The Baltimore Ravens drafted 11 total players in this year’s rookie class. Seven of their draftees were on the offensive side of the ball. What role will each of these incoming first-year players play in their rookie season? Let’s break it down and predict what 2026 has in store for them.
OG Olaivavega Ioane
Ioane is all but a guaranteed starter, the only potential question is to whether it will be at left guard or right guard on the offensive line. Early indications from rookie minicamp suggest he’s more likely to play
on the right side, which makes sense given his feel for that spot and John Simpson’s experience at left guard. Either way, Ioane should be interchangeable between either side. After Simpson, the rest of the team’s depth at the position features Emery Jones Jr., Andrew Vorhees, and fellow rookie Evan Beernsten.
The No. 14 overall pick profiles as a plug-and-play starter who will make an immediate impact and help the Ravens’ blocking up front. As a pass blocker, Ioane should present an instant upgrade over what the Ravens received from their right guard position last season. If all goes accordingly, Ioane will start all 17 regular season games and develop into a consistent high-end player as the year progresses.
Prediction: Starting Right Guard
WR Ja’Kobi Lane
Lane was a bit of a surprise selection in the third round. Instead of drafting one of the best available centers left like many expected, the Ravens opted to take the athletic wide receiver out of USC. Lane has an impressive physical profile at nearly 6-foot-5. He’s a big-bodied wideout with a good catch radius and his most premier trait is his contested-catch ability. Lane isn’t the best separator against man coverage and will need to further develop his route tree at the NFL level. However, the Ravens are evidently high on his potential to contribute early on and long term. Lane will compete with another rookie wide receiver to push Devontez Walker for the No. 3 wide receiver spot behind Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman. He’ll likely settle into a complimentary role as the season goes on, primarily as a red zone threat.
Prediction: Rotational Wide Receiver
WR Elijah Sarratt
Sarratt was drafted one round after Lane and profiles pretty similarly to his fellow rookie teammate. He is a bit shorter, just below 6-foot-3, but is a strong contested-catch wideout with a knack for scoring. Sarratt had great collegiate production in three seasons. He totaled 31 touchdowns and nearly 3,000 receiving yards in 40 total games, with 15 touchdowns coming this past season for the championship Indiana Hoosiers squad. Like Lane, Sarratt projects to see limited rotational offensive snaps given he’s behind at least 3-4 players on the depth chart at wide receiver. However, Sarratt should be a red zone threat as well and has the potential to jump Lane in the pecking order despite their draft spots.
Prediction: Rotational Wide Receiver
TE Matthew Hibner
The Ravens traded up in the fourth round to draft Hibner, addressing their pressing need for a tight end. They took Hibner earlier than most pundits had him ranked, so they were clearly higher on his NFL potential than most. The SMU product is a great athlete at the position with a well-rounded receiving skill set. His production in college doesn’t jump off the page, but Hibner did score eight touchdowns with over 800 receiving yards over the past two combined seasons. He should be able to earn some offensive snaps as a pass-catching threat behind Mark Andrews early on, with veteran Durham Smythe filling the blocking tight end role. Just as the case is at wide receiver, the Ravens will have two rookies competing for playing time at tight end as well.
Prediction: Rotational Tight End
TE Josh Cuevas
The team’s other rookie tight end, Cuevas, was drafted in the fifth round. The Ravens double dipped with draft picks at the position to better supplement their depth and replace the two tight ends they lost in free agency. Cuevas previously played for the Washington Huskies in 2023 before transferring to Alabama, where he’s played for the past two years. Cuevas has good route running and yards-after-catch ability for a rookie tight end. He needs development as a blocker and lacks great size/length, but his pass-catching chops are enough for him to fill a rotational spot behind Andrews — like Hibner.
Prediction: Rotational Tight End
RB Adam Randall
Randall is already renowned for being the hand-picked draft choice of Steve Bisciotti, the Ravens’ owner. As a prospect and football player, he has intriguing upside as a late-round selection. Randall played wide receiver at Clemson for three seasons before converting to running back in 2025. The transition was pretty seamless, as he totaled over 1,000 scrimmage yards and 13 touchdowns while averaging 4.8 yards per carry on the ground. Randall is a good athlete with the size of a traditional big-bodied running back at over 6-foot-3 and 232 pounds. His physical profile mirrors that of Derrick Henry but his natural skill set is more aligned with Justice Hill or Rasheen Ali. Randall could definitely push Ali for the No. 3 role running back role this summer and is a sleeper to emerge as an offensive contributor later in the season. His growth in pass protection would be key for him to take snaps away from Hill, who’s the team’s primary third down running back.
Prediction: No. 3/No. 4 Running Back
OG Evan Beernsten
Beernsten was the Ravens’ final draft back in the seventh round. He’s an older rookie at 25 years old and has been in college since 2019. The Ravens likely coveted Beernsten in the final round for his positional versatility, as he’s an offensive guard with experience playing center. They will likely experiment with Beernsten taking center snaps this summer, which would help his chances of making the team. Beernsten lacks great size and athleticism but is a good technician. He might ultimately be squeezed out of the final 53-man roster given the number of competitors at guard and center for backup spots or could earn himself a last offensive lineman job. If Beernsten isn’t granted a roster spot, he’d be a prime candidate to be signed to the practice squad.
Prediction: Practice Squad or Backup Offensive Guard
