Mink: This is a tough question because the vast majority of the Ravens' starting lineup could be written in ink right now. The biggest question mark is at left guard, where Andrew Vorhees is battling Ben Cleveland. I would consider Cleveland to be a dark horse, but he has a chance to claim that job.
Another spot I would point to is inside linebacker, where Trenton Simpson is the favorite to hold off rookie Teddye Buchanan. Simpson believes he’s in store for a breakout third season, and intercepting Lamar Jackson on Day 1 of minicamp helped his case. Still, a promising fourth-round rookie, Buchanan could push Simpson for the job.
Lastly, the kicker competition isn't settled between rookies Tyler Loop and John Hoyland. As a sixth-round draft pick, Loop is the favorite. He was the Ravens' first choice. But he'll have to win the job by making kicks this summer, and Hoyland has gotten off to a good start. Hoyland made all of his field-goal attempts on the first day of minicamp while Loop was 2-for-4.
Brown: Ar'Darius Washington was a key component in the Ravens' defensive turnaround last season after he entered the starting lineup at safety. The Achilles injury Washington suffered this offseason was a tough break for him, and hopefully, he will return at some point late in the season.
However, I like what I'm seeing from rookie safety Malaki Starks and believe he'll be ready to step into the starting lineup next to Kyle Hamilton. Starks prepares so diligently, I think he'll be one of those special rookies who rarely makes the same mistake twice. He started as a true freshman at Georgia, which is difficult to do, and it's more evidence that he's wise beyond his years.
Sanoussi Kane is my early favorite to be the No. 3 safety. He has looked good during offseason practices, showing up often near the ball, while Beau Brade should push Kane for that role. However, the Ravens still have one of the NFL's most talented secondaries, and the impact of losing Washington would have been worse if Baltimore had not drafted Starks.
Brown: Jalyn Armour-Davis has already taken reps at both corner and safety, as Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr uses the offseason to experiment with different combinations.
Moving Armour-Davis to safety in certain packages gives the Ravens another defensive wrinkle to explore.
"You want to get your best 11 guys on the field," Orr said. "In the secondary, most of the time you're going to have at least five DBs on the field, sometimes six, maybe seven.
"Jalyn, he might be the smartest DB in the room, because he knows all the positions. He's just one of the guys we're starting to do that with. You'll start seeing more guys do that as we get going."
This is a key season for Armour-Davis as he fights for a role in Baltimore's secondary. The more places he can line up, the more Armour-Davis increases his chances of earning playing time.
Mink: The Ravens just made their big free-agent June addition with the signing of two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander, who is still one of the best in the game when healthy. They could still make a veteran safety addition if they don't feel comfortable with Kane or Brade being the No. 3 option until Washington returns late in the season.
I don't think the Ravens are going to sign another offensive lineman who would be a shoo-in for the 53-man roster. They already added offensive tackle depth with Joe Noteboom, plus have fifth-round rookie Carson Vinson to develop. They have guard depth with whoever doesn't win the starter competition between Vorhees and Cleveland, and the two rookies Emery Jones Jr. and Garrett Dellinger. Nick Samac is the top backup center, and Dellinger and Cleveland could also take backup snaps. If the Ravens do add another O-line piece, it would likely be a veteran center backup, but I doubt that it's a high priority.
