The Baltimore Ravens are watching the prologue of the 2026 season unfold. The new coaching staff has wasted no time setting a tone in training camp, and the results have been fun to watch thus far.
The first week of camp has included many hot starts from players who desperately needed them. While rookie third-rounder Ja’Kobi Lane has been the star, second-year safety Keondre Jackson has earned relentless praise from his coaches.
The pinnacle of that praise? Anthony Weaver saying he’s in the running for most improved.
“From the first day I was here in the spring, and where [Jackson] is now, he’s probably in the running for most improved,” Weaver said. “Right now, if we had to play a game tomorrow, and he had to go out there and play for us, I have a tremendous amount of trust that he can get his job done.”
Keondre Jackson is making a loud case for a bigger role with Baltimore Ravens
Clearly, whatever Keondre Jackson is doing is working. It sounds like he’s passing every test thrown at him with flying colors, and the most important factor might be his energy. He’s been loud and proud during camp, which is translating into his play.
Weaver mentioned that everything that Jackson is doing is at full speed. He knows no other speed than slamming the accelerator to the floor on every play, and that’s exactly what he needs to do if he wants a shot at actually getting reps on defense. Getting on the field as a safety is going to be a major challenge for him.
The Ravens’ offseason saw the team turn an already impressive safety room into one with the league's best potential. In fact, they probably don't need to prove to anyone that it's the best. They already had Kyle Hamilton and Malaki Starks, and they added another superb safety in Jaylinn Hawkins on a two-year, $10 million contract in free agency to be the icing on the cake.
Unfortunately, with those three sitting in front of him on the safety depth chart, Jackson won’t have many chances on Jesse Minter's defense. He needs to make the most of every opportunity in front of him, and there will be ample reps available for the rest of training camp and preseason. It’s his time to shine, and right now, he’s glistening like a diamond.
This camp surge has people dreaming about the player that Jackson can become—the 2025 undrafted free agent may develop into a steal. And regardless of what the outcome is, his floor remains a stable piece in Charm City. He’s already a hit thanks to a rookie campaign that saw him quickly unveil himself as a special teams ace, and that foundation gives him a path toward something bigger.
As a special teams standout, Jackson has a role he can rely on if defensive snaps don’t come his way, but he shouldn’t settle for that in 2026. He’s already proven that he can be an absolute gem as a specialist; the next order of business should be cracking the defensive unit. If he can carry this training camp momentum into preseason and ultimately the regular season, he should have no problem getting sporadic reps…and maybe he could even force his way into a consistent spot in the rotation.
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