through the air.

"[We] can't just take it for granted," Hamilton said, per the team website. "Our run defense, it's been pretty good the whole time I've been here, but when a team runs a ball like that, it just demoralizes you more than passing the ball. They're challenging you mentally and physically, so it's on us as a defense just to put that fire out ASAP, and we didn't do that."

Bryan won't come in an immediately fix any of these problems, but at best, he can add a veteran presence to a front seven that needs all the help it can get headed into Week 4's must-win game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

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