The Baltimore Ravens tend to excel in the preseason, and did just that in this year’s showing. They went undefeated, capping it all off with a 30-3 win over the Washington Commanders in Week 3. Various young players were the stars of the show, as Baltimore showcased another lethal rookie class on their way to dominating the NFL.
Unfortunately, such a strong roster and rookie class means many of those who proved capable of being contributors at the NFL level will not be able to make the team. There are only 53 spots available, and most of those have already been secured by proven players or rookies with draft pedigree. One undrafted signing looking more likely to fall victim to this unfair fate is linebacker Jay Higgins.
Jay Higgins may face unfair cutdown day reality
The Ravens' scouting department should be considered the best in the NFL. Not only do they always crush the NFL Draft, but they do an extraordinary job of uncovering talented undrafted free agents. Higgins is one of those guys, and he is joined by several other undrafted players competing for a roster spot as cutdown day looms.
Like Higgins, undrafted rookies–cornerback Keyon Martin, safety Reuben Lowery, and linebacker Chandler Martin–all faced an uphill battle going into camp. However, coming out of preseason action, all four of them have made compelling cases to be a part of Baltimore’s initial 53-man roster.
Many expect the defensive backs of Martin and Lowery to be the undrafted names to make the team. For Higgins, although he likely outplayed his rookie linebacker counterpart, there does not appear to be enough space for him, which is crushing to see after three elite performances.
The Ravens’ defense came to play in the preseason, and Higgins looked like a blossoming star. In Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts, the 23-year-old earned an 88.1 overall grade, per Pro Football Focus. He followed that up with an 84.0 grade in Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys, and in the preseason finale, he was once again one of the top defenders, posting an 83.2 grade.
Despite each of these outings, the linebacker depth in Charm City could be too deep. While they have yet to find a go-to starter to play alongside Roquan Smith, they have three other players ahead of Higgins on the depth chart. Trenton Simpson is looking to finally break out, Teddye Buchanan is hoping to earn reps as a fourth-round rookie, and Jake Hummel will be the main contributor on special teams.
Ultimately, Higgins’ lack of athleticism may prevent him from making the roster. They could keep five linebackers, but needs elsewhere on the team could prevent that. Higgins may be too talented to slip through waivers unclaimed, making it imperative that Baltimore does everything possible to keep him in the building, but unfortunately, that seems unlikely