Now that the Baltimore Ravens have introduced the rookies to the NFL, they get a few weeks off before the season starts at training camp. The Ravens are a team that drafts well and works hard to find gems as UDFAs who can make the roster.
While these are often players who take time to develop on the practice squad, a rookie UDFA may make the roster occasionally. Who are three of the Baltimore Ravens UDFAs in 2023 that may end up on the 53-man roster when the smoke clears?
3. Trey Botts may make the Baltimore Ravens based on the numbers game
Trey Botts is a UDFA from Colorado State-Pueblo, a Division II school. That definitely contributed to him going undrafted. The good news is that Botts dominated his competition. Still, this will be a significant step up in competition.
The best news for him making the roster comes down to the numbers on the roster more than his play, though. The Ravens will almost certainly keep six defensive linemen for depth purposes. They have Justin Madubuike, Travis Jones, and Broderick Washington as the young starters, followed by Michael Pierce, Brent Urban, and Angelo Blackson as the experienced depth.
In the case of Pierce, he has not been healthy for a full year since the pandemic, and Blackson was signed late in the offseason after struggling on the Chicago Bears' awful run defense. There are some possibilities for a hole or two to open up in the top six. Rayshad Nichols is the name to watch because he is a second-year UDFA. Botts may be on that track of sitting a year, then competing like Nichols is this year. Or, an injury to Pierce or the flaming out of Blackson could lead him to him sneaking on as a first-year player. It is on the table. Of course, the play of Botts has to decide this as well, and we will see when training camp comes.