The odds are always long that an undrafted player makes an NFL initial 53-man roster, yet in Baltimore, it happens almost every year.
For 16 straight years, the Ravens’ initial 53-man roster included at least one undrafted rookie. The team managed to find room for a kicker named Justin Tucker in 2012, and other recent examples include defensive lineman Michael Pierce (2016), fullback Patrick Ricard (2017) and offensive lineman Patrick Mekari (2019).
That undrafted-rookie streak ended in 2020, but a new streak started last season when safety Ar’Darius Washington made the team.
The Ravens have a deep roster and are banking on several injured players returning healthy this year, which would make the path to the roster more arduous for any of these long-shots. Here, in alphabetical order, are five candidates who could beat the odds and make the team:
WR SHEMAR BRIDGES
Bridges emerged as the darling of the preseason Week 1 game with a 14-yard touchdown catch and a 38-yard grab down the left sideline, using every bit of his 6-foot-4 frame to haul in the contested catches. He finished with four catches for a team-high 62 yards. Bridges played at Division II Fort Valley State in Georgia and wound up on the Ravens’ radar after a scout saw him in the HBCU Legacy Bowl.
Bridges’ size stands out among Devin Duvernay, James Proche and Tylan Wallace — all of whom are 5-foot-11 — and with Proche (soft tissue) and Wallace (knee) both hobbling, there should be plenty of quality reps in the final two preseason games.
With rookie tight end Isaiah Likely looking like a major factor in the passing game, the Ravens could opt to keep just four receivers on the 53-man roster. That seems risky given the current health concerns. If they have keep a fifth receiver, Bridges has worked his way into the discussion. The Ravens might look outside the organization once teams make roster cuts, and Jaylon Moore and Binjimen Victor, who spent all of last season on the Ravens’ practice squad, are strong internal candidates as well.
OLB JEREMIAH MOON
Tyus Bowser and David Ojabo remain sidelined by Achilles injuries, and Vince Biegel tore his Achilles in practice Aug. 4, leaving the outside linebacker group especially thin. The team has added veterans Steven Means and Trent Harris, but Moon has earned a long look this summer.
The 6-foot-5, 247-pound Moon had eight sacks in his career at Florida, including two last season. In the preseason opener, Moon had one tackle and one quarterback hit, but he also was flagged for a roughing-the-passer penalty that won’t score him any points with head coach John Harbaugh. Moon hails from Hoover, Ala., the hometown of cornerback Marlon Humphrey.
WR MAKAI POLK
Undrafted rookie Shemar Bridges made headlines in the preseason opener with his 14-yard touchdown catch, but the 6-foot-3 Polk is also very much in contention for a roster spot, and he has the stronger college pedigree. Polk had a team-high six catches for 43 yards against the Titans in the preseason opener, and he has been consistent on the practice field all summer. It’s also notable that Polk has been active in special teams drills.
“He flashed, really, from Day One,” head coach John Harbaugh said. “He’s a very fast, very athletic guy.”
Polk played two seasons at Cal and then one at Mississippi State, and he set school records with 105 catches for 1,046 yards for the Bulldogs in 2021, with nine touchdown catches. With James Proche (soft tissue) and Tylan Wallace (knee) unlikely to play at Arizona Aug. 21, Polk and the other bubble receivers will continue to get chances.
ILB JOSH ROSS
The Ravens have a long history of keeping undrafted inside linebackers — including Bart Scott, Jameel McClain, Dannell Ellerbe, Albert McClellan, Zach Orr, Patrick Onwuasor and, from the current team, Kristian Welch. Ross, Zakoby McClain and Diego Fagot are hoping to be the latest to join that group.
Fagot, who played at Navy, is the local, sentimental choice, and McClain recorded his second training camp interception on Aug. 14 with a nice catch off a deflected pass, but Ross appears to have the edge based on the defense and special teams reps in practice. Ross played 50 games at Michigan, so he has already had one season under current Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald.
The Ravens have four established inside linebackers in Patrick Queen, Josh Bynes, Malik Harrison and Welch, and they expect to play three safeties quite often, so keeping a fifth inside linebacker might be a luxury they can’t afford.
CB DAVID VEREEN
The Ravens are plenty deep at cornerback if everyone is healthy, with at least six established cornerbacks in Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters — who came off the Physically Unable to Perform list and returned to practice Aug. 15 — Kyle Fuller, Brandon Stephens and rookie draft picks Damarion Williams and Jalyn Armour-Davis. Kevon Seymour is also a depth corner with experience.
Vereen, from Division II Newberry College, might be squeezed out by the numbers game, but he has been around the ball a lot this summer and would figure to be a top practice squad candidate. At 5-foot-9 and 188 pounds, he’s on the small side, but he has shown good coverage skills, as he did with an end-zone breakup of a pass intended for Shemar Bridges on Aug. 15. Vereen, who recorded five interceptions and 35 passes defensed in his career at Newberry, had two tackles in 18 defensive snaps in the preseason opener.
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