4 Baltimore Ravens Who Could Climb The Depth Chart Faster Than You Think

The Baltimore Ravens have some talented young players currently flying under the radar who could carve out prominent, even starting, roles for themselves sooner than expected.

Dec 31, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions offensive lineman Nick Dawkins (53) against the Boise State Broncos during the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Ravens and general manager Eric DeCosta have done a great job upgrading their roster at positions of need and fortifying it at others over the course of the offseason with an 11-man draft class to go along with great pre- and post-draft veteran free agent signings.

Several of those moves resulted in them finding plug-and-play starters, but there are still a select few starting jobs and key depth roles that could see candidates who aren't currently being talked about much, if at all, rise up the ranks to claim them.

Here is a quartet of Ravens players to keep an eye on who could climb the depth chart faster than anticipated in the coming months, leading up to the 2026 season, by standing out in offseason and training camp practices, as well as in exhibition action during the preseason.

IOL Nick Dawkins

The only full-time starting spot on the Ravens offense that is truly an open competition and up for grabs is in the middle of the offensive line at center. Following the departure of three-time Pro Bowler Tyler Linderbaum in free agency, the only pre-draft moves they made to address it were to bring in a pair of versatile career backups to compete.

After their top two center prospects, whom they viewed as capable of contributing right away, came off the board much earlier than they anticipated during the draft, the Ravens wound up not selecting one at all. However, they were able to land one of the top undrafted rookies at the position, which is where Dawkins comes in. He already has chemistry with Baltimore's first overall pick, offensive guard Olaivavega Ioane, as the two started next to each other the last two years at Penn State.

Nick Dawkins vs Kayden McDonald pic.twitter.com/ds9BY55Squ

— Ivan Evans (@CoachEvans9) April 28, 2026

The former Nittany Lion was a two-time team captain, comes from an athletic lineage as the son of former NBA legend Darryl Dawkins, and is accustomed to working his way up the totem pole to earn a spot at the top. He wasn't highly recruited coming out of high school, with the exception of new Ravens offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford, who tried to recruit him to come to N.C. State, and didn't finally get a chance to crack the starting lineup over more highly-touted recruits until his fourth season in college.

In the last decade, the Ravens have started undrafted rookies and former undrafted free agents at center twice, with Matt Skura and Patrick Mekari. They proved they were still capable of fielding a juggernaut of an offense multiple times prior to drafting Linderbaum in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

At the professional level, Dawkins doesn't have to worry about more highly-touted players getting preferential treatment in this competition because there are none who have been invested in with significant resources, and in the NFL, the best players will play and start based on performance, not status.

WR Devontez Walker

Sep 14, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Devontez Walker (81) scores a touchdown during the third quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

The hype train for the 2024 fourth-rounder's potential to finally break out and impact the Ravens offense in 2026 has come to a screeching halt since the team double-dipped at wide receiver in this year's draft. They used back-to-back picks on USC's Ja'Kobi Lane and Indiana's Elijah Sarratt in the third and fourth rounds, respectively. Both rookies have been getting hyped up in the weeks since getting their names called and reporting to the team, both from within the organization and by both local and national media, but the underutilized third-year pro shouldn't get slept on or overlooked.

When Walker was drafted, he was also touted as a great value pick and a potential steal given the explosive athleticism he showcased at the NFL Scouting Combine that year and the dangerous ability to be a vertical threat he displayed on his college tape coming out of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Even though his playing time on offense during his first two years in the league has been too few and far between, Walker has made the absolute most of his limited opportunities. He has recorded either a first down or a touchdown on six of his seven career receptions. As a rookie, his lone reception resulted in a 21-yard score, last season he found the end zone on three of his six catches and for his career, Walker averages 22.4 yards per catch.

I don’t think it’s too far-fetched to imagine a world in which Devontez Walker steps up and makes that WR3 position his very own!

