Schisler: “Owen Wright came alive in the fourth quarter, as the main character in the early fourth-quarter touchdown drive. He had a 38-yard scamper, caught a pass to get inside the 5-yard line, and he finished the drive with a touchdown. Wright took advantage of his heavy workload. Other than a dropped pass, he impressed, and made one final plea for a job in September. If not in Baltimore, somewhere.”
NFL.com’s Michael Baca: “Running back Owen Wright might’ve earned himself a roster spot with 89 yards and a TD run off just 12 carries.”
It would be surprising to see Wright make the Ravens’ 53-man roster with fellow undrafted rookie Keaton Mitchell also in the running, but making the practice squad is also a major accomplishment.
Near Consensus Among 53-Man Roster Projections
Entering the season, the Ravens had a few roster battles worthy of attraction, between the No. 2 quarterback role, starting left guard, and depth at wide receiver and cornerback. After a few additions, some short-term injuries, and a full training camp, it appears there’s a near consensus among media members on who the Ravens will have on their 53-man roster.
ESPN’s Jamison Hensley, The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer and The Baltimore Sun’s Brian Wacker have little discrepancy between their roster projections, agreeing on all the big competitions.
Tyler Huntley over Josh Johnson for QB2
Hensley: “There’s a question mark around the No. 2 quarterback job even though Huntley has clearly been better than Johnson. But the Ravens have been looking to upgrade the backup job all offseason and didn’t rule out Johnson winning the competition after his strong showing in the second preseason game.”
Shaffer: “Huntley, still limited by a hamstring injury, was only an observer at practice this past week. His athleticism and accuracy — plus the two weeks he has to get healthy for Week 1 — may give him the leg up on the 37-year-old Johnson, who followed a lights-out game against the Washington Commanders with another impressive start (6-for-9, 95 yards and a touchdown).”
Wacker: “The 37-year-old, who is on his 14th NFL team, came into training camp a long shot to make the roster and his chances are still probably not great. But he gave Harbaugh something to think about when it comes to at least the practice squad, going 6-for-9 for 95 yards and a touchdown in the preseason finale. Afterward, Harbaugh talked about the tenacity and resilience the veteran quarterback showed in trying to fight for a spot.”
Hensley: “Mitchell, an undrafted rookie out of East Carolina, has really impressed with his speed and shows a lot of potential for the future. Melvin Gordon III, the former two-time Pro Bowl back, will start the season on the practice squad and serve as experienced insurance for Dobbins and Edwards.”
Shaffer: “Mitchell returned from a minor shoulder injury Monday to participate in both practices this past week, but he was held out of Saturday’s game. Even if the undrafted free agent projects as only a complementary piece, his cheap rookie contract could be an asset; of the Ravens’ leading running backs, only Hill is signed beyond this season.”
Wacker: “Mitchell practiced last week after returning from a minor shoulder injury but didn’t play on Saturday, even though he was dressed for the game and had been featured on special teams and occasionally in the backfield the first two preseason games. That likely bodes well for the speedy undrafted rookie free agent out of East Carolina, who also comes cheap.”
Hensley: “Wallace held onto the final receiver spot with a strong preseason.”
