The Baltimore Ravens were bitten by the injury bug this preseason. Bad. Lamar Jackson just got off the Covid-19 list, Rashod Bateman and Marquise Brown are hurt, Bradley Bozeman and Ronnie Stanley are recovering…and the list goes on.
As much as we worry about the Ravens fielding a competitive roster in their first preseason game this weekend, there was a lot to like about training camp, too.
It’s been over two weeks since camp first began, and the usual suspects looked game-ready: J.K. Dobbins proved why he just might have a breakout sophomore season, Marlon Humphrey was a pass-defending thorn in Jackson’s side, and newly signed linebacker Justin Houston seemed to be fitting into the Ravens’ defensive scheme as well as can be.
Heading into the season, Baltimore still has much fine-tuning to do, specifically patching up their offensive line and developing a more dynamic passing game, but at least they have consistent players they can depend on.
And they have a few surprises up their sleeve as well.
These are the players you didn’t necessarily expect to show up, but they showed up anyway. Baltimore will need more than just consistency to make a deep postseason run, and if these guys continue to deliver that spark, the Ravens have a scintillating year to look forward to.
Here are 3 pleasant surprises from training camp that make us more hopeful for the 2021 season.