As the 2026 regular season inches closer and closer, roster battles will start to get chippy. There’s one preseason game down, and only two games to go, so every snap matters. For Baltimore Ravens' seventh-round defensive lineman Rayshaun Benny, he’s fighting for his NFL life.
The Ravens are loaded in the trenches on defense. Nnamdi Madubuike, Calais Campbell, Travis Jones, John Jenkins…the list goes on. There’s not much leeway for depth guys like Benny.
Thankfully, Benny has the right man in his corner. 19-year veteran Calais Campbell recently raved about the rookie, praising the technique and curiosity he’s brought to the pros.
“I sit next to him in meetings, and he’s always asking questions,” Campbell said. “He’s a technician; really good with his hands, low pad level, runs his feet. He’s already kind of advanced for most rookies.”
Rayshaun Benny might be well on his way to a Baltimore Ravens 53-man roster spot
It’s not easy to impress a player with as much experience as Calais Campbell, but clearly, Rayshaun Benny has been handling the NFL transition pretty nicely. Being more advanced than most rookies immediately gives Benny an advantage. It gives him a more distinct floor, and the ceiling is just as enticing.
Benny was considered one of the top steals of the 2026 NFL Draft when Baltimore selected him in the seventh round at No. 250.
His ability to stack and shed in the run game is terrific, displaying great hands to discard blocks and awareness to locate the ball carrier with ease. Benny’s also athletic enough and brings more than enough power to flash as a pass rusher.
Those traits are beginning to show up in the pros. In the preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, he had some solid moments. His active hands, feet, and relentless motor were on full display.
There’s also one more advantage that Benny has: a pre-existing relationship with head coach Jesse Minter and defensive line coach Lou Esposito. Both coached Benny at Michigan and know what he’s capable of when he’s at his best. That might save him a spot on the 53-man roster.
Of course, nothing will be handed to a rookie on a silver platter, especially not one drafted in the late stages of the seventh round. He has to earn it, and there are several other players pushing Benny to the brink.
The competition stacked up against Benny includes Aeneas Peebles, Broderick Washington Jr., and CJ Okoye. Each of those guys obviously had the edge in terms of experience, but it’s a “What have you done for me lately?” type of league. And for each of those three, the answer is not much.
Even though the ceilings for Peebles and Okoye are high—Peebles for athleticism and Okoye for his size—they haven’t shown anything to prove they can be leaned on at the NFL level. If Benny continues to hit the right notes early in his professional career, he could quickly pass those guys on the depth chart.
Washington, on the other hand, hasn’t lived up to expectations since signing an extension back in 2023. He didn’t have a good start in Week 1 of the preseason either, which may have left the door open for a roster bubble guy like Benny.
Of course, the Ravens could do some roster manipulation. Madubuike is still working his way back from a neck injury, so there’s a possibility that he’s placed on IR to start the regular season, leaving an extra spot along the defensive front. That would certainly ease the pressure sitting on Benny’s shoulders.
Ultimately, though, Benny is trending in the right direction. If he continues the pace that he’s on, it’d be tough to see a world where he doesn’t make the active roster.
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