Ravens Are Happy With Progress of Tyler Loop Early in Training Camp

After cutting the second punter on the roster before their first training camp practice and having never brought in any veteran competition at kicker, the Baltimore Ravens are clearly putting all their eggs in the Tyler Loop and Ryan Eckley baskets heading into the 2026 season.

Loop was selected in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft to be the successor to franchise legend and future Hall of Fame kicker Justin Tucker. Overall, he had a solid rookie season, going 30-of-34 on field goal attempts and 44-of-46 on point-after attempts. His struggles came from long distance, going 1-of-4 from 50-plus, and he led the league in landing-zone infractions on kickoffs.

While he successfully converted 88.2% of his field-goal attempts, it was his last that marred what was otherwise a respectable first season. His first chance at a game-winning field goal came in the regular-season finale with the AFC North crown and the team's playoff hopes on the line, and he missed wide right for what would've been a walk-off win against the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road.

"Coming in last year as a rookie, [Loop] did not know any better," special teams coordinator Anthony Levine Sr. said. "He was still learning how to be a pro. Now he has a year under his belt. Once you get that year under your belt as a rookie, regardless of what position you play, going into your second year, now you find a rhythm. Now, you understand how to be a pro. You understand how to take care of your body. He has a really good program. So, yes, he is ready to go."

Eckley was selected in the sixth round of this year's draft to replace Jordan Stout, a 2025 Pro Bowler and First Team All Pro selection who became the highest-paid punter in the league this offseason when he departed in free agency. As a senior last year, the former Michigan State Spartan led the FBS with a mark of 48.5 yards per punt and served as the holder for placekickers, a skill his predecessor didn't gain and refine until he got to the league.

Through the offseason program and the first week of training, the Ravens coaching staff has liked what it's been seeing from the two young specialists. Levine Sr. went as far as to proclaim that Eckley has been "progressing rapidly."

"Him being able to stick to his mechanics and taking coaching, as well, and putting the ball where he wants it to be placed," Levine Sr. said. "He is also doing a great job, and I love where he is at so far, too."

For Loop, in particular, he has improved in some key areas that his coaches believe will help him succeed moving forward.

"He has been coming in, being consistent [and] taking the coaching," Levine said. "[Senior special teams] coach Randy Brown has been working with him, [being] very detailed [and] making sure that he is staying short. The most important thing he is doing right now is taking coaching and just having the confidence that he has in himself."

While there's no replicating the stakes of being in a high-pressure game situation, the Ravens have been doing their best to simulate scenarios where Loop's performance on the field can directly benefit or be detrimental to his teammates.

At the end of mandatory minicamp, he had to make a kick at the end of practice to send the players off into summer break without another round of post-practice meetings, and he rose to the occasion and made it happen. During the team's open practice at the University of Maryland on Saturday, he needed to make his final attempt after a couple of narrow misses to avoid the team having to do 50 push-ups after practice, and once again, he delivered and was even given a congratulatory hug by franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson in the immediate aftermath.

"Oh man, last year [Loop] was a rookie [and] things happened," Jackson said. "I was a rookie at one time [and] things happened that didn't go my way, that I wanted to go my way, and it didn't happen. So, it is what it is. But, I know he has a lot of motivation in himself, and we have all the trust and belief in him as well."

A leader of the new-look Wolfpack is emerging

Baltimore Ravens longsnapper Nick Moore, kicker Tyler Loop, and punter Jordan Stout talk before a game against Washington. — Aug 23, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens longsnapper Nick Moore (46), kicker Tyler Loop (33), and punter Jordan Stout (11) talk before the game against Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jordyn Harris-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With the Ravens moving on from Tucker and not being able to retain Stout, the most senior member of the specialist trio is long snapper Nick Moore, who inked an extension toward the end of last season, keeping him in Baltimore through the 2029 season.

Once upon a time, he was the new member of the special teams group known as 'The Wolf Pack' when he was tasked with replacing another franchise legend, fan favorite and Super Bowl champion, Morgan Cox, who is a five-time Pro Bowler still playing at an elite level. Moore learned from Tucker and Sam Koch and now he is fully embracing his mentor role for his two young teammates.

"Nick Moore does a great job with those guys," Levine Sr. said. "As they go on, when we are over on Field 3 — just us and the specialists — he is on them a lot. He has been with Loop. Ryan has been with Loop a lot. But, with Nick Moore being there and just pushing him and talking about the way Nick snaps the ball — because Nick Moore is, I would say, probably the best [long] snapper in football.

"The way that he snaps the ball and the way that Ryan holds and catches, he has really good hands. So, him and Loop, they have been on one. They understand each other, and they are still getting that timing down."

Cohesion and chemistry in the third phase of the game can end up being the difference in the flawless execution of a critical play in a crucial moment of a big game, whether it's a game-winning kick or a perfectly placed punt to pin the opposing offense back deep.

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