Mink: Ravens players have been unanimously impressed with Head Coach Jesse Minter's defense.
Calais Campbell is entering his 19th season, so he's seen a lot of football and heard from a lot of coaches. This week, he spoke glowingly about Minter.
"Jesse is a phenomenal coach. The messaging has been incredible," Campbell said.
"I think as a player — especially an old, wise player — a lot of times you kind of have things you want to hear from a coaching staff. This coaching staff has kind of been hitting on everything that I felt like, as players, we needed to hear. I think it is kind of a small thing, but it is huge in the football world knowing that players are getting the information they need for us to go out there and be the best players we can be."
A consistent sentiment from players has been that Minter and Anthony Weaver's defense doesn't leave much "gray area." Cornerback Keyon Martin joined "The Lounge" podcast this week and explained that it's very clearly outlined what each player is responsible for on each play and how that changes based on what the offense does. He said that allows players to play faster.
Overall, the defense has responded very well to Minter's scheme, and it showed in the preseason opener when the Ravens nearly shut out the Philadelphia Eagles. Granted, it was mostly backups versus backups, but it's still a good sign that Minter's defense is clicking at all levels.
Brown: The Ravens' 2026 draft class is off to a terrific start, and that continued during the preseason opener.
Ja'Kobi Lane has been a standout since Day 1, so it was no surprise that he caught the first touchdown pass of the preseason. But a host of draft picks stood out offensively.
Elijah Sarratt (six catches for 66 yards) showed his ability to make plays. Tight end Matt Hibner (five catches for 61 yards) ran a variety of routes and looked good doing it. Adam Randall (12 carries, 46 yards, one touchdown) broke several tackles. Meanwhile, first-round right guard Vega Ioane started and showed the physicality that coaches have been raving about. On several occasions, Ioane took delight in knocking Philadelphia Eagles defenders on their rear ends.
On defense, fifth-round pick Chandler Rivers had two tackles and a pass breakup, making his bid to be part of the cornerback rotation. Depth at that position is always critical. Second-round outside linebacker Zion Young (one tackle) didn't fill up the stat sheet, but the game reps should help him moving forward.
I thought the Ravens' draft class had an extremely impressive preseason debut. It's still early, but that's a positive sign at this stage of the summer.
Brown: The success of backup quarterback Austin Reed against the Eagles made for a feel-good story as a new father of twin girls. I think we'll see more of him against the Minnesota Vikings as he competes with Joe Fagnano for the No. 3 job.
When it comes to their kicking situation, the Ravens don't seem ready to give Tyler Loop competition before the regular season begins.
Loop missed his first field goal attempt from 49 yards against the Eagles. He bounced back to make his second attempt from 42 yards, but Loop knows the Ravens are looking for more consistency in game situations after the way his rookie season ended.
Asked about Loop this week, Head Coach Jesse Minter was supportive.
"I feel good about where Loop's at," Minter said. "I think he's had a really good camp. Obviously, it comes down to making them in those situations, so we will keep trying to put him out there as much as we can."
The Ravens haven't brought in competition for Loop, but the regular season hasn't started yet, either. I think the rest of the preseason and the beginning of the regular season will be important for Loop. He's talented, but he's no longer a rookie, and the Ravens have Super Bowl aspirations. They're giving Loop a chance to work without the distraction and challenge of having another kicker in camp. We'll see if that decision pays off.
