Lamar Jackson gets plenty of love, but he wasn't expecting to see 20,185 attend Saturday's practice at SECU Stadium at the University of Maryland.
Ravens Flock was ready, and players and coaches were blown away by the vibe at the franchise's first-ever practice at the home of Maryland Terrapins football.
The milestone practice was the Ravens' inaugural fan engagement event in Prince George's County. It further strengthened the team's connection to communities throughout Maryland and was more evidence of the growth of Ravens Nation.
"Shout out to the fans," Jackson said. "It was a dope experience. Love Flock Nation, love all the supporters.
"I haven't been in college in nine years. It felt like I was in college again."
Head Coach Jesse Minter felt that practicing in a stadium setting was good preparation for what lies ahead. Minter has yet to coach his first game with the Ravens, but the stadium practice felt like a victory.
"I think we have the best fan base in the world," Minter said. "For us to be able to take the show on the road and still have all these people show up, it's cool. For the young players especially, it's the closest thing we can do to simulate what it's going to be like a couple of weeks from now when we're in a preseason game. I love our fan base, and much appreciation to them for coming out."
Jackson Loves Hunger of Ravens' Wideouts
After a disappointing 2025 season, Jackson has sensed a new energy among his teammates.
"I feel like my guys are hungry," Jackson said. "A lot of us was here last year, and we didn't like how the season ended. We didn't like how the season was going throughout the season."
Some players tasked with righting the ship, however, weren't in Baltimore last year. That includes the bevy of young wide receivers, most notably a pair of rookies in Elijah Sarratt in Ja'Kobi Lane.
The latter made a spectacular catch during practice on Thursday. While Jackson acknowledged Lane's towering figure, he wants to see him – and others – excel when the stakes are the highest.
"He's different," Jackson said of Lane. "Long arms, strong hands. He's a physical receiver, but I like to evaluate my players when the pads get on, when we're playing in games. Anybody can look good in practice. But I feel like he'll be good in games as well."
Luckily for Lane and the other young wideouts, they have a strong leader in Zay Flowers, who Jackson recognizes as a standout both on and off the field.
"His work ethic, it makes my job a lot easier," Jackson said. "He wants the ball in his hands. He wants to make things happen. He wants to put his team in positions to win."
It remains to be seen how much of Flowers' influence can propel the young wideouts this fall, especially Lane and Sarratt. Rounds 3 and 4, where Lane and Sarratt were drafted, respectively, have produced some exceptional wideouts in recent years. The most notable ones include Cooper Kupp, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Nico Collins, Chris Godwin and Terry McLaurin.
While Lane and Sarratt don't have to become top-flight NFL wideouts to be impactful right away, the Ravens might need at least one of them to grow up fast if they want to maximize another season with Jackson under center and a Super Bowl title being a reasonable expectation for Baltimore.
Malaki Starks Optimistic About Ravens' Secondary
Entering his second NFL season, Malaki Starks has already established himself as a vital part of the Ravens' defense.
Starks, who had seven interceptions and 17 passes defended in three seasons at Georgia, led the Ravens in snaps last season and came away with two interceptions along with four passes defended. He's been a standout during training camp, intercepting Jackson during Friday's practice and almost doing so again on Saturday.
After Saturday's practice, though, Starks spent most of his time talking highly of his fellow defensive backs. One of them was free-agent addition Jaylinn Hawkins, who Starks called a "great addition for everybody" because of his knowledge and versatility.
"He pops off the tape," Starks said.
Starks also had plenty of praise for cornerback Nate Wiggins, who's looking to become one of the NFL's best outside cornerbacks after a promising sophomore season in 2025.
"Nate is a top corner in the NFL, and I think you can see it," Starks said. "He's healthy, and he's moving at such a faster pace and a different level. The way he's continuing to learn the game of football and develop and become a leader in the room, it's special to see."
Along with Hawkins and All-Pro Kyle Hamilton, Starks will be a key cog in three-safety looks under Minter, a look that the Chargers had a lot of success with when Minter was their defensive coordinator. Starks believes that his success will likely be in large part due to the performance of his running mates.
"The biggest thing is just having trust in the people that I'm playing with," Starks said. "Just being myself and being able to know the guy next to me is going to his job is going to allow me to do my job a lot faster."
