Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has often said that NFL players make the biggest jump from Year One to Year Two. Players have acclimated to the speed of the game and the rigors of life as a pro. Relationships with coaches and teammates are now established, and expectations and roles become more clearly defined.
With a well-fortified roster that went through relatively little turnover this offseason, the Ravens again should be in position to contend for AFC North and conference supremacy. Whether they can achieve that could depend on how their second-year players advance in the next step of their careers.
With that in mind, here is a look at the Ravens’ 2024 draft class, what the players accomplished as rookies and what success in Year Two might look like:
CB NATE WIGGINS (Round 1, No. 30 overall)
Wiggins’ rookie season got off to a scary start with a September car accident, but he missed just one game and by midseason he was the reliable outside corner the Ravens had envisioned when they made him the No. 30 overall pick out of Clemson.
After missing a couple of chances earlier in the season, Wiggins in the regular-season finale jumped a route and raced 26 yards for not only his first career interception, but his first career pick-six. Wiggins finished the season with 32 tackles and 13 passes defensed.
Year Two progress for Wiggins would mean: Wiggins is a 17-game starter who plays 80 to 90 percent of the defensive snaps, as he did during the final month of his rookie season. He reaches 45 tackles — Marlon Humphrey had 37 in Year Two — 15 passes defensed and three interceptions and scores his second career touchdown.
Wiggins will need to clean up his tendency to get grabby — he was flagged eight times in 2024 for pass interference, defensive holding or illegal contact — but his physicality, instincts and speed, plus a dose of Year Two confidence, should lead to a few more so-called “splash plays” and Pro Bowl consideration.
T ROGER ROSENGARTEN (Round 2, No. 62 overall)
Rosengarten had an inauspicious NFL debut, giving up a strip-sack to Kansas City’s Chris Jones on his first NFL snap. But that didn’t fluster the 6-foot-5, 316-pounder out of Washington, and by Week 4, he was the starting right tackle and held the job the rest of the season. With Rosengarten and Ronnie Stanley bookending the line, the Ravens became the first offense in NFL history with 3,000 rushing yards and 4,000 passing yards in the same season.
Rosengarten, who allowed four sacks on 488 pass-blocking snaps, was named an All-Rookie selection by the Pro Football Writers of America.
Year Two progress for Rosengarten would mean: Rosengarten doesn’t need to say he’s “a nobody” anymore, which is what he told Cleveland’s Myles Garrett in a viral moment caught on video. (Garrett complimented Rosengarten at the time and later sent him a signed jersey.) Rosengarten again starts every game at right tackle and shows improvement as both a pass blocker and run blocker for a Ravens offense that again ranks among the best in the league.
OLB ADISA ISAAC (Round 3, No. 93 overall)
Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta praised how Isaac “wreaked havoc” at Penn State against NFL-caliber tackles in the Big Ten, but Isaac never quite got that chance as a rookie. He was sidelined much of last summer by a problematic hamstring injury and later dealt with a hamstring injury in his other leg. Isaac appeared briefly in four games, finishing with three tackles and one pass defensed.
Year Two progress for Isaac would mean: Hamstring injuries behind him, Issac becomes a situational impact edge presence with his former Penn State teammate, Odafe Oweh. The Ravens didn’t make a splashy edge signing in free agency, so they continue to bank on players such as Isaac stepping forward. Tavius Robinson did that last season with 32 tackles and 3.5 sacks in his second season. The Ravens hope Isaac’s career arc trends more like Robinson’s and less like that of David Ojabo, whose career has been defined by injuries.
WR DEVONTEZ WALKER (Round 4, No. 113 overall)
Walker delivered his signature rookie moment with a toe-tap, 21-yard touchdown catch against the New York Giants, and that proved to be his only catch of the season. Walker missed significant time in training camp dealing with a rib injury and his role was primarily limited to special teams in his eight games.
Year Two progress for Walker would mean: He shines during a healthy training camp and forces offensive coordinator Todd Monken to find ways to use him. Walker hits on at least two 25-yard pass plays and scores another touchdown. Finding meaningful snaps on offense won’t be easy with DeAndre Hopkins joining a passing game that already features Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely.
CB T.J. TAMPA (Round 4, No. 130 overall)
Like Isaac, Tampa’s rookie season was defined more by injury than his play on the field. Tampa missed part of training camp recovering from sports hernia surgery and then spent the middle portion of the season on injured reserve with an ankle injury. He finished the season with two tackles on defense and two on special teams across seven games. He played a total of 18 defensive snaps.
Year Two progress for Tampa would mean: For starters, he has a healthy training camp and isn’t buried on the depth chart because of missed time. He evolves into a special teams ace and works into the defensive rotation to tally 20 tackles, his first interception and four passes defensed.
Chidobe Awuzie was signed to give the team a veteran outside cornerback in the wake of Brandon Stephens’ departure. The Ravens will continue to look for cornerback help through free agency and the draft, but a healthy Tampa will have a chance to state his case in training camp.
RB RASHEEN ALI (Round 5, No. 165 overall)
Ali struggled to make an impact as a rookie, and injuries played a part. Ali began the season on injured reserve with a neck injury and played in just one game before December. He finished the season with 10 carries for 31 yards and returned four kickoffs for 107 yards.
Year Two progress for Ali would mean: He stays healthy and makes the initial 53-man roster — not a given as a second-year, Day Three running back with Derrick Henry, Justice Hill and a healthy Keaton Mitchell also in the mix, along with the inevitable undrafted rookie who flashes in training camp. Ali claims a primary kick return role and averages 26 yards a return, including a 50-yarder. He also picks up 120 yards on 25 carries on the ground.
QB DEVIN LEARY (Round 6, No. 218 overall)
Leary could not beat out veteran Josh Johnson for the backup job, and the Kentucky and N.C. State product spent the entire 2024 season on the practice squad.
Year Two progress for Leary would mean: He makes a 53-man roster, though it might not be in Baltimore. The Ravens gave Cooper Rush $4 million in guaranteed money to be Lamar Jackson’s backup in 2025, and barring injury, it’s hard to see the Ravens keeping a third quarterback on the roster. If Leary doesn’t survive the final cutdown, he might look elsewhere for a better route to the field.
C NICK SAMAC (Round 7, No. 228 overall)
DeCosta called Samac a “big, gritty Big Ten offensive lineman” after the Ravens drafted him, but the Michigan State product is playing behind another one of those in Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum. Samac was on the 53-man roster all season as a rookie, but he was inactive for all 17 games.
Year Two progress for Samac would mean: The Ravens love versatility among their interior linemen, and Samac works into the competition at left guard after the departure of Patrick Mekari. And with Mekari gone, Samac shows enough to be Linderbaum’s top backup.
S SANOUSSI KANE (Round 7, No. 250 overall)
Seven picks away from being Mr. Irrelevant in the 2024 draft, Kane appeared in 15 of 17 games and totaled seven special teams tackles, third-most on the team.
Year Two progress for Kane would mean: He leads the team in special teams stops with the only players who topped him last year, Chris Board and Malik Harrison, having signed elsewhere. The Ravens are expected to bolster the safety position through free agency and the draft, so the onus is on Kane to prove he belongs on the field on defense.
Photo Credits: Kenya Allen/PressBox
Originally published April 16, 2025