The practice fields were filled once again at the Under Armour Performance Center.
The Ravens held their three-day rookie minicamp over the weekend, giving coaches, scouts and media members a chance to see the incoming rookie class in action. In addition to the team’s nine draft picks and 15 undrafted rookie signings, the Ravens also had a number of players participating on a tryout basis to give them more than 40 players for minicamp.
“They’ve all done a really good job,” Head Coach John Harbaugh said. “This group of guys is really talented, so they picked it up really well. Good football IQ.”
The coaching staff and personnel group will now make some decisions based on what they saw in minicamp to give them a 90-man roster for the offseason program.
“It is a challenge to even set a 90-man roster right now because you want to give everybody a chance and these are close decisions,” Harbaugh said. “Every single guy we have here could have a really good training camp in the National Football League, and make a run at a career in this league.”
Here were some of the highlight’s from the portion of Saturday’s practice open for media viewing:
- First-round pick Breshad Perriman
attracted most of the attention, and he had a strong showing in his second NFL practice. His speed was evident and he showed quickness off the line to gain separation from cornerbacks. During full team drills, Perriman caught a crossing route over the middle and then ran by the entire secondary into the end zone. Perriman’s hands have been the biggest question since the Ravens drafted him, but he only dropped one pass all day.
- The biggest disappointment of the weekend was that undrafted cornerback Oklahoma Julian Wilson suffered a season-ending injury in Friday’s practice when he broke his lower leg after falling awkwardly while defending a passing route, Harbaugh said. “He has a lot of potential as a player, so I was disappointed,” Harbaugh said.
- Sixth-round wide receiver Darren Waller towers over his teammates. The 6-foot-6, 240-pound target has the size to be an ideal red-zone threat, and he’s one of the team’s most intriguing prospects. Wide Receivers Coach Bobby Engram spent a good portion of practice working with Waller on some specifics of his route running and technique.
- Tight end Maxx Williams had a strong practice and showed an ability to get open in the middle of the defense. He has a knack for finding the soft spots of the defense to move the chains and keep drives alive.
- Tight end Nick Boyle, a fifth-round pick out of Delaware, was one of the most impressive players of the day. The 270-pound tight end has a huge catch radius and is also physical as a blocker. He could end up being an important player for Baltimore in double tight end sets.
- Undrafted rookie receiver DeAndre Carter from Sacramento State is somebody to watch. He’s just 5-foot-8, but he has great speed and was highly productive in college. He can work the slot and is also in the mix as a returner.
