Ravens Add Two Players Before Lions Game

The Baltimore Ravens have activated defensive end Brent Urban and tight end Zaire Mitchell-Paden from the practice squad for their Week 3 matchup against the Detroit Lions, the team announced.

We’ve activated TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden and DE Brent Urban (standard elevations) from the Practice Squad for tonight’s game.
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 22, 2025

Urban, 34, will play for the first time this season, but he's no stranger to any Ravens fan. Baltimore selected the Missisauga, Ontario, native in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft (No. 131 overall), and he's spent seven of his 10 prior NFL seasons with the Ravens across two separate stints. He spent a brief amount of time with the Tennessee Titans, Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys, but it's clear that Baltimore is home for him.

Urban has appeared in 87 games for the Ravens over his seven seasons with the team, including 22 starts. He appeared in 13 games last season and while he didn't start in any of them, he still had 20 tackles (nine solo) and two pass breakups.

With Nnamdi Madubuike out for this game and possibly beyond, Urban's veteran experience should be very helpful along the defensive line.

Jun 10, 2025; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens tight end Zaire Mitchell-Paden (84) looks on during an NFL OTA at Under Armour Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Meanwhile, this is Mitchell-Paden's third elevation this season, and thus his last standard elevation. If the Ravens want to play him going forward, they will have to sign him to the 53-man roster.

The Rockville, Md., native has seen plenty of action this season as tight end Isaiah Likely and fullback Patrick Ricard work their way back from injuries. He's played almost a hybrid role and has mostly been a blocker, though he did have a chance at a touchdown in Week 2 against the Cleveland Browns.

Offensive coordinator Todd Monken has been very happy with Mitchell-Paden's play thus far.

"[It was difficult] trying to figure out if Pat was going to be available – if you're going to have him – but how important he is to us and being able to play in that mode, right? With the downhill physicality, the physical run game, and for [Mitchell-Paden] to have never played in a game – what an unbelievable testament," Monken told reporters on Sept. 11. "In my mind, he could have easily made the 53[-man roster]. If you have training camp for guys to earn to make the team; he did that. And then for him to play in the backfield, which we hadn't done a lot of. [He learned it] within three days – it was huge. It was huge, in terms of our ability to run the ball like we did."

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