OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Lamar Jackson floated a pass toward the left sideline, and DeAndre Hopkins went up and made a tough, contested catch with Jaire Alexander all over him. An official on the sideline ruled that Hopkins had come down out of bounds, but the play showed how these two accomplished newcomers might further complement a roster already considered one of the deepest in the NFL.
Alexander, a two-time Pro Bowl cornerback with the Packers and college teammate of Lamar Jackson’s who was signed during the Ravens’ June minicamp, quickly looked the part in his first full workout as the Ravens opened training camp with a roughly 90-minute workout on July 23.
During a full-team period, Alexander ranged over the middle to break up a pass from Cooper Rush intended for receiver Keith Kirkwood, and he later denied receiver Dayton Wade on a pass deep down the right sideline.
Linebacker Roquan Smith called Alexander “a great addition for us,” and if Alexander can stay healthy — an issue the past couple of years — he figures to have a significant role.
“I remember coming out of college with that guy in 2018,” said Smith, who like Alexander (and Jackson) was a first-round pick in that draft. “The guy has been playing great ball for a long time. Just to have that addition on our defense is very special.”
Head coach John Harbaugh noted Alexander’s play along the boundary, saying, “It is so important [on] both sides of the ball to make plays on the outside throwing lane, that part of the field, from what we call the ‘red line’ to the sideline, or anything in that area. Games are won and lost in that area.”
Hopkins, meanwhile, brings Hall of Fame credentials to the Ravens receiver corps. He’s a three-time first-team All-Pro who is ferociously competitive for the ball and has said he looks forward to playing with Jackson.
Hopkins, 33, totaled 56 catches for 610 yards and five touchdowns last year with Tennessee (six games) and then Kansas City (10) after a midseason trade. He isn’t expected to take on a No. 1 receiving role on a team with Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely, but he’s an upgrade over Nelson Agholor as a No. 3 receiver and the Ravens love his physical nature and ability to make contested catches.
Jackson called Hopkins an “All-Pro, Hall of Famer, one of the greatest in the league ever. So him just being a new addition is going to make my job a lot easier. … It’s going to be bread and butter when the time comes, but for right now, we’re just grinding.”
NOTEBOOK
HUMMEL THE ONLY UNEXPECTED ABSENCE: Nearly every player was on the field for the first practice of the summer. Safety Ar’Darius Washington is recovering from a spring Achilles injury, and rookie offensive lineman Emery Jones remains on the Non-Football Injury list as he recovers from a shoulder injury. The only other player not on the field was veteran inside linebacker Jake Hummel. Harbaugh said Hummel is dealing with a cut on his hand and should be back on the field “in a week or so.”
LOOP PERFECT AS KICKER COMPETITION RESUMES: Both Ravens rookie kickers, sixth-round draft pick Tyler Loop and undrafted John Hoyland, had simulated game-action kicks in the Wednesday workout. (During OTAs, the team often gave one kicker or the other the entirety of the work on a given day.) Loop went 6-for-6 on his kicks, with a long of 40 yards. Hoyland went 4-for-5, pulling a miss wide left from 40 yards. The Ravens also botched one of Hoyland’s attempts when the snap from Nick Moore skidded on the ground past holder Jordan Stout.
HARBAUGH ADDRESSES WHITE HOUSE VISIT: Harbaugh called his visit to the White House to meet President Trump “amazing.” Harbaugh, his brother Jim, and their families were part of a delegation that met Trump in the Oval Office on July 10.
“What was that experience like? It was amazing,” Harbaugh said. “It was awesome, and I promise you, I root for our president. I want our president to be successful just like I want my quarterback to be successful, and I want my team to be successful.”
Harbaugh noted that he’s met four presidents — Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama and Joe Biden (when he was vice president), and also pointed out, maybe with a touch of brotherly envy, that he’s three behind Jim, who has met seven presidents.
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