The Baltimore Ravens are undergoing a serious transition in 2026. Obviously, it’s an exciting new era under a young coaching staff, but the roster looks way different.
One area that is trying to relocate its identity is Baltimore’s special teams unit. Over the last two offseasons, they’ve lost Justin Tucker and more recently, Jordan Stout. Long snapper Nick Moore is the only remaining piece from that kicking battery, and while fans can trust him to do his job, the same can’t be said for the kicker and punter. Not yet.
Tyler Loop and Ryan Eckley have many eyes on them in OTAs. For Loop, he’s still looking to prove himself, and for Eckley, the rookie has to lock up the punter job first. It’s a key storyline, and so far, the two youngsters have risen to the occasion. They aced the test in the first week.
Baltimore Ravens will have all eyes on special teams performance in OTAs
Ravens fans know how important special teams are to the game. It was a backbone of the John Harbaugh era. Whether it be kicking, punting, snapping, or coverage duties, Harbaugh always made sure he had the best unit possible. And sure, under Jesse Minter, there may not be as big an emphasis on special teams, but it’ll still remain a pivotal part of their identity. It has been throughout their entire history.
That’s what makes the performance of Tyler Loop and Ryan Eckley so important. Special teams don’t always get the love they deserve, but make no mistake about it, they can make life so much easier for the offense and defense. Loop and Eckley need to catch fire early, and to their credit, they have.
According to Ryan Mink on BaltimoreRavens.com, both Loop and Eckley were among his 10 standouts from the first week of OTAs. He wrote that Loop had an outing where he went 6-for-6 on field goal attempts, and Eckley converted on an impressive coffin corner punt inside the five-yard line. That’s what the Ravens need to see from them.
Loop’s performance could be a sign of a much-needed breakthrough. He was relatively consistent in 2025, nailing 30 of 34 field goal attempts, but struggled from distance and in the big moments. And after missing that game-winner in Week 18, he needs to recalibrate ahead of the 2026 regular season.
In Eckley’s case, he should be the starting punter. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. However, nothing is guaranteed in the NFL. He has some competition, too, in the form of Luke Elzinga.
Sure, Elzinga went undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft; however, he’ll certainly make an effort to give Eckley a run for his money. That adds another intriguing layer to the special teams action at OTAs.
Of course, consistency is key on special teams. We’ve seen hot starts before, but we’ll need to see how Loop and Eckley deal with adversity. We need to see Loop continue to bounce back, and all the while, we’ll be learning about what the future could hold for Eckley.
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