With the Baltimore Ravens weeks away from the start 0f the 2023 preseason, it’ll be time for players to put on a show worthy of the big leagues in order to keep a roster spot. Veterans like Lamar Jackson (who signed his five-year extension this past April), Odell Beckham Jr., and Roquan Smith have their places on the Ravens roster on lockdown.
The rookies who have been drafted out of college have to prove themselves. It doesn’t matter if he was drafted in the first round or seventh round; this is their first exposure in the NFL, where the best of the best compete on a weekly basis.
2023 Baltimore Ravens Rookie Preview
Only the strong survive in this league, and the Ravens have some great rookies who can make an impact on the field when week one begins:
Zay Flowers
Ravens WR Zay Flowers (4) – Kevin Richardson/Baltimore Sun
Flowers was taken 22nd overall in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft from Boston College. The newly drafted wide receiver had three seasons where he notched over 700 receiving yards for the Boston College Eagles. Flowers’ senior season in 2022 was his lone 1,000-yard season with 78 receptions for 1,077 yards and scored 12 touchdowns.
Newly hired offensive coordinator Todd Monken is developing this season’s Ravens offense to be a lot more pass-happy with the additions of veterans like OBJ and Nelson Agholor. Flowers will be a great addition to the offense this season, but will not reach 1,000 receiving yards his rookie year due to the high amount of veteran wide receiver presence currently on the roster.
Flowers will be very productive with Baltimore’s offense as he won All-ACC honors for three straight years during his time in the maroon and gold and has had very productive seasons with the BC Eagles dating back to his sophomore season.
Trenton Simpson
Former Clemson LB Trenton Simpson (22) – Ken Ruinard/USA Today Sports
The rookie third-round linebacker fresh out of Clemson comes to the Ravens with good defensive experience for the linebacker core from his time with the Tigers. Simpson notched 165 tackles and 13 sacks in the orange and purple.
Simpson brings good defensive experience to a linebacker core that consists of Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen, along with new defensive coordinator Chuck Smith.
Simpson will be a great fit in a fierce and hard-hitting Ravens defense that finds its way into the NFL’s top 10 defenses time after time.
Don’t be surprised if Simpson makes a strong impact where he can become a starter in the interior of the defense.
Tavius Robinson
Ravens DE Tavius Robinson (95) – Shawn Hubbard/Baltimore Ravens
The newly drafted Ole Miss Rebel will also help keep Baltimore’s defense solid for seasons to come. The fourth-round pick showed improvement each season at Ole Miss.
Robinson had 18 tackles and a sack in his first year at Ole Miss after transferring from the University of Guelph in Canada in 2020, he had 28 tackles and three and a half sacks in his second season and 43 tackles and six sacks in his final season with the Rebels.
Robinson has the potential to perform like a TJ Watt or TJ’s brother JJ Watt depending on how he executes during the preseason.
No matter when an NFL player gets drafted- first round or the later rounds, anyone from those slots can make an impact on a team with the right talent and coaching staff around them. Look at Tom Brady, who was drafted 199th overall in the sixth round of the NFL draft in 2000/ It does not even need to be said- championship-winning icon.
Any one of these newly drafted Ravens can become a game-changing franchise icon with the team’s strong coaching staff, pushing them to take their talent to the next level!
