Ravens: 3 early takeaways from rookie minicamp 2021

3. Ar’Darius Washington has a real shot at making the Ravens roster

The Ravens have found considerable success with undrafted rookies in the past. That includes the likes of Bart Scott and Michael Pierce to current members of the roster like Justin Tucker, Patrick Ricard, and Gus Edwards.

Of the nine undrafted rookies the team signed this year, perhaps no player stands a better chance at making the final roster than safety Ar’Darius Washington.

Washington was far and away the most high-profile undrafted signing the Ravens made with most draft analysts projecting the former TCU safety as a mid-round pick.

In fact, Pro Football Focus even listed Washington as the No. 57 player on their entire big board leading up to the draft. Yet, 259 players were picked over him.

Washington excelled in college as a rangy cover safety who also packed a punch in the run game. Unfortunately, his lack of size clearly scared teams away.

At just 5-foot-8, 178 pounds, Washington has a slim margin for error when it comes to making plays in coverage and teams likely had concerns about his ability to shed blocks in the NFL.

In rookie minicamp, however, Washington was all over the field making plays. His nose for the ball was evident and he nearly came away with an interception on 7-on-7 drills.

The Ravens are fairly deep at both safety and nickel corner, but Washington has a chance to stick if he continues to excel this summer.

Simply put, it might be difficult to keep him off the roster.