Keyon Martin Continues To Stack Strong Practices and Receive Rave Reviews From Ravens

The second-year defensive back has seemingly picked up where he left off in last year's training camp when he beat long odds to make the team as an undrafted rookie.

Jul 24, 2025; Owings Mills, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens cornerback Keyon Martin (38) runs drills during training camp at the Under Armour Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The best way for a young player to go from a borderline roster bubble player to being viewed as too indispensable to risk being exposed to waivers at final cutdown time is to keep doing exactly what Baltimore Ravens cornerback Keyon Martin has been doing at the onset of the team's 2026 training camp.

Last year, he was one of three undrafted rookies who made the Ravens' final 53-man roster following an offseason where they made the second-most picks in the 2025 NFL Draft with 11 selections. By the end of August, there was no denying that Martin had proved that he belongs in Baltimore and can compete at the NFL level.

The unheralded product out of the University of Louisiana-Lafayette made play after play starting in the spring during rookie minicamp, OTAs and mandatory minicamp. He continued to do so in his first training camp and took his game to an even higher level in the preseason, making big plays on defense and special teams.

Through the first four practices of this year's training camp, Martin has been one of the brightest standouts, especially over the past two days ahead of Sunday's day off. The undersized nickel cornerback made impressive plays in coverage on both days, including picking off star quarterback Lamar Jackson in front of over 20,000 fans and spectators during Saturday's open practice at the University of Maryland.

LAMAR JACKSON INTERCEPTED BY KEYON MARTIN. pic.twitter.com/5m24L0kvmt

— SleeperRavens (@SleeperRavenss) August 1, 2026

The interception came on a pass intended for veteran tight end Mark Andrews just one play after Jackson and his three-time Pro Bowl security blanket had connected on a 20-plus-yard completion against Martin. After practice, the two-time MVP couldn't help but give his fellow Broward County, Florida native his props for being responsible for one of the few incompletions he threw during the team drill sessions.

"He got a knack for the ball, Jackson said. "He's a guy that's hungry, he wants to be on the field, he wants to be a difference maker for the defense, but he's like a little gnat out there. He's going to come up and try to make some tackles; he [does] what a nickel is supposed to do."

Turning to the right heads

Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Baltimore Ravens coach Jesse Minter speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jackson isn't the only one who's been singing Martin's praises over the past couple of days while he's been stacking back-to-back practices. After Saturday's session, head coach Jesse Minter shared his thoughts on the youngster's performance and how pleased with what he's been showing.

"He's a competitor, he studies the game, he's in the right spot, he's sneaky in coverage, so he's had a really good couple of days," Minter said. "He had a really good day [Friday] down in the red zone, another good day today.

"That's all you want. For guys to put it out there, put who they are on tap every day. The consistency you love when you start to stack days like that, it goes a long way with some of the older guys, so much credit to him."

During the red zone portion of Friday's practice that Minter alluded to, Martin prevented a pair of passes from being completed within three plays of each other, according to reports. The first was intended for starting veteran wideout Rashod Bateman, and the second was meant for third-year pro Devontez. Both were denied, and after practice, defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver fired up the hype train with an accurate assessment and some colorful language.

"I love the kid. He is out here; he just competes every day," Weaver said. "He is one of those guys where he is not a big dude — so those guys, they always play with a chip, and he carries it. He is having fun; he is energetic — you can feel the juice and the energy, and people feed off that. But, he wants to rip your face off. He may not say it, but when he is out there, he competes every single snap. I absolutely love the kid."

When he was the defensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins last year, he recalled being impressed by Martin during the pre-draft process when the team had him in for a local pro day and lamented the fact that they let him get away.

"So, I mean, we f**ked that up, right?" Weaver rhetorically asked with a chuckle

As a rookie, Martin was thrust into playing a large role on defense early while the defense was dealing with injuries to several veterans. He wound up playing over 20-plus snaps on that side of the ball in three of the Ravens' first five games before being relegated to playing mostly on special teams from Week 6 through the remainder of the season.

Martin made his first career start during the first month of the season and ended the year with 23 total tackles, including one for a loss, a quarterback hit, a sack and a pass breakup while allowing an opposing passer rating of 65.7 and a completion percentage of 60%.

The Ravens don't have a shortage of defensive backs who not only excel but also do their best work operating out of the slot, such as Pro Bowl veterans Kyle Hamilton and Marlon Humphrey. However, there's still a chance that Martin could force his way onto the field anyway if he continues to stack impressive plays and strong days.