ClutchPoints
The kids are coming, and they’re coming fast. That’s the undercurrent rippling through the Under Armour Performance Center this spring as the Baltimore Ravens shift from a disappointing divisional-round exit to another title hunt. General manager Eric DeCosta doubled down on a draft-and-develop philosophy in April. They added high-ceiling prospects at positions that were merely serviceable a year ago. Now, a handful of 22-year-olds are already rubbing shoulders—and stealing reps—from veterans who once looked like roster locks. Training camp hasn’t even opened, yet the message is unmistakable: earn your snaps, or watch a rookie take them.
Few franchises churn the depth chart as aggressively as Baltimore. The 2025 offseason was no exception. The headline question revolves around left guard, where Andrew Vorhees, Ben Cleveland, and a cast of young challengers will jockey for the job after Daniel Faalele settled in on the right side late last year. Of course, rookie Emery Jones Jr ultimately could be an option inside when his shoulder is healthy.
Baltimore supplemented the line with veteran swing tackle Joseph Noteboom and three draft picks. They then snagged Marshall sack artist Mike Green at No. 59 overall after an unexpected slide. Throw in fourth-round linebacker Teddye Buchanan, and the depth chart suddenly feels younger, meaner, and far less forgiving for incumbents clinging to starting roles.
Here we’ll try to look at the Baltimore Ravens veteran players whose roles will be pushed by rookies in the 2025 NFL season.
Odafe Oweh’s stat line has always hinted at untapped potential, but the former first-rounder’s sack totals (5.5 in 2024) haven’t matched the burst. Enter Green, a 6’4, 262-pound whirlwind who led the FBS with 17 sacks at Marshall. He also ranked top-five in pressures despite constant double-teams.
Scouts viewed Green as a mid-first-round talent until off-field allegations—charges he denies—pushed him into Round 2.
Baltimore rarely shies from a calculated risk, though. As for Green, the early returns are disruptive. In the first open OTA session, the rookie blew past Ronnie Stanley for a would-be sack before later beating Faalele with an inside swim. Oweh, preparing for a contract-year decision, suddenly feels heat from a rookie who can flatten a pocket in two steps. Oweh still plays the run better and knows the scheme inside out. That said, if Green continues to flash bend and finish, Baltimore won’t hesitate to give the kid 30-plus snaps a game by early November.
At 6’8, 380 pounds, Daniel Faalele is hard to miss—and hard to miss on, given last year’s seven penalties and uneven footwork. To his credit, he steadied down the stretch. He even strung together five straight clean sheets in December. However, the front office saw enough wavering to draft another skyscraper, Emery Jones Jr. He is the three-year LSU tackle who played both edges of Tiger Stadium and tipped the scales at 6’6, 337 at the combine. Baltimore’s plan: cross-train Jones at guard,...
