Ravens 2024 Rookie Report: Nate Wiggins and Roger Rosengarten emerged as key starters

The first-round cornerback and second-round offensive tackle established themselves at their respective positions.

The Baltimore Ravens won 10-plus games for the third year in a row and claimed back-to-back AFC North titles for the first time since 2019 this past season. They did so with meaningful contributions from several members of their 2024 rookie class that included nine draft picks, eight of which made the final roster and seven saw action in at least four games.

Their first two selections played prominent roles for the vast majority of the season while several of their Day 3 picks and their lone undrafted free agent who spent the year on the active roster played predominantly on special teams.

Sixth-round quarterback Devin Leary was the only draft pick who didn’t make the final cut after a lackluster preseason and training camp where he couldn’t beat out longtime NFL journeyman Josh Johnson to serve as the primary backup to Lamar Jackson. Here is how the rest of Baltimore’s first-year players fared in their inaugural season in the league.

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CB Nate Wiggins

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Following the Ravens’ selection of the former Clemson standout, general manager Eric DeCosta said he believed they got the “best cover corner in the draft” in his opinion and Wiggins didn’t disappoint. He went the entire regular season without giving up a touchdown while only giving up 34 catches, breaking up 13 and was one of only three cornerbacks to hold the opposing quarterback to a completion percentage of under 50% when targeted this season with a mark of 47.8 % per NextGen Stats. Wiggins had impressive performances against some of the best wide receivers in the league including triple crown winner Ja’Marr Chase, forcing a fumble against Ceedee Lamb and locking up fellow first-round rookie standout Malik Nabers.

A knock on Wiggins coming out of college was his slight frame but that didn’t stop him from playing with tremendous physicality when it came to coming downhill to limit yards after catch and assist in run support. He struggled with being too grabby at the beginning of the season which is common for players at his position making the transition from college to the professional level. Still, he learned and showed he could be a lockdown corner with proper technique in addition to rare athleticism. Wiggins didn’t give up his first touchdown in coverage until his playoff debut against the Pittsburgh Steelers when a lack of discipline led to him giving up a score. However, before he let anyone else find the end zone against him, he scored his first career touchdown on his first interception.

Wiggins and two-time First Team All Pro veteran Marlon Humphrey give the Ravens one of the elite cornerback duos in the league. They both rank in the top five of lowest opposing passer ratings allowed among corners with a minimum of 400 coverage snaps per NextGen Stats. Humphrey ranked second with a mark of 58.5 and Wiggins came in fourth with a mark of 59.7. The rookie played 68% of the team’s total defensive snaps and finished with 33 total tackles including 25 solos.

OT Roger Rosengarten

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The second-rounder’s career couldn’t have gotten off to a rougher start in his regular-season debut after he gave up a sack on his first snap. It was all up from there for Rosengarten who began his rookie year in a two-man rotation with versatile veteran Patrick Mekari. An injury to Andrew Vorhees caused Mekari to move over to left guard where he stayed which opened the door for Rosengarten to become a full-time starter and he took the opportunity in stride and made the most of it. He started every game from Week 4 through the playoffs and was on the field for 100% of the team’s offensive snaps in every game during that span except one and he played 91% in the lone exception.

While Rosengarten called himself a “nobody” in a viral clip of an exchange between him and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett from Hard Knocks, he proved that was the exact opposite with his play on the field. He got better with every start and played his best against some of the best pass rushers and defensive fronts in the league with his most notable performances coming against seven-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker T.J. Watt. The Ravens and Steelers squared off three times including the postseason and in the second and third meetings, Rosengarten made Watt a non-factor including completely shutting him out of the box score sheet in the wildcard round victory.

In Rosengarten, the Ravens have not only found their right tackle for the foreseeable future depending on what happens in free agency with veteran Ronnie Stanley but potentially their next franchise blindside protector if the two-time Pro Bowler isn’t brought back or even if he is on a short-term deal.

OLB Adisa Isaac

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With four players at edge defender listed ahead of him on the depth chart, five counting versatile veteran Malik Harrison who played SAM linebacker for the first half of the season season before playing off ball down the stretch, there weren’t a lot of opportunities for Isaac to be active on game days regularly. A soft tissue injury in training camp kept him from being able to stay on the field during the preseason and potentially carve out a larger role prior to the start of the regular season. However, in the four games he was active, the third-rounder flashed on defense more than special teams, recording three total tackles including a solo and a tackle for loss in his debut against the Buffalo Bills in Week 4. He played 32 defensive snaps to 46 on special teams and recorded four combined tackles including two solos and one for loss and a batted pass.

