Late for Work: Lamar Jackson Reacts to Media Concerns About His Foot Injury
Ravens fans who were holding their breath when Lamar Jackson left practice early Wednesday after having his foot stepped on undoubtedly exhaled Thursday when Head Coach Harbaugh said X-rays were negative and “prayers do get answered.”
ESPN's Adam Schefter interpreted Harbaugh's words to mean that the injury was "a little bit scarier" than the team initially let on, but Jackson shut down that notion.
Jackson responded to Schefter's comments on the ESPN NFL Instagram account with a laughing emoji, which should further assuage any worries about the two-time MVP's status even though he did not practice Thursday.
"I'm sure it's a little sore today so we just kept him in, but he's fine. He's going to be good," Harbaugh said.
Schefter agreed that proceeding with caution is the right call even though the injury isn't serious.
"They don't have to have Lamar Jackson out there right now," Schefter said. "They need him out there for the start of the regular season, so I would imagine they'd give that foot a couple of weeks to heal. … They're going to be smart with Lamar Jackson and they're not going to stick him out there any sooner than he has to be."
Pundit Puts Ravens at No. 1 in Both Offense and Defense Rankings
The Ravens are so loaded on both sides of the ball that SB Nation's Joseph Acosta ranked them as the No. 1 offense and No. 1 defense heading into the regular season.
"The more and more I thought about who would be in the top spot, every answer led me back to the Ravens," Acosta wrote about the offense. "Not only were they one of the most explosive and efficient offenses in the NFL last year, they retain all of their critical pieces of the pie. The union between QB Lamar Jackson and OC Todd Monken has been insane since 2023, and last year the Ravens' offense led the NFL in EPA per play and EPA per pass.
"They get back all their stars, such as RB Derrick Henry, WR Zay Flowers and TEs Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely, plus paid starting left tackle Ronnie Stanley to retain his services. On top of that, their entire stable of backs are fully healthy now with RB Keaton Mitchell fully back from his knee injury, making the offense much more dynamic."
Regarding the defense, Acosta wrote: "They're getting a second year with coordinator Zach Orr, who really found his groove in the second half of the season. This team has incredible depth in the front seven, with ageless wonder Kyle Van Noy and DT Nnamdi Madubuike leading the pass rush and LB Roquan Smith behind them. The secondary loses S ArDarius Washington, but in his place steps rookie Malaki Starks, someone I had highly rated entering the 2025 NFL Draft. They also added CB Jaire Alexander in free agency, allowing for Marlon Humphrey to play in the slot and give them a formidable trio of Alexander, Humphrey and Nate Wiggins"
The Ringer’s Sheil Kapadia also revealed his team defense rankings, and he slotted the Ravens at No. 5.
"From defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike to linebacker Roquan Smith and safety Kyle Hamilton, the Ravens have premier talent at all three levels of their defense," Kapadia wrote. "Having said that, the Ravens' depth is likely to be tested more than it was last year when they had the best injury luck of any defense. Overall, though, I trust Baltimore's infrastructure, and I trust the talent."
David Ojabo Named Breakout Candidate
Outside linebacker David Ojabo has appeared on a number of "players on the roster bubble" lists this offseason, but Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton has a more optimistic outlook for the 2022 second-round pick.
Moton included Ojabo on his list of six breakout candidates from around the league based on preseason performance.
"In Week 1 of the preseason, David Ojabo clobbered Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson on a sack. He caught the league's attention on that play, but it's not the only reason to keep an eye on him in a potential breakout year," Moton wrote. "Ojabo told reporters he's healthy for a complete offseason for the first time in the pros.
"Behind 34-year-old Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh, Ojabo could see more opportunities to rush the passer in a rotational role. As a third-down and situational pass-rusher, the fourth-year pro could bolster his market value before he hits free agency in 2026."
There had been a perception that Ojabo and second-year outside linebacker Adisa Isaac were competing for one roster spot before Isaac suffered an elbow injury in the second preseason game last Saturday that required surgery. Isaac is expected to be sidelined for perhaps half of the season.
Whether Ojabo has ever truly been on the bubble is unclear. Harbaugh referred to Ojabo last week as "an upside guy."
Teams must have their 53-man rosters set by this Tuesday at 4 p.m.
Mike Green, Reuben Lowery Voted Preseason Standouts in Ravens Media Poll
The Baltimore Banner polled media members who have been at the majority of the Ravens' practices for their observations as training camp wraps up.
Second-round rookie outside linebacker Mike Green was voted the MVP of camp and the preseason, edging second-year wide receiver Devontez Walker by one vote.
"[Green has] proven why his talent was never in question as he's adapted quickly to the speed of the game," The Baltimore Banner's Giana Han wrote. "He's held his own against the starters in practice and has popped in games.
"Walker came back from a quiet rookie year and emerged as one of the standout players of both camp and the preseason. He has made plays on 50-50 balls in traffic and on deep shots throughout practices. After a quiet preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts, Walker was the Ravens' leading receiver Saturday against the Dallas Cowboys, making six catches for 61 yards."
Rookie defensive back Reuben Lowery won the vote for most pleasant surprise.
"An undersized, undrafted defensive back, Lowery quickly announced himself with his ability to always be around the ball," Han wrote. "He has stacked pass breakups and interceptions in practices and games, bolstering his case for the 53-man roster. In addition to being a ball hawk, Lowery has shown he can play both cornerback and safety. That's key for a defense that emphasizes versatility."
Other categories in the poll were strongest position group, weakest position group, and confidence level in rookie kicker Tyler Loop.
Best-Case Scenarios and Stat Projections for Starks and Green
Like Green, first-round safety Starks has shown in the preseason why the Ravens were so thrilled to get him in the draft.
Starks and Green were among 17 notable defensive rookies identified by NFL.com’s Dan Parr, who revealed his best-case scenarios and stat projections for each:
Starks
Best-case scenario: "Baltimore finds a perfect fit for the safety spot opposite Kyle Hamilton. Starks' outstanding intangibles, range and ball skills put him in position to make plays for one of the league's most suffocating defenses."
Projected stats: 77 tackles, 4 INTs, 10 pass breakups.
Green
Best-case scenario: "Baltimore allows Green to focus on getting after quarterbacks and he stars as a designated pass rusher. After finishing atop the FBS in sacks last season (17), Green leads the Ravens in the category as a rookie with a relentless playing style."
Projected stats: 27 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 6 sacks.
