3 Baltimore Ravens position battles to watch before 2024 season
By Mike Luciano
The Baltimore Ravens have many of their starters set in stone ahead of the 2024 season, as there are Pro Bowlers and All-Pros set to once again cause havoc on unsuspecting members of the AFC North. Aside from positions like quarterback and running back, some positions on this team are very much in flux.
The Ravens not only have multiple Top 100 picks coming to the team, and the departure of multiple no-doubt starters from last year has the spirit of competition permeating throughout Ravens training camp, which could create multiple position battles worth keeping an eye on.
Assuming that Trenton Simpson holds down Patrick Queen's linebacker spot and Baltimore comes up with some sort of way to get first-round cornerback Nate Wiggins into the starting lineup, these three battles could see the incumbent starter unseated by one of their nominal backups.
3 Baltimore Ravens position battles to watch before 2024 season
3. Kyle Van Noy vs. Adisa Isaac and David Ojabo
The Ravens managed to mitigate the loss of Jadeveon Clowney in free agency by retaining Van Noy and drafting an explosive pass rusher in Isaac during the third round. Odafe Oweh will be pencilled in as a starter after his option was picked up, but Van Noy might not have a starting workload totally locked down.
Van Noy had a new career-best mark in sacks last year, but he played a situational role in which he only played in 51% of snaps. With Isaac in town and David Ojabo looking healthy after years of issues in that area, Baltimore might be willing to give Van Noy some added competition this season.
The Baltimore Ravens could force Kyle Van Noy to compete.
Ojabo has been injured more often than he's been healthy, but the Ravens seem willing to give him yet another chance to prove he can be a contributor in the pros. Isaac might need to add some weight, but he's still a solid player who deserves snaps as a rookie.
Van Noy will be the safest option, but some of the younger players might have a higher ceiling. If the defense ends up rotating rushers in and out, Baltimore could push in a youth movement that ends up with Isaac, Ojabo, and Oweh pushing Van Noy out of a starting role.