The Baltimore Ravens entered the 2026 NFL Draftlooking to add depth, competition, and developmental talent throughout the roster. Two of those rookies are already making strong impressions, which have now gone national.
With the third and final week of preseason nearing, Pro Football Focus released its list of the NFL's highest-graded rookies, and two Ravens landed inside the top eight. Offensive tackle Diego Pounds checked in at No. 3 overall with a 90.9 grade, while cornerback Chandler Rivers ranked eighth at 88.4.
The inclusion of both players reflects one of the more encouraging storylines of Baltimore's preseason. Young players have consistently flashed throughout training camp and exhibition games, giving the organization difficult roster
decisions as cutdown day approaches. Still, then again, that's what Jesse Minter and his staff are encouraging.
Pounds' appearance near the top of the list may be the bigger surprise. According to PFF, the rookie tackle has yet to allow a sack, quarterback hit, or hurry across 15 pass-blocking snaps. He has also posted a 91.1 run-blocking grade. Only Minnesota Vikings safety Jacob Thomas (92.2) and Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Beck (91.7) graded higher than he did.
The challenge for Pounds is turning that production into a roster spot. Baltimore's offensive line room remains crowded, and the rookie still faces an uphill climb to crack the initial 53-man roster. Even so, his preseason performance has likely strengthened his case for a practice squad role and perhaps more down the road.
Rivers' ranking feels less surprising. Apparently, they play a little football at Duke now, and fresh off an ACC Championship Game win with the Blue Devils, the fifth-round pick has steadily built momentum throughout training camp and has drawn praise from defensive coordinator Anthony Weaverfor his versatility and ability to learn from mistakes.
PFF credited Rivers with allowing just two receptions for six yards on six targets while recording two pass breakups and a 42.4 passer rating allowed. Unlike Pounds, Rivers appears to have a clear path to making Baltimore's final roster.
The preseason is far from a guarantee of future success, but the Ravens have long built their roster by developing young talent. Through two exhibition games, Pounds and Rivers have given Baltimore another reason to feel optimistic about its latest rookie class.
The timing couldn't be much better for either player. Baltimore enters the final week of the preseason still sorting through the back end of its roster, and both rookies have made themselves impossible to ignore. Rivers looks increasingly likely to carve out an early role on the 53-man roster, while Pounds has turned what once appeared to be a long-shot roster bid into a legitimate conversation.
They have gone from rookies trying to earn opportunities to players forcing coaches to think twice before hanging them out to dry. For a franchise preparing to make some difficult decisions over the next few days, that's about as valuable as a preseason performance can be.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Two Ravens land among PFF’s highest-graded preseason rookies
