Ravens: 3 takeaways from the first week of 2021 OTAs

3. The Ravens interior defensive line rotation is rather thin

Of the 25 or so players that weren’t in attendance for the first stage of OTAs, a number of those missing were veterans.

And given how experienced the Ravens’ defensive line is, it’s no surprise that a host of veterans in the unit opted against showing up.

The likes of Brandon Williams, Calais Campbell, Derek Wolfe, and Justin Ellis all weren’t in attendance this past week leaving the Ravens with a pretty thin depth chart.

That depth chart got even thinner when undrafted rookie Xavier Kelly went down with a seemingly serious injury. The early assumption is that Kelly, an undrafted free agent out of Arkansas, tore his Achilles.

That leaves the Ravens razor-thin on the interior of their defensive line with the veterans not practicing. By the end of the week, the only defensive linemen left standing were Justin Madubuike, Broderick Washington, and Aaron Crawford.

All three players entered the league last year with Crawford being the only undrafted one. Baltimore might have to look to add another player to their defensive line with Kelly likely out for the foreseeable future.

As for the three remaining youngsters on the roster, this is a major opportunity as each player will look to carve out a role in the rotation in 2021.

Keep an eye on Crawford, specifically. Don’t be surprised if he beats out Ellis for a roster spot.