Ravens Remain a Dream Destination for Undrafted Free Rookies To Land

In many ways, football is the ultimate meritocracy, especially at the professional level, where former grocery baggers and stockers can turn an opportunity into a Hall of Fame career by consistently putting their best foot forward and outplaying the man behind, but oftentimes in front of them in the pecking order.

Roughly a quarter of the rosters in the league during the regular season are made up of undrafted free agents. For the last two-plus decades, there hasn't been a better place for an NFL hopeful who didn't hear their name called during their respective draft weekend to land than the Baltimore Ravens.

Dating back to 2004, there has been at least one undrafted rookie on the Ravens' initial 53-man roster in 22 of the last 23 seasons. The only exception was in 2020, when there wasn't a preseason for any of that year's crop to showcase their skills in exhibition action or joint practices due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yet, that crop still produced quarterback Tyler Huntley, who has since been named to a Pro Bowl as an alternate and won some key games that have kept the team's playoff hopes alive in place of two-time league MVP starter Lamar Jackson, who had to miss time due to injury or illness.

Even in years when the Ravens have made double-digit picks in the draft, including as many as 12, they've still had one or more undrafted rookies defy what many believed were long-to-insurmountable odds to make the team.

This impressive trend continues as a result of three key factors, with the first being the organizational belief that performance on the field, when it comes to consistency and availability, trumps veteran status and draft pedigree. Second, the Ravens' scouting department does an incredible job convincing and sometimes completely unearthing these exceptional gems.

Third are the players themselves, who make the most of the opportunities they are given to show they belong when they are presented with them and do not let them go to waste. That's exactly what undrafted rookie quarterback Joe Fagnano and outside linebacker Ethan Burke did, not only during the preseason, where they both dazzled, but dating all the way back to rookie minicamp, and they were rewarded for their tenacious efforts by making the Ravens' initial 53-man roster following Sunday's deadline.

Fagnano's journey to this point would've been unfathomable back in May, when he wasn't even signed initially after going undrafted out of the University of Connecticut, but earned a spot on the 90-man roster after a strong showing at rookie mini camp. He wasn't even the most high-profile quarterback tryout in attendance at the event. That distinction belonged to Heisman finalist Diego Pavia, whom he beat out for a depth spot before training camp even got underway.

Even at the onset of training camp, the odds of him being able to make as strong a case for himself as he wound up making seemed far-fetched because the clear frontrunner for the No. 3 quarterback role at the time was veteran Skylar Thompson. It wasn't until an injury to Thompson the week of the preseason opener that the pathway to prominence even opened up for Fagnano, and he absolutely maximized it. He led the league in passing yards and attempts in the preseason, threw for three touchdowns to just one interception and posted a passer rating of 100.4.

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— § (@VidsBySimp) August 29, 2026

"My goal coming in was just to make the most of my opportunities," Fagnano said. "What I can control is what I wanted to control. The stuff that is out of my hands is out of my hands. I think I have done a nice job to put myself in a good position, but I can put my head on the pillow tonight and sleep well knowing that I gave it all I had."

After seeing young, recently drafted quarterbacks like Quinn Ewers and Kyle McCord, who were less impressive in the preseason than Fagnano, get traded in back-to-back days over the weekend, there was little to no chance that the Ravens were going to be able to get their unearthed gem cleared through waivers and back on the practice squad.

To go from a rookie tryout afterthought to a preseason sensation that proved he was too good to risk losing over the course of the summer is a testament to his perseverance and the organization sticking to its core philosophy of letting the best man prevail.

The same goes for Burke, who beat out a former third-round pick entering just his third season, Adisa Isaac, for the fifth and final roster spot on the outside linebacker depth chart. Unlike Fagnano, he didn't need anyone to get hurt or be let go before he started making waves and turning heads. Even dating back to the offseason program, he was beginning to standout and once training camp got underway, he continued to do more of the same.

In the preseason, he just made too many impactful plays to overlook, recording a sack, two quarterback hits and a forced fumble in each of the last two games. The Maryland native and former standout lacrosse player also believed he performed well enough over the last three weeks to merit serious roster consideration, and it paid off

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— § (@VidsBySimp) August 22, 2026

"One thing I know is [to] just keep working hard and doing what I do and consistently chasing getting better and [being] great," Burke said. "I can't be satisfied with anything. So, for me, I will just put my head down [and] continue to grind, no matter what happens."

Both players have bright futures ahead of them

Aug 15, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Fagnano (12) passes in the first quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While neither Fagnano nor Burke is expected to see much action as rookies now that the preseason is over and the start of the regular season is just two weeks away, they each could factor heavily into the Ravens' plans beyond 2026.

Both of the Ravens' current top two quarterbacks are only under contract through the 2027 season, with franchise star signal caller Lamar Jackson's salary cap hit ballooning to an untenable $84.3 million in the final year of his current contract.

Retaining Fagnano ensures that the cupboard at the position won't be bare in a worst-case scenario with the two-time league MVP, and he could replace Tyler Huntley as the primary backup as early as next year. They've been looking for a developmental quarterback for years and appear to have finally found one.

Burke could contribute right away on special teams but might have to wait a year before seeing meaningful snaps on defense, barring injury, with the presence of fellow Tavius Robinson and Trenton Simpson. Both are versatile front-seven defenders heading into the final year of their respective rookie contracts, as they were mid-round picks in 2023.

At 6-foot-6 and 267 pounds, Burke has the frame to be a hybrid pass rusher who can move inside on passing downs and play defensive end in sub-packages. During the preseason, he also showed that he can make plays in space as a coverage player, displaying impressive athleticism. If head coach Jesse Minter can't find a niche role for him as a rookie, he'll definitely be able to do so in 2027 and beyond.

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