Ravens Week 5 Rookie Report: Vega Ioane Shines In Primetime

Several members of the Baltimore Ravens' 2026 rookie class saw extended action in Sunday's overtime thriller of a 30-23 road win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 5. They are in an AFC North division in which every team's record is above .500, and at 4-1, they sit alone atop the standings heading into next week.

Drafted and undrafted first-year players saw extensive playing time in all three phases. The only rookies who were healthy scratches were fourth-round wide receiver Elijah Sarratt and undrafted quarterback Joe Fagnano, who still suited up as an emergency No. 3 option. Fifth-round running back Adam Randall wasn't activated from short-term injured reserve in his first week of eligibility, while third-round wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane is now eligible to be activated from the list. Seventh-round defensive tackle Rayshaun Benny is on the practice squad and has yet to be elevated.

Here’s an overview of how these rookies performed in their late taste of NFL regular-season action.

IOL Olaivavega Ioane

The first-round interior offensive lineman made his second straight and final start at center before sliding back over to right guard and was superb once again. While some of his non-under-center snaps weren't on point all night, his blocking performance was, as he didn't allow a single pressure on 38 pass-blocking reps and his 71.9 run-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus was the highest on the team. Ioane was leading the way on several of the Ravens' biggest and most important plays, whether it was Zay Flowers' 13-yard run on the first play from scrimmage of the game, Derrick Henry's 18-yard touchdown on a screen play and Tyler Huntley's quarterback sneaks that included the game-winning score.

"For him to be able to do what he has done, play the way that he has played, [it is] pretty remarkable, I would say," head coach Jesse Minter said. "I do not know who votes for Rookie of the Year and all that stuff, and it is really, really early in the season, but he is a very impactful rookie for our team that has done things that I do not know that any rookies have ever done. Having to play those two positions [and] get shifted over to center in a game where you have to go on a drive to try to win the game, then to play the way that he has played in these big moments, [it is] pretty cool to see."

OLB Zion Young

Baltimore Ravens safety Malaki Starks (24) and linebacker Zion Young (9) tackle Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson. — Oct 11, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Baltimore Ravens safety Malaki Starks (24) and linebacker Zion Young (9) tackle Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson (7) during the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The second-rounder was one of several players for whom this game served as a homecoming, as he wasn't just born and raised in Georgia; Atlanta is his hometown, where he played at Westlake High School. He played a season-high 40.6% of the Ravens' total defensive snaps, set a strong edge on early downs against the run and finished with a pair of total tackles, including a solo takedown of Falcons star running back Bijan Robinson for a minimal gain of three yards in the first quarter.

Young had his first career tackle for a loss negated on the Ravens' huge fourth-down stop in the third quarter after official review ruled that the completion to tight end Charlie Woerner
, whom he tackled two yards behind the line of scrimmage, was incomplete. Either way, he was at the right place at the right time to prevent a successful conversion.

HUGE STOP 😤

Tune in on @SNFonNBC pic.twitter.com/1j7Gz2M720
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) October 12, 2026

TE Matt Hibner

The fourth-rounder made his second straight start, and the only reason he saw a slight reduction in his playing time instead of another increase was that he left the game on a cart at one point due to a hand injury. However, he'd eventually not only return to action but make a key block on one of the biggest plays of the game, where he helped spring Henry into the end zone on the game-tying two

Derrick Henry's game-tying 2 Pt conversion run looks like an option "read", but really isn't. The blocking scheme looks similar to "Down" from the Wing-T, meaning Henry is supposed to follow the block of Matthew Hibner. The future HOFer had other plans.#Ravens @11OnceSport pic.twitter.com/0EJLRETJkS
— All 22 Films (@All_22_NFL_Cuts) October 12, 2026

CB Chandler Rivers

With the Ravens going up against a run-centric offense, the fifth-round nickel saw his fewest snaps on defense in the four games he's played in, with 19, but he did play a season-high 15 snaps on special teams. He recorded a pair of solo tackles, struggled at times in coverage and had a bad whiff on a missed tackle that came on third-and-long and allowed Falcons rookie wide receiver Zachariah Branch to pick up a first down on a career-long 23.

TE Josh Cuevas

The fifth-rounder saw an uptick in his playing time for the third week in a row, with 31 combined snaps between offense and special teams, including a season-high 19 on offense and 12 on special teams. While his three-time Pro Bowl veteran mentor, Mark Andrews, had a nightmarish night struggling to hold on to the ball as a pass catcher on half a dozen targets, Cuevas did not, reeling in both passes that came his way for new career highs with two receptions for 26 receiving yards with a long of 17 yards.

¡VENGA! ¡Josh Cuevas 🇲🇽 con la recepción para acercar a los Ravens a zona de puntos! 👐🏈

📺💻 @ESPNmx @disneyplusla pic.twitter.com/GcnnuQIDNF
— NFL México (@nflmx) October 12, 2026

P Ryan Eckley

The sixth-round specialist had back-to-back stellar performances, with a game that saw him be a field-flipping weapon once again, as a key to helping the Ravens win the battle of field position. He pinned the Falcons' offense inside their 20-yard line three times on his four punts, averaged 44.3 yards per punt with a long of 54 and didn't have a single punt returned against him for the second time this season.

OLB Ethan Burke

With four-time Pro Bowl veteran edge rusher Trey Hendrickson out recovering from finger surgery a second straight week, the undrafted free agent played double-digit snaps on defense again after playing exclusively on special teams through the first three weeks. During his 17 snaps, Burke recorded a career-high three total tackles, including a solo takedown of Robinson for a minimal gain of four yards in the second quarter.

Although he wasn't credited with a pass defensed, he was responsible for forcing an incompletion to Falcons wide receiver Drake London on a flat route on a play where he dropped into underneath coverage instead of rushing. His 22 snaps on special teams were the most among all rookies and the second-most on the team overall.

Play action starts with getting the protection right imo. Ravens slant the D-Line to the right and send Hamilton on a nickel blitz throwing off the protection and killing London as the first read in the flat. Still rushing 5 like they show presnap but changing it postsnap. pic.twitter.com/GhXWVSBV3r
— JonesBones (@JonesBo48877381) October 12, 2026

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