WR Devontez Walker

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The Ravens stopped the fall of Walker early in the fourth round and he quickly drew comparisons to former franchise legend Torrey Smith because of the blazing speed and explosive vertical play-making ability. He wasn’t given many opportunities to showcase the kind of deep threat he can be as he was only targeted three times on his 60 offensive snaps in 11 games between the regular and postseason. However, Walker was able to make the most of his first target by making his first catch and scoring his first career touchdown.

It wound up being his only reception of the season as his second target sailed over his head while he was striking wide open after Jackson was pressured and he couldn’t corral his third after it slipped through his outstretched hands. After being inactive for the first six games of the season, Walker appeared in nine of the last 11 as he emerged as a core special teams contributor where he played 155 snaps, covered kicks and punts well and recorded a pair of solo tackles.

CB T.J. Tampa

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After being tabbed as one of the steals of the 2024 NFL Draft for falling near the bottom of the fourth round despite being projected to come off the board as high as the late first round, Tampa was relegated to primary special teams contributor as a rookie. With a logjam at cornerback in front of him on the depth chart between Humphrey, Stephens and Wiggins, there weren’t many snaps for him on defense when he was healthy. He was inactive for the first three games and made his first career tackle in his Week 4 debut. An ankle injury landed him on injured reserve for seven games and he appeared in the final three games of the regular season as well as both playoff games. Tampa played 138 special teams snaps to just 18 on defense—most of which came in mop-up duty at the end of blowouts—and he finished four total tackles including one solo.

RB Rasheen Ali

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A neck injury suffered during the preseason delayed the the fifth-round running back’s regular season debut by five games and after making it in Week 6, he was inactive for the next six weeks. Ali was active for the final five games of the regular season and played almost evenly between offense and special teams with 29-to-31. Most of his impactful plays on special teams came as a kick returner where he racked up 107 yards on four opportunities with an average of 26.8 and long of 38 and he also made his lone tackle on an assist to bring down a punt returner. Ali’s most extensive and impressive action on offense came in Week 15 against the Giants where he ran for 32 yards on eight attempts with a long of nine yards and showed some nice vision and cuts.

Ali only received two more carries the rest of the season for a net loss of one yard and finished with 31 net rushing yards on 10 carries for an average of 3.1 yards per carry. Ali was targeted just twice and didn’t haul in either, dropping one and getting overthrown on the other. Because the Ravens’ rushing attack was humming with veterans Derrick Henry and Justice Hill, there weren’t many snaps, carries or touches to around for any of the other players at the position. Keaton Mitchell starred as a rookie in 2023 before getting injured and only carried the ball 15 times for 30 rushing yards and hauled in his lone target for a 28-yard catch-and-run.

IOL Nick Samac

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The only action on the field that the seventh-round interior offensive lineman saw came in the preseason even though he made the final roster. Samac spent the entire regular season as a healthy scratch on the inactive lists while fourth-year pro Ben Cleveland served as the primary backup for two-time Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum and Daniel Faalele at right guard. During the preseason, Samac performed well and regularly earned high run and pass blocking grades from Pro Football focus.

DB Sanoussi Kane

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It didn’t take long for the seventh-round safety to put what he brings to the table on full display as he had quite the impressive preseason debut on both defense and special teams that included making a pair of open field tackles while covering punts without the returner gaining a single yard. While he didn’t get to play much on defense with all 22 of his snaps coming in mop-up duty late in the fourth quarter of blowouts, Kane quickly established himself as one of the Ravens’ aces on special teams where he played the bulk of his snaps as a rookie (325). He served as the personal protector for punter Jordan Stout and was a staple on every return and kicking unit. Kane appeared in every game but two that he missed with a hamstring and an ankle injury and finished with nine total tackles including five solos.

DB Beau Brade

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The local product from River Hill, Maryland who played collegiately instate at the University of Maryland played his way onto the roster with a strong preseason where he showcased some impressive playmaking ability from his safety spot. After being inactive for six of the first seven games of the regular season, Brade was active for the final 11 and a healthy scratch for both of the Ravens playoff games. The former Terp also saw the vast majority of his playing time on special teams with 207 snaps to just 11 on defense in cleanup duty at the end of blowouts. He finished the season with three total tackles including one solo as he spent most of his time on the field covering kicks or blocking on return units.