Two Ravens Rookie Defenders Get Praise From Jesse Minter After Baltimore’s OTAs

The second week of OTAs has arrived in Baltimore, and new head coach Jesse Minter has liked what he’s seen from his rookie defenders.

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 | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

After Wednesday’s practice, Ravens head coach Jesse Minter spoke with reporters detailing how the rookies have adjusted to a NFL routine and when asked which young players have made an early impression on that side of the ball.

Minter pointed to second‑round edge rusher Zion Young and fifth‑round corner Chandler Rivers as the two rookies who have caught his attention.

“Chandler [Rivers] is doing a great job on defense, Zion [Young] is doing a great job. Really excited about the rookie class.” said Minter.

Zion Young: Growing Among the Pack

Zion Young has been a sight to see so far at OTA’s. After the impressive outing on Tuesday, Young followed that up with another strong practice as he showcased his abilities as a run stopper. From each drill and team period it’s evident that Young is going to be an exciting player once Week One comes along.

Young has been competitive early in a position group headlined by Trey Hendrickson and other veterans trying to establish their standing before camp.Hendrickson has been a prominent leader at the position as said by Minter, that influence can be shown positively affecting Young. 

Second round pick Zion Young bending the corner pic.twitter.com/I75esrGS4S

— Cordell Woodland (@CordellWoodland) May 2, 2026

Young is coming off his final season at Missouri where he had 42 tackles with six and a half sacks while leading the SEC in QB hits (17) and tackles for loss (16.5). Minter throughout his career has shown an incredible ability to gain production out of young edge rushers in his defensive schemes. 

Minter established that this phase of the offseason is to determine who the team can trust with reps heading into training camp. So far Young has been a great sight, being among the pack of players who are acing their opportunities.

Chandler Rivers is Embracing Every Challenge

Oct 18, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils tight end Landen King (0) celebrates with running back Chandler Rivers (5) before the first half of the game against Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Minter has been eager to get his fifth-round cornerback involved in OTA practices, with Rivers holding his own in coverage.

Minter told reporters that he had the rookie go up against star receiver Zay Flowers in multiple drills. He credited Rivers’ performance against Flowers and the lessons learned from each rep.

“The more reps that Chandler can get to hang with Zay [Flowers], he’ll be better off in August and September for that,” Minter explained.

Rivers currently benefits from a good scenario in OTA’s, as fellow cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Chidobe Awuzie have not yet attended, giving Rivers a substantial number of reps in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills.

What Rivers offers is strong versatility. He’s the only FBS cornerback with at least 20 pressures and 20 pass breakups since the start of 2022. In college, he also totaled 18 PBUs and five interceptions over his last two seasons.

For a secondary strategist like Minter, Rivers’ potential excites him, and the flashes he’s showing in OTA’s hint at promising future developments.