The Baltimore Ravens kicked off OTAs last week, and the roster battles have already begun. There’s a bunch of key storylines to keep an eye on.
There’s a competition for the starting center spot, which is the obvious story in Charm City, but it goes deeper than that. The secondary is overflowing with talent, and there’s way too much there to keep around. The interior offensive line is being reconstructed, and the defensive line is finding plenty more juice after a horrific season in 2025. Each of those areas has some Big Ten alumni in the mix.
Baltimore loves drafting players from the Big Ten. It’s never a bad idea to pick from such an elite conference, and those players continue to be extremely evident on the Ravens' current roster. Here are five Big Ten players who are facing make-or-break roster battles.
Baltimore Ravens have several Big Ten alumni in midst of heated roster battles
Evan Beerntsen
Guard Evan Beerntsen comes to Baltimore as a rookie seventh-round pick out of Northwestern. Sure, if you're a rookie who was just selected in the draft, you have a decent shot to make the roster. That’s not the case for Beerntsen, though. He was the last of the Ravens’ 11 selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, and at No. 253, one of the last picks of the entire draft. He’s got a serious uphill climb ahead of him.
Beerntsen worked his way up to Northwestern after six years at South Dakota State. In his first and only year in the Big Ten, the 25-year-old was named an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention. He started every game in 2025, and like Vega Ioane, didn’t allow a single sack or quarterback hit all season.
That’s all awesome, but the fact of the matter is, Beerntsen has the odds stacked against him. He’s already in a tight guard competition, sitting behind the likes of Andrew Vorhees and Emery Jones Jr., who are both fighting to back up John Simpson and Ioane. That doesn’t even include centers Danny Pinter, Jovaughn Gwyn, and Corey Bullock, who all provide versatility along the interior. Simply put, it’s looking like Beerntsen’s back is against the wall.
Nick Dawkins
Speaking of centers. How about former Penn State Nittany Lion Nick Dawkins? He was a part of Baltimore’s undrafted rookie class, and he’s already become a bit of a favorite. He rejoins forces with Ioane, except in his case, he’s fighting for NFL survival every day ahead of the regular season.
Dawkins sits at the bottom of the center depth chart. He’s obviously behind the aforementioned Pinter, Gwyn, and Bullock due to the lack of experience. That makes his camp showing so crucial.
And to Dawkins’ credit, he played very well at Penn State. Like Beerntsen, he was named an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention following the conclusion of the 2025 campaign. He was a two-year starter and held his own for a Penn State team that had plenty of ups and downs over the past two seasons.
Ultimately, though, it’ll be a tough fight for him. There’s no shortage of competition, and while none of it’s necessarily proven, Dawkins has the toughest road ahead.
Robert Longerbeam
Robert Longerbeam is facing a somewhat unfair reality. The 2025 sixth-round pick out of Rutgers didn’t get much of a chance to prove himself last year, as he lost his entire rookie campaign to a knee injury. Now, just as he comes, he faces competition from possibly the deepest position on the Ravens’ roster at cornerback.
Longerbeam has had a strong start in OTAs, notching an interception that has been one of the biggest highlights thus far. However, as an undersized corner, he might be a slot-only type of corner, which would make for an even more grueling battle.
At slot, it’s potential draft steal Chandler Rivers and second-year pro Keyon Martin that Longerbeam will be squaring off with, and if he wants to stay on the outside as he did at Rutgers, well then there’s a deep talent pool there, too, with guys like T.J. Tampa and Bilhal Kone as depth pieces.
I’m not saying Longerbeam won’t make the 53-man roster, but it’s clear he has to give it his very best every day.
Amani Oruwariye
Let’s go from a young cornerback to a veteran one. Amani Oruwariye was drafted out of Penn State in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, and although he hasn’t carved out a great career, he’s stuck in the league for seven years now.
Last season, Oruwariye didn’t play much. He actually only played sporadically in just one game. He did spend time on the practice squad, though, which could be the goal for many of the players on this list. Obviously, everyone’s dream is to crack the active roster, but that’s just not realistic for many of these guys. With the talent in the corner room, Oruwariye could be one guy who ends up on the practice squad (again).
But maybe, just maybe, Baltimore looks to add more experience to the depth in their corner room rather than potential-focused bodies. In that aspect, Oruwariye certainly holds the edge over guys like Kone, Longerbeam, Martin, Rivers, T.J. Tampa…yeah, pretty much all the backups at corner.
Adisa Isaac
Finally, it’s time to talk about Adisa Isaac. Another former Penn State player. Eric DeCosta just loves Penn State, doesn’t he?
Isaac might be the biggest unknown of any third-year player in NFL history. I’m probably over-exaggerating, but it’s been a rough go of it for the 24-year-old. He’s been dealt injury after injury, and just hasn’t been able to see the field. Since being drafted in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, Isaac has played in just four games.
The former Nittany Lion is currently slotted as the fifth pass rusher on the depth chart. After the signing of Trey Hendrickson and the selection of Zion Young, the pass rush room that was absolutely awful in 2025 has become pretty crowded. Isaac might not be on the outside looking in, but he’s undoubtedly feeling the heat. This is a pivotal year for him, and he’s probably a fringe roster player right now.
If Baltimore ends up signing a veteran outside linebacker late in the offseason, that could all but end Isaac’s tenure in Charm City. And the team’s decision there could be determined by Isaac’s showing at OTAs and training camp.
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