Ravens RB Derrick Henry carried five times for 17 yards and the season's first TD in Thursday night's loss to the Chiefs. But Kansas City's defense -- and game script -- limited him to just 29 scoreless yards on eight carries the rest of the way. Baltimore trailed for close to three-quarters of this game, and Henry was regularly pulled in passing situations for RB Justice Hill. Henry failed to catch either of his two targets.
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson had a huge night on the ground in Thursday's opener vs. the Chiefs, carrying 16 times for 122 yards. It was the third-biggest rushing tally of his carry. Jackson was particularly effective on scrambles, racking up 90 yards on nine attempts. His seven designed carries went for 32 yards. Jackson had an OK night as a passer, throwing for 273 yards, one TD, and 0 INTs on a 63% completion rate and 6.7 yards per attempt. He notably missed a wide-open WR Zay Flowers in the back of the end zone on the penultimate play of the game. Jackson then appeared to connect with TE Isaiah Likely for the game-tying score -- but replay showed that Likely's toe was just barely out of bounds.
Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins (knee) was limited in Wednesday's practice. He's expected to play in this weekend's opener vs. the Bears, but we're currently projecting his volume and efficiency to take a hit coming off the knee injury. We'll see what Hopkins does in practice the next two days and how he's listed on the final injury report.
Ravens TE Mark Andrews returned to the practice field Friday for the first time since what he called an "extremely scary" car accident 16 days earlier, ESPN's Jamison Hensley reports. Andrews said he's not dealing with any injury from the incident and is ready to play in the regular-season opener against the Chiefs.
The Ravens are keeping RB Keaton Mitchell on the physically unable to perform list to begin the regular season, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. This merely confirms the expectation, as Mitchell continues to work back from a December ACL tear.
Titans HC Brian Callahan said Sunday that WR DeAndre Hopkins (knee) should be back soon and is on track to be ready for Week 1, per ESPN's Turron Davenport. Hopkins went down a little less than three weeks ago with a knee injury that was expected to cost him 4-6 weeks. It sounds like he'll be back on the short end of that timetable.
Ravens TE Isaiah Likely has had a "fantastic" training camp, HC John Harbaugh said this week. The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec notes that, while TE Mark Andrews leads the team in camp receptions, "Likely isn't far behind."
Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins will not need surgery on his injured knee, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. "A return at four weeks is likely (but not guaranteed)," Rapoport adds. "Would allow him to be ready for Week 1."
Ravens HC John Harbaugh talked up RB Justice Hill on Thursday. Harbaugh called Hill a "high-caliber RB" who's "gonna play a lot."
DeAndre Hopkins strained a knee in practice and "indications are he could miss four to six weeks," according to Titans beat writer Paul Kuharsky. He said it wasn't immediately clear when the injury occurred. ESPN's Turron Davenport shared a video of Hopkins going through individual drills with his left knee wrapped Wednesday afternoon.
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson was back on the practice field on Saturday. He missed time with an illness earlier this week, but it doesn't sound like a factor going forward. "Jackson looked more like the NFL Most Valuable Player than someone who had missed four of the first five practices with an illness," ESPN's Jamison Hensley wrote after Saturday's session.
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson did not practice on Friday due to an illness. He missed time early in the week but had practiced on Wednesday and Thursday. "He continues to undergo further evaluation and receive care from our medical team," the Ravens said in a statement.
The Ravens have placed RB Keaton Mitchell on the physically unable to perform list for the start of training camp. It's no surprise, given that Mitchell is working back from a late December ACL tear. HC John Harbaugh said back in May that the team doesn't expect Mitchell back until "sometime during the season."
Second-year LB Trenton Simpson looks like he's ready to take over the starting job vacated by Patrick Queen's free-agent departure.
The Ravens have wrapped up offseason workouts, and Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic highlighted TE Isaiah Likely as a spring standout. "Likely's work in OTAs and minicamp gave Monken even more reason to polish those multiple tight end sets," Zrebiec writes. "From making highlight-reel, one-handed catches in the middle of the field to finding openings underneath to pulling away from defenders after receptions, Likely looked like a player who will be hard to keep off the field."
