Ravens’ Training Camp Kicks Off: Derrick Henry Challenges Defense, Competition Heats Up

There are three stages of being impressed with watching Derrick Henry in practice.

The first is simply his size; he dwarfs Baltimore’s other running backs and visually looks more like Patrick Ricard. The second is his movement skills; he has the foot speed and lateral agility of a much smaller back.

The third is when the pads come on and the full picture of Derrick Henry comes into focus: a 247-pound wrecking ball who can blast through the center of a defense or beat even its fastest players to the edge.

Henry showed off all facets of his game during Tuesday’s practice, bursting through the line of scrimmage on multiple carries and challenging a secondary ill-equipped to bring him down. His most impressive run came by the goal line: with the middle clogged up, Henry stuck his foot in the ground and beat Roquan Smith and Marlon Humphrey to the pylon for a touchdown. But Henry’s contributions won’t just come on the ground. He picked up a Humphrey blitz and almost ran under a deep ball from Lamar Jackson later on in the afternoon.

Third-year wideout Sean Ryan had the play of the day, bobbling a back shoulder ball, spinning around, and securing the catch before racing down the field for a long touchdown. He continues to stack solid practices as one of the many depth wide receivers pushing for a potential WR6 spot on the 53-man roster.

None have pushed through yet, according to John Harbaugh, and their path to the regular season roster just got more complicated with the signing of veteran WR Russell Gage. He missed all of the 2023 season with a torn patellar tendon, but offers experience and past production that the Ravens currently lack outside of Nelson Agholor. He’s a few years removed from back-to-back seasons with more than 750 receiving yards, the latter of which featured a 1.96 yards per route run that was among the top 20 WRs in 2021.

“It was an opportunity for us, really,” said Harbaugh of Gage. “He’s a guy that’s proven…a proven NFL veteran-type player.” Gage just arrived in Baltimore and is still learning the offense, so we was a limited participant in Tuesday’s practice. He did beat Jalyn Armour-Davis for a toe-tap touchdown on a nice pass from Devin Leary during 1-on-1 goal line work. Harbaugh expects Gage to be ready for the Ravens’ first preseason game on Friday.

On the defensive side of the ball, DB Ar’Darius Washington had another solid practice with an interception of Jackson. He’s been getting looks at safety and in the slot in training camp, the latter of which could be especially important if CB Arthur Maulet’s newly-disclosed knee injury is serious.

“Arthur has been dealing with a knee issue,” said Harbaugh. “It’s not going to be anything season-ending, but we’re looking at it right now. We have to figure out what it is.”

That’s an ominous update on one of the Ravens’ best players of the summer who has found a way to stand out even among a loaded secondary. Behind Maulet, the Ravens have Kyle Hamilton and Ar’Darius Washington as immediate nickel options, and Humphrey told the media a few weeks ago that he’s preparing to play both inside and outside cornerback this season.

Second-year linebacker Trenton Simpson continues to grow into his role alongside Roquan Smith, making multiple athletic tackles throughout the day. He’s still getting comfortable in zone coverage, but his instincts against the run and as a blitzer will help him make an immediate impact in the regular season.

“He’s going to be expanding his opportunities greatly, but he’s done much to earn that opportunity,” said Harbaugh after practice. “I think he’ll bloom into that opportunity.”

Undrafted rookie linebacker Joe Evans popped early in practice, taking on blocks with gusto and notching a few tackles during running game drills. He later flashed some pass-rushing chops with a few pressures, including on a nice dip move around the right tackle. The crowded OLB picture will likely keep Evans from earning a 53-man roster spot, but his energy on special teams could merit a practice squad elevation later in the season.

Harbaugh gave a number of other injury updates after practice, telling reporters that Rashod Bateman’s absence would be “nothing long-term.” Odafe Owen sprained his ankle and “should be fine,” according to Harbaugh.

The Ravens also activated rookie OLB Adisa Isaac off of the non-football injury list before Tuesday’s practice after dealing with a hamstring injury since the draft.

Harbaugh was optimistic about Isaac’s progression despite his inactivity this summer, saying “The good news is, it’s still pretty early in camp, relatively speaking. Still got three full preseason games and plenty of weeks of practice to get him ready.” Isaac participated in positional drills during Tuesday’s practice, but is still ramping up his activity before he joins full 11-on-11 work.