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Ravens training camp: Sleepers to watch at each defensive position
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- Ravens training camp: Sleepers to watch at each defensive position
Ravens training camp: Sleepers to watch at each defensive position
After months of waiting, we're less than 25 days from the start of Jesse Minter's first training camp since taking over as Ravens head coach after John Harbaugh was fired. The Baltimore Ravens have one of the NFL's most talented defensive rosters, but training camp will not be decided only by the stars.
Minter and Anthony Weaver have established names to build around on defense, including Kyle Hamilton, Roquan Smith, Marlon Humphrey, Nate Wiggins, Malaki Starks, Nnamdi Madubuike, Trey Hendrickson, and Calais Campbell. The deeper battles will matter, too. Baltimore has several under-the-radar defenders fighting for roster spots, practice squad roles, or bigger opportunities after spending the past year developing in the system.
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Here are five Ravens defensive sleepers to watch at each position entering training camp.
Defensive line: David Olajiga
Olajiga is one of Baltimore's more interesting developmental defensive linemen because of his size, background, and pathway into the organization. The 6-foot-3, 315-pound lineman signed with the Ravens' practice squad in October 2025 through the International Player Pathway Program after spending time with the Patriots and Rams. Baltimore later signed him to a reserve/future deal, giving him a full offseason to continue developing inside the Ravens' defensive front.
Olajiga spent last season on the practice squad, which makes this training camp even more important. His case has to be built on traits, strength, and improvement. The Ravens have proven veterans and young interior defenders ahead of him, so Olajiga needs to show he can anchor against the run, create pocket push, and handle the physical demands of padded practices.
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The path to the initial 53-man roster is difficult, but Baltimore values defensive line depth and developmental size. If Olajiga flashes during preseason games, he could become a strong practice squad candidate and a player the Ravens continue grooming for future depth.
Edge rusher: Carl Jones Jr.
Jones is listed as a linebacker, but his value comes from athleticism, special teams, and the possibility of carving out a hybrid depth role. The Ravens claimed him off waivers from the Chicago Bears in December 2025 after he appeared in 13 total games last season between Chicago and Baltimore. Jones finished 2025 with 12 total tackles, including 11 with the Bears and one with Baltimore.
That production does not guarantee anything, but it provides Jones with a starting point. He has already been in NFL games, has special teams experience, and has enough movement ability to push for a back-end roster role. Baltimore's edge and linebacker groups are crowded, so Jones has to make himself valuable in multiple phases.
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His best chance is to stand out on special teams while showing he can handle sub-package defensive work. If he can cover kicks, run, tackle, and provide emergency depth at linebacker or on the edge, he can make the final roster conversation more difficult.
Linebacker: Jay Higgins IV
Higgins is a sleeper because his football résumé is better than his draft status suggested. The former Iowa standout signed with Baltimore as an undrafted free agent in 2025 after a college career built on production, instincts, and leadership. In 2024, Iowa credited him with 114 total tackles, four interceptions, two forced fumbles, and six games with at least 10 tackles, while noting he was the only major-conference player that season with at least 100 tackles and four interceptions.
His rookie season gave him a foothold. ESPN lists Higgins with three solo tackles, one forced fumble, and no interceptions during the 2025 regular season. That is not a huge defensive stat line, but young linebackers often have to earn their way through special teams before they receive steady defensive snaps.
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The Ravens have Roquan Smith at the top of the inside linebacker room, while Teddye Buchanan's ACL recovery and Trenton Simpson's development will shape the second spot. Higgins' path is clear: tackle well, communicate, show coverage awareness, and become too dependable on special teams to cut. If he does that, he can stick as a depth linebacker with long-term upside.
Cornerback: Bilhal Kone
Kone may be the most intriguing sleeper on this list because 2025 was wiped out before it really began. The Ravens selected the Western Michigan cornerback in the sixth round in 2025, but he suffered a season-ending knee injury during the preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts. Harbaugh later said Kone had a torn ligament in his knee and would miss the season.
Before the injury, Kone had real momentum as a developmental corner. At Western Michigan in 2024, he started all 13 games, finished with a career-high 70 tackles, and had 10 passes defended, including nine pass breakups and one interception. He also participated in the 2025 Senior Bowl, giving Baltimore a long, competitive corner with traits worth developing.
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His camp will be about health first. If Kone is moving well, the Ravens can evaluate whether he still has the length, speed, and coverage ability that made him a draftable prospect. Baltimore has a crowded cornerback room, but a healthy Kone could push for a depth role, special teams snaps, or a practice squad spot if the roster math gets tight.
Safety: Jahquez Robinson
Robinson is a sleeper at the safety position, offering elite size, SEC experience, and a chance to make an impression in a crowded secondary. The Ravens list him at 6-foot-2 and 201 pounds, and Auburn's bio credited him with playing all 12 games in 2025, including eight starts, while recording a career-high 27 tackles and 23 solo stops.
Robinson enters a tough room. Hamilton and Starks give Baltimore high-end safety talent, Jaylinn Hawkins adds veteran production, and other defensive backs are fighting for depth and special teams roles. That means Robinson's roster case has to be built on more than measurables.
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He has to tackle well, communicate, handle special teams, and show enough coverage range to be trusted as a developmental safety. If he can play both safety spots and contribute on coverage units, he has a chance to stick around even if the initial 53-man roster is difficult to crack.
Cornerback: Marquise Robinson
Robinson is another defensive back worth watching because the Ravens kept him in the building and have a long history of developing undrafted players. Baltimore lists him as a 6-foot, 192-pound cornerback from Arkansas with one year of experience. He did not record 2025 regular-season defensive statistics, according to ESPN and the Ravens' team page, so his case will be made almost entirely in camp and preseason action.
His college production gives the Ravens something to evaluate. Arkansas credited Robinson with 33 tackles and one interception in 2024, while his best college season came at South Alabama in 2023, when he produced 36 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions, three pass breakups, and a fumble recovery.
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For Robinson, the formula is simple. He has to cover, tackle, and make plays on special teams. Baltimore's cornerback depth is competitive, but preseason football often creates opportunities for players who can handle multiple roles. If Robinson turns camp reps into takeaways or standout coverage snaps, he can remain in the mix.
Bottom line
The Ravens' defensive core is already strong, but the bottom of the roster still matters.
Kone has the most upside if he is healthy. Higgins has the most proven football instincts. Jones has NFL experience and special teams value. Olajiga has developmental size. Jahquez Robinson has the frame and safety background to push for a role, while Marquise Robinson gives Baltimore another cornerback prospect to evaluate.
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Not all of them will make the 53-man roster, but all of them have something to prove once camp opens. For a defense trying to rebound under Minter and Weaver, one or two sleepers emerging would make an already deep unit even stronger.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Ravens training camp: Sleepers to watch at each defensive position
