Breaking down the Ravens depth chart at Defensive Line before Week 1
The Baltimore Ravens have put their final touches to the 2023 regular-season roster and to their practice squad following Tuesday's trimming deadline, Wednesday's waiver wire dealings, and Thursday's final additions and IR placements.
What once was a four-man line ended up adding a veteran former Raven to it to bolster things a bit on Thursday after Baltimore re-signed Brent Urban following his cut on Tuesday.
Now that nearly all moves have been completed and we're about a week away from the Ravens' regular-season debut, here's a breakdown of the Defensive Line of the Baltimore Ravens for the 2023 season.
Ravens DL Depth Chart
Starters: (DE) Justin Madubuike, (NT) Michael Pierce, (DE) Broderick Washington
There weren't many surprises in this unit when the 53-man roster was initially announced. Barring the absence of Brent Urban on Tuesday, which was expected as he was a vested veteran and could later be signed without going through waivers, all other players to make the cut were clear-cut candidates.
The lads will go on a 3-4 base defense with a couple of defensive ends in Madubuike and Washington flanking nose tackle Michael Pierce. That's a solid, good-not-great unit, but it's not that we can complain.
Baltimore simply doesn't put four men on their D-line that much time, if ever at all, so the starters and the depth, a five-man unit all things considered, should be enough.
Depth: Travis Jones, Brent Urban
Urban got re-signed and named to the 53-man roster following Wednesday's waiver wire deadline and Thursday's league-wide moves as he probably pre-agreed to a pact with the Ravens brass to rejoin the team in time for the 2023 season.
There was no necessity to name six D-linemen, and that's precisely what happened with the Ravens only adding Travis Jones and Urban as insurance policy, while also signing former Carolina Panthers DT Bravvion Roy as the final member and only external free agent to fill the last opening of the practice squad.