Ranking 15 Baltimore Ravens practice squad members most likely to contribute in 2023

9. Will the Baltimore Ravens need Rayshad Nichols?

This will be the second straight year that Rayshad Nichols has made the practice squad. Nichols was a UDFA from Stephen F. Austin last year and made the roster towards the end of the season. This year, the Ravens added Trey Botts and Kai Caesar as rookie UDFAs, but both of them performed poorly in the preseason.

The combination of Rayshad Nichols legitimately looking as though he took a step and Botts and Caesar struggling led to the Ravens having an easy call and signing Nichols back to the practice squad. Things also broke the way of Nichols when the Ravens saw Angelo Blackson not only get cut but not circle back to the practice squad.

The thought was that Blackson would be the sixth defensive lineman and would circle back to the roster on a handshake deal. However, the Ravens' plan appears to be to keep just five active linemen, with the four on the current roster plus Brent Urban. Urban has not signed back yet but plans to when the Ravens make a corresponding move.

So, Nichols could have made the practice squad as the seventh defensive line option, but instead, he made it as the sixth. That is a small win.