OTL: Our First Look at the 2025 Rookies in Purple

The Baltimore Ravens got their first look at the rookies wearing the team’s practice uniform. Second round pick, Mike Green, lived up to the buzz of what he can do on the field. while Malaki Starks showed off his ball skills and work ethic at the first offseason workout for the rookies.

Drills and practice reps qualify as exciting in May, especially the beginning of it.

.@Mikegreen42021 is really like that pic.twitter.com/dJlzMO2FAO

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) May 4, 2025

The idea that the Ravens could move on from Justin Tucker picked up steam when the Ravens selected Tyler Loop.

Tucker Thrown for a Loop

Tucker’s well-documented issues make this an interesting situation, but the Ravens are set up to say it was always about football no matter what happens. Tucker is coming off the worst season of his career, a season that stands as a direct outlier from his otherwise stellar body of work. Loop has made kicks from over 70 yards in practice with a college career long of 62 yards. The Ravens had never drafted a kicker before the selection of Loop. Loop is here for a reason and he’s a legitimate kicker who now faces the potential pressure of replacing a legend. Kicker is easily the most interesting position battle going into camp, merely because it hasn’t been a position up for grabs since 2012.

Jonas Shaffer from the Baltimore Banner reports that Loop looked the part of a drafted kicker. He made all of his kicks in rookie minicamp on a day of mild weather. Field goals aren’t the most exciting part of the game, especially field goals in practice, in May – but these kicks are first impressions of a potentially important piece of the Ravens future.

Shaffer also reports that Emery Jones Jr. could be sidelined until training camp.

Jones, a third-round pick who played offensive tackle at LSU but could move to guard in Baltimore, was limited to observing the Ravens’ offense during Sunday’s rookie minicamp practice. Harbaugh said he’ll likely miss organized team activities, which start in late May, and mandatory minicamp, which runs from June 17-19.

Training camp typically opens in late July. Harbaugh said the Ravens would be comfortable waiting until Jones, who could challenge for a starting job as a rookie, is “totally ready.”

It’s “better safe than sorry” with these kinds of injuries, especially when there’s no need to force it. Jones Jr. could wind up competing for a starting job, but there’s no pressure for him to be there on day one. The Ravens can take things slow, knowing they need him to be healthy later this summer to be any use to them at all as a rookie. Offensive line depth is a serious matter, but this doesn’t sound like an end-of-the-world kind of setback.

Carita Parks reports that LaJohtay Wester is getting work on special teams to prepare him for the potential of being a return specialist. This makes sense. Wester doesn’t have a ton of size, and is a bit of a project at wide receiver, but he’s fast. Wester could be a name to keep your eye on in the preseason. The Ravens have had two great return specialists in their history. First there was Jermaine Lewis, then there was Jacoby Jones. Notice that those two kick returners both have a Super Bowl ring. Special teams matters and having a great kick returner makes some of the greatest memories possible. Wester’s potential here is exciting.

We’ll leave you with some silly. Here’s some of the Ravens answering the viral social media question: Can 100 men take on 1 gorilla and win the battle? It sounds like the Ravens are most confident in their defensive linemen if anybody was going to do it. Have fun with this video.

The post OTL: Our First Look at the 2025 Rookies in Purple appeared first on Russell Street Report.