Baltimore Beatdown
The Baltimore Ravens typically have a handful of “sleepers” or relatively unheralded players make a name for themselves during the summer. Often times, an undrafted free agent rookie will perform their way onto the 53-man roster, which we’ve seen happen in all but one of the past 21 seasons.
Through mid-August this year, the Ravens have thus far had a few summer standouts emerge. Corey Bullock, a rising sophomore from Maryland, has impressed as a hybrid interior offensive lineman. Defensive back Reuben Lowery has also been a fast riser and appears primed to make the 53-man roster with the Ravens having multiple other rookie cornerbacks suffer season-ending injuries.
With back-to-back strong preseason performances, another name is now squarely in the mix as well: Jay Higgins IV.
Higgins, who was not selected in this year’s draft out of Iowa, carries quite a bit of pedigree for an UDFA. He was named a Consensus All-American selection in 2024 after racking up 124 tackles, 4 interceptions, two forced fumbles, and five pass breakups for the Hawkeyes. Higgins led his conference in assisted tackles in consecutive seasons while totaling a whopping 171 tackles in 2023 with a pair of fumble recoveries and another interception.
Given his resume and evident talent, Higgins was a thought by many to be a darkhorse to challenge for a roster spot from the onset of this spring. So far, he’s checking the boxes and proving this notion to be correct.
In the team’s exhibition opener win against the Indianapolis Colts, Higgins showed out with a Top-10 graded performance among all linebackers in Week 1 of the preseason. According to Pro Football Focus, Higgins had an 85.2 coverage grade in that contest while limiting quarterbacks to a passer rating of 47.9. His ability in pass coverage was clear, as he recorded pass breakups with an interception.
To follow this up, the 23-year-old again made a notable effort this past Saturday night. In the Ravens’ 31-13 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, Higgins made an impact across the stat sheet. He led the team in tackles (six) and added a tackle-for-loss, quarterback hit, and strip-sack of QB Will Grier IV.
These types of splash plays go a long way for players trying to rise the depth chart and leave a lasting imprint, and that’s especially true for undrafted prospects. Based on what he’s displayed thus far, Higgins is making it apparent that his collegiate skill set and abilities can translate to the professional level.
In terms of his chances of making the 53-man roster, as is usually the case with players in his position, it figures to come down to a numbers crunch. Working in his favor are two factors: the Ravens lack of established talent at his position and the team’s long history of investing and developing undrafted linebackers.
The Ravens made two notable additions at inside linebacker over the offseason: signing veteran Jake Hummel to a one-year contract and drafting Teddye Buchanan in the fourth round. The returning incumbent projected...
