Keondre Jackson Could Be More Than a Special Teams Ace for the Baltimore Ravens

There are a lot of parallels in the paths that Baltimore Ravens first-year special teams coordinator Anthony Levine Sr. and second-year safety Keondre Jackson followed at the beginning of their respective NFL careers, which occurred more than a decade apart.

They played the same position, came into the league undrafted, got cut in their first year and started making an impact as a core special teams contributor. However, in Levine Sr.'s eyes, that's where the similarities stop because he believes Jackson can reach even greater heights than he did as a player over the course of a 10-year career.

"I think Keondre is going to be a better player than what I was," Levine Sr. after the third OTA session. "Do I see myself? No. If you look at Keondre and look at me – come on. The things that Keondre can do, I wasn't able to do. So, do I see [similarities between] me and Keondre? Not at all. We may have the same type of mentality, but his physicality and his physique and the things that he can do, I wasn't able to do. So, I think he'll be able to do a lot more things than I could."

At 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, Jackson is taller and bigger than Levine Sr. was listed as when last played in 2021 at 5-foot-11 and 207 pounds. The physicality that the undrafted free agent out of Illinois State jumps off the film, and the infectious energy he plays, provided the Ravens' kick and punt coverage units with a lot of juice in the second half of the season after he got signed to the 53-man roster off the practice squad.

SPECIAL TEAMS!!!! FUMBLE AND RAVENS RECOVER!!!

TUNE IN ON FOX. pic.twitter.com/Yxvh2Zc8FX
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) November 9, 2025

The first impressive play on special teams he made in a game as a rookie that caught the coaching staff’s attention and earned him some acclaim was a vice block that he helped make on a punt return in the preseason.

After not being among the three undrafted first-year pros who made the final roster cut, he bided his time on the practice squad. Jackson balled out covering kicks on all three of his standard elevations so much that they couldn't risk not signing him to the 53-man because of how well he was playing and the fact that another team would've likely signed him to theirs if they hadn't.

He appeared in 12 games and finished with 13 total tackles on special teams, including 10 solos, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a blocked point after attempt.

"I want [Keondre] to keep making plays," Levine Sr. said. "He's a physical player. He's fast. He's smart [and] plays with great effort. He sees the field very well, especially on special teams. So, what I want Keondre to do [is] make plays, and that's what he does."

Jackson could carve out a role on defense in year 2

Washington Commanders wide receiver Lawrence Cager (89) catches a pass against Baltimore Ravens safety Keondre Jackson (39). — Aug 23, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders wide receiver Lawrence Cager (89) catches a pass against Baltimore Ravens safety Keondre Jackson (39) during the fourth quarter at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Levine Sr. played exclusively played on special teams for his first two years in the league and didn't take the first defensive snaps of his career in the regular season until year three. All 227 of the snaps that Jackson was on the field for as a rookie came in the third phase of the game, but that could change if he continues to trend upward coming out of Organized Team Activities.

"Last year, he had a really good year," Levine Sr. said. "He started playing for us, came in making plays [and] was a key contributor for us. Now, he has to do that again. Every single day he has to come in, he has to do it again, day-in and day-out.

"That's what he's doing right now. He's more vocal. He's standing out. He's doing a great job. So, my advice to him – and I tell him all the time – is to make sure that he's being consistent because you have to do it day-in [and] day-out, year after year. Nobody cares about what you did last year. It's all about what you're doing this year and going forward."

Jackson closed out the third and final session of OTAs with a bang on Tuesday's practice that was open to the media. According to multiple reports, he made a trio of plays on the ball, resulting in a pair of interceptions and a third pass defensed that could've been another.

Levine Sr. eventually carved out an impactful role on defense as a sub-package dime linebacker, where he made several impressive plays over the middle of the field.

Ravens new head coach, Jesse Minter, is renowned for deploying a heavy amount of defensive backs, and Jackson has the potential to be more than just quality safety depth behind the starting trio of Kyle Hamilton, Malaki Starks and Jaylinn Hawkins. He could go from not playing any defensive snaps as a rookie to finding himself lining up next to three-time All Pro inside linebacker Roquan Smith on obvious passing downs in year two.

"He's the same guy every day," defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said. "He's going to be full speed. You're never going to find a clip where you stop at the end of the play, and he's not around the ball carrier. Usually, the ball finds energy, and he's a juice guy. He brings it on [special] teams, and he's had success on that side of the ball. Hopefully we can get that to translate a little bit more to defense this year."

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