Several members of the Baltimore Ravens' 2026 rookie class saw extended action in Sunday's 35-13 home loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7. They are in an AFC North division in which every team's record is above .500, and after falling to 4-3, they now deservedly sit at the bottom of the standings heading into next week.
Drafted and undrafted first-year players saw extensive playing time in all three phases. The only rookies who were healthy scratches were fourth-round wide receiver Elijah Sarratt and undrafted quarterback Joe Fagnano, who still suited up as an emergency No. 3 option. Fifth-round running back Adam Randall wasn't activated from short-term injured reserve in his third week of eligibility and seventh-round defensive tackle Rayshaun Benny is on the practice squad and has yet to be elevated.
Here's an overview of how these rookies performed in their late taste of NFL regular-season action.
The first-round interior offensive lineman's return to his natural position at right guard after playing the last three games at center was short-lived and cut short due to injury. After taking a knee to his right knee while making a block downfield, he left the game following that drive and did not return. It marked the first time all season that he missed a single snap on offense, as he only played 16 of the Ravens' 67 total snaps on that side of the ball. According to a report from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport , Ioane suffered a sprained MCL, and while it's not a long-term injury, he is expected to miss time. Head coach Jesse Minter alluded to the fact that he'll likely miss this week's massive matchup against the Buffalo Bills following Wednesday's practice.
"We'll see where it's at with (Vega)," Minter said. "If there's anybody that can do something crazy and overcome things, he's got the right mentality. We'll see how that goes, and we'll put the best guy out there that gives us the best opportunity for this particular game."
Despite the Ravens losing sack leader and stout run-defending fourth-year pro Tavius Robinson to a season-ending pectoral injury, the second-rounder didn't see a sharp or even slight uptick in playing time on defense, as many expected . His 21 snaps on that side of the ball were his second-lowest of the season and fewest since he played just a dozen in Week 1. He still helped the Ravens bottle up the Bengals' rushing attack to just 73 yards on the ground with an average of just 3.7 yards per carry. Young recorded his seventh solo tackle of the season on a solo takedown of running back Chase Brown after a four-yard gain to prevent him from moving the chains on a penalty-shortened first down.
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Ja'kobi Lane (6) catches a pass in the second quarter of the NFL Week 7 game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. The Ravens led 13-0 at halftime. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
The third-rounder picked up where he left off in his return from injury last week by picking up key first-down conversions on the first two of the three receptions that he made on five targets for 25 receiving yards. All three came on third down, with the first being a juggling snag he gained control of before backpedaling out of bounds for a gain of 10 yards on the Ravens' second scoring drive. Two plays later, he came up clutch again with a nine-yard snag on third-and-medium that he had to go low to pluck before it could hit the ground. His third catch came on the final play of the third quarter with the Ravens deep in Bengals territory, and had he not had to work back to the quarterback after getting sufficient depth at the top of his route, Lane likely would've been 3-for-3 on third-down conversions as he dragged down two yards shy of the line to gain.
Lane nearly had a mulligan on recording his first career touchdown catch on the Ravens' last possession of the first half on a third-and-short in the low red zone. Unfortunately, backup quarterback Tyler Huntley's pass was just out of reach of the long-limbed wideout, who got nice separation from the corner guarding him on the play.
The fourth-rounder played fewer than 30 offensive snaps for the first time in his last four appearances, but it was also his first game back after missing last week with an injury. Hibner wasn't targeted as a pass catcher and was one of multiple players at the position who struggled as blockers in run blocking, either whiffing or straight-up losing block attempts. With veteran Mark Andrews struggling the Ravens need to get the young tight ends more involved.
The fifth-rounder didn't see any playing time on defense for the second straight game, as the Ravens decided to deploy second-year pro Keyon Martin at the nickel spot over him again. Rivers' 13 snaps on special teams were the second-most among rookies and 52% of the team's total.
Oct 25, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens tight end Josh Cuevas (85) runs the ball during the second half against the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The fifth-rounder played his fewest offensive snaps since Week 2 with 15, yet that didn't stop him from having his second-most productive outing in that phase of the game with two catches on three targets for 35 receiving yards. He picked up 16 yards on the first play from the scrimmage of the game off a play-action pass from Huntley that he caught short and rumbled for the rest. His other 19 yards came on a tight end screen that moved the offense past midfield and into Cincinnati territory late in the third quarter.
Cuevas was Huntley's intended target on the final play of that same drive, but he collided with a Bengals defender and was knocked off course just enough for the pass to fall incomplete on a fourth-down gamble by Minter, who bypassed another short field goal that would've given the Ravens the lead back.
The sixth-round specialist had a solid yet non-spectacular day at the office with three punts for 145 yards, including an average of 48.3 yards per punt and a long of 57, his third-longest of the season. While Eckley didn't have any touchbacks, he didn't manage to pin the Bengals back inside their own 20-yard line once either.
The undrafted free agent helped fill the void created by Robinson's season-ending injury and did a great job in the effort. Burke tied his career highs with 17 defensive snaps and 22 on special teams, first among rookies and tied for the most on the team overall. He was impressive as an edge-setter against the run with how he stacked and effortlessly shed would-be blockers, and nearly notched his second career sack on Joe Burrow, who somehow managed to throw an incomplete pass before the Maryland native could bring him all the way down with possession. Burke's Pro Football Focus grade of 78.5 was the highest among all defenders on the team and second overall to only two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Zay Flowers, who had another monster game and earned a 90.7.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/ravens/onsi as Ravens Week 7 Rookie Report: Vega Ioane Left Early With Injury .
