One of the feel-good stories ahead of the Baltimore Ravens’ season last year was their unbelievable work on the undrafted free agent front. They had three 2025 undrafted rookies make the initial 53-man roster, as Jay Higgins, Keyon Martin, and Reuben Lowery all fought off the cutdown ghost.
Entering 2026, Lowery has landed on the reserve/retired list with the Indianapolis Colts, but Higgins and Martin remain. For Martin, he made some flashy plays on special teams and saw a good chunk of reps on defense. While Higgins was also a special teams playmaker, he saw just a handful of defensive snaps.
Higgins will be hoping to get more involved this time around. He was a standout during camp and preseason in 2025, and as we near training camp, he’ll have to take some steps and prove there’s a whole lot more in store.
Jay Higgins needs another outstanding summer to lock down a bigger role with Baltimore Ravens
Admittedly, the path to Jay Higgins getting consistent reps on defense is almost completely improbable. The only way he’ll walk onto the defensive side of the ball in a significant capacity is if fellow linebackers like Teddye Buchanan and Trenton Simpson endure notable struggles, or if injuries take a toll on the position unit. That’s not to say Higgins can’t fight his way into a slightly more substantial role, though.
After watching Higgins ball out on seemingly every play of the 2025 preseason, it’s hard to think about him as only a specialist. He made game-changing play after game-changing play. He forced turnovers, generated pressure on opposing quarterbacks, and was a consistent tackler in the open field.
Obviously that was just preseason, but Higgins deserves a fair chance to continue carving out a spot for himself. He’s nearly guaranteed a slot on the active roster again. However, if he can replicate his excellence from last preseason, a special teams role might not do him enough justice.
After Jake Hummel’s departure in free agency, there’s a larger window for Higgins to make an impact. He needs to take advantage of that. And looking at the state of Baltimore’s linebacker room, they could use a player like Higgins to come in and make timely plays on defense.
Roquan Smith took a step back in 2025, Buchanan is coming off a late-season ACL tear, and Simpson has struggled to stick in the rotation. Of course, under the defensive leadership of Jesse Minter and Anthony Weaver, that trio could regain their footing, but in the same breath, that could also help Higgins develop into a defender worthy of snaps. It’s really a huge opportunity that the 24-year-old can exploit.
None of that can happen if Higgins can’t keep firing on all cylinders. He’ll have to keep the motor running hot in the coming months, and if he checks that box, an early impression in the regular season could see him make a slow climb for more snaps.
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