Baltimore Beatdown
Three undrafted free agents (UDFAs) made the Baltimore Ravens’ 2025 squad. It’s an incredible feat considering just how stacked the roster was heading into the summer, where the idea of even one making it seemed a long shot.
However, Reuben Lowery, Jay Higgins IV, and Keyon Martin are here to stay. Now, we figure out what they can do to help the team.
To start, there’s a good chance that all three of these guys could be gameday scratches. A team can only dress 48 players each game, meaning five players from a 53-man roster are scratched each game and more if practice squad elevations occur. Injuries and healthy scratches will make up that list.
Rookie offensive tackle Carson Vinson will likely be a healthy scratch for the entire year as a redshirt season, and tight end Isaiah Likley could be a scratch for the first couple of weeks. Other injuries could impact the list as well, such as Jaire Alexander. Howeevr, fans should be ready to see the UDFAs miss multiple games this season.
That being said, the most immediate way that Lowery, Higgins, and Martin can get snaps is on special teams. Just like defensive coordinator Zach Orr when he first joined the Ravens as a UDFA linebacker, you earn snaps on the defensive side of the ball by dominating on special teams. We saw Martin do this in the last preseason game, stonewalling a gunner during a punt coverage.
Lowery was maybe the strongest UDFA of the bunch, with his name being talked about all the way back during rookie minicamp. Many media members mentioned his name for making plays and constantly being around the ball, even getting a shoutout on the Ravens Lounge podcast. He never slowed down, taking the momentum through the summer into training camp and preseason, earning a roster spot, practically kicking last year’s 53-man roster UDFA roster Beau Brade off.
The Ravens have run a ton of three safety sets since Mike Macdonald took over in 2022. That hasn’t changed with Zach Orr as defensive coordinator. As of right now, Sanoussi Kane has the higher possibility of presuming the third safety role, being more of a box player. But Lowery is likely the top backup free safety, with Kane not having much experience as a deep roamer. Lowery will get snaps as a free safety and likely will end the season as the UDFA with most defensive snaps. Lowery also showed a ton of versatility, being praised for playing every position in the secondary during training camp. He’s a potential slot option for the Ravens down the road but another UDFA might get first shot at that.
Because of his versatility, only having four safeties on the roster, and being the top backup free safety option, expect Lowery to be active every game day and get snaps on defense.
Martin’s path to playing time will be a little harder than Lowery’s but that’s nothing new....