Here are all SIX of his receptions from this season. All he needs is opportunities! Will Declan Doyle rate Tez highly enough to give him more snaps? pic.twitter.com/v123NP6YbE

— Nic Mason (@British_Raven19) February 18, 2026

Under new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, he could carve out a role as a field-stretcher that is the first man up on the outside when the Ravens go into 11 personnel or whenever they want to dial up a deep shot and clear out more space underneath for two-time Pro Bowler Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and their tight ends.

ILB Jay Higgins

Aug 7, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens linebacker Jay Higgins IV (49) celebrates after an interception against the Indianapolis Colts during the fourth quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

The second-year pro already knows a thing or two about overcoming long odds and could do so again in 2026. Last year, he made the team as an undrafted rookie out of the University of Iowa, where he was a unanimous First Team All-American as a senior in 2024.

By shining in training camp and the preseason on defense, where he showed incredibly impressive instinct and playmaking ability, he was one of three undrafted first-year pros to make the final 53-man roster, but was relegated mostly to playing special teams once the regular season rolled around, with 184, compared to just seven on defense.

With fellow second-year pro and 2025 fourth-rounder Teddye Buchanan recovering from a late-season torn ACL, Higgins has an opportunity to make a great impression on Minter during the remainder of the offseason program and the onset of training camp. He could challenge 2023 third-rounder Trenton Simpson for the temporary or potentially permanent WILL/weakside spot next to four-time Pro Bowl veteran Roquan Smith.

Although Simpson is the more athletic and versatile of the two, Higgins possesses the intangible and instincts that allow him to not only play faster but also consistently be in the right place at the right time to get a stop or make a play on the ball. As a rookie, he recorded 10 total tackles and forced a fumble on a kickoff in 11 games during the regular season.

An undrafted free agent steal from last year’s class, Jay Higgins IV went on to make a name for himself in his rookie year in Baltimore.

He endeared himself to the Ravens, making an impact both on special teams and when he was rotated in and given a chance on defense.

While a… pic.twitter.com/lZRFSAJgTe

— Nic Mason (@British_Raven19) May 10, 2026

The Ravens have a rich history of having former undrafted off-ball linebackers developing into difference-makers on defense, dating back to Bart Scott and continuing through the likes of Jameel McClain, Dannell Ellerbe and Zach Orr, who was forced to medically retire following the 2016 season after being voted the All Pro Second Team. Higgins has a chance to be the next in that storied legacy, and with a new coaching staff outside of his position coach, Tyler Santucci, he might be poised to begin his ascent in year two.

TE Josh Cuevas

Oct 11, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide tight end Josh Cuevas (80) runs with the ball during the first half against the Missouri Tigers at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The Ravens were forced to revamp their entire tight end depth chart behind three-time Pro Bowl veteran Mark Andrews this offseason. They lost Isaiah Likely, Charlie Kolar and six-time Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard in free agency to lucrative deals to join other organizations with strong Baltimore ties in the New York Giants and Los Angeles Chargers.

They double-dipped at the position in the draft for the fifth time in franchise history. While they envision fourth-rounder Matthew Hibner as an ideal replacement for Likely in a complementary pass-catching role, Cuevas can compete with or join veteran Durham Smythe to fill the blocking specialists/H-back role.

The Ravens used the second of their three picks in the fifth round to select the versatile piece out of Alabama, who is comfortable and effective playing with his hand in the dirt, inline, and lined up in the backfield as a lead blocker. Similarly to Kolar, he can also excel at making plays in the passing game as an underrated target underneath and down the seam.

Your newest Baltimore Ravens tight end, Josh Cuevas! pic.twitter.com/L75f8ovYyZ

— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) April 25, 2026

While Smythe is the most familiar with Doyle and his scheme of the entire bunch, given that they spent 2025 together with the Chicago Bears, Cuevas could overtake him for the primary blocking spot if he shows that he's a quick learner and can hold up in the run game at the pro level.