Like clockwork, the Ravens were praised for their draft class in April. Chad Reuter of NFL.com gave them an A, and PFF's Mason Cameron also gave them an A.
The rookies have been thrown into the spotlight early. They have played a key role on special teams, and the defense saw three first-year starters take the field in Week 3.
After three weeks, the returns are not of "A" caliber. Let's look at each rookie so far.
Ravens' 2025 rookie class update
Pick 27: Malaki Starks, Safety
Starks has played 220 snaps in three games. He has 22 tackles, a tackle for loss, and four defensive stops according to PFF.
Starks' career began ominously enough as he dropped an interception in Buffalo. He has been picked on in coverage to this point, allowing nine completions on 11 targets for 107 yards and a touchdown - a 137.5 passer rating allowed. He has a 47.0 PFF coverage grade thus far.
Starks has been better moving toward the line of scrimmage, playing the run particularly well against Buffalo. However, he has had tackling issues - missing four tackles in the last two games. He had the critical missed tackle on David Montgomery's 72-yard scamper in Week 3.
Starks hasn't been outright bad to this point, but the missed tackles stood out in the loss to Detroit.
Pick 59: Mike Green, EDGE
Green has played 123 snaps in three games. He has seven tackles and two quarterback hits. PFF has credited him with four defensive stops.
Green has been disappointing in his brief NFL career. He has just four pressures on 68 pass-rush snaps. His 50 run-defense snaps have not been much better, earning him a 42.9 PFF grade.
Green does not look like the same player who was splashing in preseason. There was a rep in Buffalo where Green allowed Josh Allen to break contain, and Green has played fairly passively since that moment.
In the draft process, Green's motor was seen as a negative in the other direction, as he often took himself out of plays in pursuit of a big play. After the Allen incident, Green appears to be playing not to make a mistake, which has largely neutralized his play.
Pick 91: Emery Jones, Offensive Line
Jones is on the reserve/non-football injury list with a shoulder injury.
Pick 129: Teddye Buchanan, Linebacker
Buchanan has played 153 defensive snaps through three games. He has started each of the last two games alongside Roquan Smith. He has 18 total tackles and two defensive stops according to PFF.
Buchanan is playing like a rookie linebacker to this point, no different from the rookie seasons of Patrick Queen and Trenton Simpson in previous years. There has often been a split-second hesitation as Buchanan processes NFL speed for the first time. In turn, he has a 52.5 run-defense grade paired with a 56.4 coverage grade.
While he has not been outright bad, Buchanan is going to be heavily targeted in the coming weeks by the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Matthew Stafford. He must learn on the job quickly.
Pick 141: Carson Vinson, Offensive Line
Vinson made the initial 53-man roster, but he has yet to play a down this season. He is fourth on the tackle depth chart behind starters Ronnie Stanley and Roger Rosengarten and veteran swing tackle Joe Noteboom.
Pick 178: Bilhal Kone, Cornerback
Kone was placed on injured reserve in August after sustaining a knee injury.
Pick 186: Tyler Loop, Kicker
Loop is five-for-five on field goals so far and 12-for-13 on extra points. Four of his kicks have been from 40+ yards, a distance where Justin Tucker struggled last season.
It's worth noting that Loop's missed extra point loomed large in Baltimore's Week 1 meltdown. He bounced back in Weeks 2 and 3, making all 11 of his kicks.
Loop's issue to this point has been kickoffs. He has been flagged for a landing zone error in all three games.
Pick 203: LaJohntay Wester, Returner
Wester has returned five punts for 60 yards so far. He has a long return of 23 yards (Week 2), and the best sign is that he has not fumbled or muffed a return.
Wester has a 69.0 punt-return grade with a high-water mark of 69.4 in Week 2.
Pick 210: Aeneas Peebles, Interior Defensive Line
Peebles has played 48 snaps so far, primarily on pass-rush downs. He has three pressures and a batted pass on 35 reps.
Peebles is likely a pass-rush specialist only in the NFL, given his smaller frame compared to other interior players. He has had a couple of solid reps, particularly in Week 1, but he has been mostly washed out in the last two weeks.
With Nnamdi Madubuike's unknown injury severity, Peebles needs to step up and replace some of the missing pass-rush juice.
Pick 212: Robert Longerbeam, Cornerback
Like Kone, Longerbeam was placed on injured reserve in August after sustaining a knee injury.
Pick 243: Garrett Dellinger, Interior Offensive Line
Dellinger did not make the Ravens' 53-man roster. He is currently on the Browns practice squad.
Verdict
In addition to the obvious caveat that the players only have three NFL games under their belts, a lot of rookies have struggled this season. Even blue-chip talents like Ashton Jeanty and Abdul Carter have looked average at their position.
For optimism, look no further than Nate Wiggins' last season. Through three weeks, he had a good game in Week 1 (on 17 snaps), missed Week 2, and had his worst game of the season in Week 3. He struggled in Week 5 and Week 6 before becoming one of the better cornerbacks in the NFL the rest of the season.
While the sky seems to be falling after a 1-2 start, the rookies are just getting started.