Ravens HC John Harbaugh told reporters Wednesday that RB Keaton Mitchell is not expected back until "sometime during the season," according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Harbaugh did add that Mitchell's "on schedule" in his recovery from a mid-December ACL tear but won't participate in training camp.
Ravens HC John Harbaugh singled out WR Devontez Walker as a standout in rookie minicamp. "You knew he was gonna be fast. You knew he was gonna be big and fast. He showed that," Harbaugh said. "I was impressed with how he moved, change of direction. ... Caught the ball really well. ... He's off to a great start." There's opportunity in Baltimore's WR corps behind Zay Flowers. Walker has the size (6'2) and speed (4.36-second 40 time) to snatch that opportunity. We'll keep a close eye on the rookie this spring and summer. And he's worth a look at the end of early best-ball drafts.
The Ravens selected North Carolina WR Devontez Walker in Round 4 of the NFL Draft. Walker’s path to the draft was a long one that included a 2019 ACL tear and multiple transfers. He entered scouts’ radar in 2022 at Kent State, where he tallied 58-921-11 in 12 games. Walker accounted for 29.6% of the team’s catches, 35.6% of the receiving yards, and 64.7% of the receiving TDs. Strong marks – the kind you want to see from a guy facing a lower level of competition. A transfer to North Carolina paired Walker with top-10 QB prospect Drake Maye. However, Walker didn’t play a full season, as an eligibility battle with the NCAA limited the Carolina native to eight games. When active, he filled an outside, vertical role. That led to a massive 18.2-yard aDOT and 17.0 yards per catch. The nearly 6’2, 193-pounder effectively used his 83rd percentile wingspan to snag 10 of 17 contested catch opportunities (58.5%). Walker also boats NFL-caliber speed on tape. According to tracking data from Zebra Sports, he hit a Senior Bowl-high 21.18 MPH. Walker’s negatives come from a lack of proven post-catch ability and a thin route portfolio. Overall, we’re intrigued by the size/athleticism package. In Baltimore, Walker finds intriguing opportunity behind No. 1 WR Zay Flowers. Walker will primarily compete for snaps with Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor. The rookie at least has a shot to provide some spike weeks for best-ball teams. Longer term, he has the potential to develop into a field-stretching No. 2 WR for QB Lamar Jackson.
The Ravens and WR Rashod Bateman have agreed to a contract extension that keeps him in Baltimore through the 2026 season, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. Bateman had been scheduled to hit free agency next offseason. The 2021 first-round pick has underwhelmed through three NFL campaigns, missing 17 games of 51 regular-season games and failing to reach 50 yards in 25 of the other 34. HC John Harbaugh said back in February, though, that he expected Bateman to take a big step in 2024 and get the ball "a lot more." There's certainly opportunity for Bateman in Baltimore's current WR corps. But he can't be considered more than a late-round flier in fantasy drafts considering his career thus far.
As many expected, the Ravens have agreed to terms with former Titans RB Derrick Henry. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Henry will get a two-year, $16 million deal -- with a $20 million max value and $9 million guaranteed for 2024. That means Henry will take over the backfield for at least the coming season. Despite last offseason's OC switch and other investments in the passing game, Baltimore finished 2023 as the league's most run-heavy offense (50.3% of plays). QB Lamar Jackson skews that rate with his scrambling, but it's clearly a good situation for Henry. His Underdog Fantasy ADP sits at RB15 as of this writing, at the end of Round 5. If Henry stays in that range, he'll be smash pick for best ball. Check our best ball rankings to compare our outlook for Henry with the market's. J.K. Dobbins, meanwhile, just got easier to drop in dynasty formats -- in case you were on the fence. Keaton Mitchell? We'll have to watch his progress throughout the summer as he returns from a December ACL tear.
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