9 Observations from Ravens' Depth Chart before first pre-season game

The Baltimore Ravens released their first "official" depth chart for the 2023 season on Wednesday ahead of the first pre-season game to be played by the Flock Nation against the Philadelphia Eagles next Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium.

It's worth noting that this depth chart was put together by the franchise's Public Relations staff, and not the coaches, so it's not that the names and roles are set in stone not align with the reality of the roster and the staff thoughts about the different players still part of the organization.

That said, it's an interesting exercise to review the first installment of the Ravens depth chart if only to know where things (at least to an extent and approximately) stand with just hours before the pre-season start with the first game and the regular season gets rolling in less than a month.

Parker Hurley already put together some instant reactions to the DC once the official release dropped.

Today, we're reviewing the depth chart once more in further detail to offer some different highlights and takeaways that could point toward the short-term direction of the team entering the 2023 season.

Let's start with the Special Teams of the 2023 Baltimore Ravens.

2023 Ravens Depth Chart: 3 Observations about the Special Teams

1. GOAT Justin Tucker returns but gets to play along Tyler Ott's new face

The Ravens lost Nick Moore for the 2023 season with an Achilles' injury right before the start of camp.

The franchise quickly moved on and offered former Pro Bowl Long Snapper and Seattle Seahawk Tyler Ott a one-year deal to launch the ball toward Justin Tucker's direction.

It was a savage, sudden, and extraordinary move made by Baltimore and one that we will love next year.

2. Devin Duvernay is (even more of) a lock to make the final 53-man roster

Duvernay leads the way for the special team returners on both kicks and punts, which should be more than enough for him to have a guaranteed spot in the final roster to be submitted to the NFL by the Ravens at the end of August.

Duvernay, a wide receiver, is going to face stout competition for touches at the WR position with all of Zay Flowers, Odell Beckham Jr., and Rashod Bateman already ahead of him in the pecking order.

Having a sizable role in ST is surely going to help him make the cut if only because of the added value he brings to the table.

3. WR James Proche and UDFA RB Keaton Mitchell are very much in the bubble

Proche is in a precarious position when it comes to getting named a 53-man wideout. Consider him a worst-case-scenario Duvernay if you wish. That, though, might not be entirely bad if he can snatch a place among the top-of-the-order ST playmakers.

The same goes for UDFA RB Keaton Mitchell and the running back room. The backfield of the Ravens is hella loaded one month from kick-off.

Assuming J.K. Dobbins returns and plays, Mitchell will need to overtake at least veteran free-agent signee Melvin Gordon and fight against the likes of Justice Hill. If he can prove his talents as a returned he might have a slight advantage over MG3.

2023 Ravens Depth Chart: 3 Observations about the Offense

1. Laquon Treadwell beats all other ancially weapons

The battle for the WR5 role is going to be a tough one and everything is still up in the air when it comes to the final outlook of the position past the fourth member of the wide receiver unit.

Although not serious at this point, this depth chart gave us a nice clue about what might be happening in a few days when the final roster will be revealed.

Treadwell beat all of Proche, Tarik Black, Makai Polk, Tylan Wallace, Shemar Bridges, Sean Ryan, and Dontay Demus Jr. for the WR5 role. In other words: Treadwell, a former first-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings, is the next-man-up option on the preseason WR unit of Baltimore.

2. No sight of Ben Cleveland in the race for Left Guard reps

Highlighted as the fiercest battle through the Ravens training camp, the left guard position seems to have a leader in John Simpson and a very capable reserve in rookie Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu.

If you feel like you're missing something, that's because you are: Ben Cleveland was not listed at all on the LG row, not even as the third-string member of it.

It looks like the rookie Sala has convinced the coaches (mostly and most importantly HC John Harbaugh) and that this battle is now a two-man race between the freshman and Simpson. Whoever makes the most of the pre-season matchups will probably end up winning the starting LG role.

3. Tyler Huntley is your reserve quarterback

I could have gone with Gus Edwards jumping over J.K. Dobbins in the pecking order, but that doesn't feel quite right considering Dobbins will be the clear-cut RB1 of the Ravens next season the minute he comes to his senses and returns to the team.

The race for backing up Lamar Jackson, though, isn't quite clear at this point, and with Jackson most probably not throwing passes in the pre-season games, it's going to be a two-man fight for a single role behind Lamar in the roster.

The PR members of the Ravens know no more than we do, though, but at least to their eyes through training camp and following the guys closely for the past couple of weeks, they believe (reasonably as he's been more consistent and less turnover-prone) that Huntley is the main reserve entering Saturday's preseason opener.

2023 Ravens Depth Chart: 3 Observations about the Defense

1. Rock Ya-Sin is down injured but holding onto the CB2 role

The Ravens handed the former Las Vegas Raider a nice deal this offseason to play opposite CB1 Marlon Humphrey and that's not going to change barring an unexpected turn of events.

Yes, Ya-Sin is currently injured and most probably will miss some pre-season reps both on the training fields and inside and away from M&T Bank Stadium in actual games. It will take a miracle for the trailing men to snatch the role from him but don't rule it out entirely.

Sophomore Jalyn Armour-Davis has looked hella strong and is listed as the second-string CB behind Ya-Sin.

Another interesting quirk: Pepe Williams is ahead of Arthur Maulet, though the DC doesn't feature a role for nickel corners and that's where Maulet should be deployed.

2. No surprises in the second line of D-Men

Chalky line, expected roles. All of Odafe Oweh, David Ojabo, Roquan Smith, and Patrick Queen are expected to start game on defense behind a three-man front of tackles.

There is a chance veteran Tyus Bowser ends up getting starting reps when/if he gets back to the ground following his current stint in the PUP list and out of comission, but the future of the Ravens defense goes by the aforemented four defenders so the more playing time they can get, the soonest, the best for the franchise.

3. The Ravens knew what they were doing by extending Broderick Washington

Baltimore extended Washington to a three-year deal on Wednesday and although that happened after the DC was originally released, it aligns with BW's role on the defensive line as the PR team of the Ravens has him listed as the starting DE of the Flock D.

The two other most prominent options would have been Justin Madubuike and Michael Pierce, but it looks like the DT interesting got the benefit of the doubt here but getting slotted in the defensive end position instead with the team relying more on the other two to man the inside part of the line.

This feels like a fluid rotation, though, so don't set those roles and players in stone until we watch them all together on the field.

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