One of the biggest questions for the Baltimore Ravens entering NFL roster cutdown day was the pending status of undrafted rookie linebacker Jay Higgins. Higgins undoubtedly played like a defender worthy of one of the 53-man roster spots, but no one knew if there would be enough space for him. On Tuesday, fans got their answer, and they can now breathe a sigh of relief.
Higgins will remain in Baltimore as they head into the 2025 regular season. He sneaks onto the roster, as the team will roster five inside linebackers. It seems like they have overloaded at the position, but given Higgins’ elite play through preseason, he was a must-have on the active roster.
Jay Higgins survives final roster cuts
The combination of cuts in veteran defensive lineman Brent Urban and cornerback Jalyn Amour-Davis helped pave the way to Higgins. Urban was expected for the most part, and will likely return on the practice squad, but the Armour-Davis move was a shock.
The versatile defensive back seemed to be trending in the right direction following an impressive summer, but ultimately was one of the most surprising cuts in the NFL before the 4 p.m. deadline. By keeping five interior defensive linemen and six cornerbacks, undrafted defenders in Higgins, and also cornerback Keyon Martin, were able to find a spot in Baltimore ahead of their Week 1 regular season opener against the Buffalo Bills.
With Higgins, the Ravens could have a future star on their hands. It is important to factor in that in preseason, you are mostly facing backups and fringe-roster players, but the Iowa product was one of the best defenders in the league over the course of those three games.
In each matchup, Higgins graded above an 83.0, per Pro Football Focus (PFF). His intelligence and relentless pursuit of the ball carrier were on full display. He finished the preseason with a 90.9 defensive grade and 80.0 special teams grade, per PFF. He also contributed to a positive turnover differential, tallying an interception in Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts and forcing a fumble in Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys.
The 24-year-old joins a deep linebacker room, but it is not one loaded with too much proven talent. All-Pro Roquan Smith leads the way, but Baltimore is still looking for a player to start beside him. Trenton Simpson and Teddye Buchanan could prove to be that in 2025, but Higgins could eventually see the opportunity to make his presence felt. Jake Hummel is also a part of the unit, but will be the special teams ace for Chris Horton’s group.
Higgins would have been quickly claimed off waivers had he been cut, so the Ravens keeping five linebackers, and sacrificing depth at other positions, makes sense. It could be a gamble, but it should pay off, as in the coming days, they will reorder the depth chart, add to their practice squad, and potentially send some players to injured reserve to start the season.