Baltimore Beatdown
Baltimore Ravens football is officially back. After a 24-16 win over the Indianapolis Colts, lets check in on the 2025 draft class.
Overall, it was a quiet day for the first-round rookie, and that works just fine. Starks didn’t make it out of the first quarter before being subbed out, the shortest day for all the rookies. The penciled-in starter made his first tackle as a Raven, stonewalling opposing first-round pick Tyler Warren in the open to keep it to a third and medium. He also made a block that helped on the punt return touchdown.
It wasn’t a loud day for Mike Green, who finished with just two total tackles. But those who paid attention noticed. Green had at least three clear wins in pass rushing. His first snap on third down in the first series got to the quarterback and helped force an incompletion. Later, he helped on Adisa Isaac’s sack, beating his tackle cleanly and getting to the quarterback first, forcing him to step up before his legs were taken out, leading to Isaac finishing the play. Then, later in the game, he had an explosive spin move that one but the ball was out on a quick pass. Either way, the rookie lived up to the pass rush hype in his first game action. This guy could change the pass rush in the postseason, and I can’t wait.
A quiet night for Buchanan, who finished with just one tackle. It was a strong run stop, but overall, Buchanan’s performance wasn’t one to write home about. Nothing went tremendously wrong, but it showed that Trenton Simpson firmly has his hand on the wheel for the starting spot next to Roquan Smith, and the early hype and curiosity if Buchanan could push for snaps early might have been rushed. The impressive part of the night for Buchanan was that he wore the green dot for the Ravens tonight, showing the trust and level of understanding he has for the playbook already. Inside linebacker is one of the hardest transitions from college to the NFL level, so it’s ok to take these encouraging signs from Buchanan while not expecting much in the meantime.
Offensive line play can be hard to judge in the moment without film to back it up. But the important thing is Vinson didn’t draw attention and flash for the wrong reasons. He also occasionally displayed the special athleticism that comes with his impressive size. Vinson isn’t expected to contribute anytime soon to this team and will likely be a game-day inactive all year, effectively redshirting. So in the meantime, these reps are good for development. Overall, an even keel day for the developmental tackle.
Kone was having a strong day and finished with a tackle, but disaster struck early and finished Kone’s day and season. Kone injured his knee on a strong coverage...
