Many of the Baltimore Ravens‘ rookies didn’t play much this season, but those that did performed so well that it’s easy to say that the class was a good one.
Only the Ravens’ first two picks – first-round cornerback Nate Wiggins and second-round offensive tackle Roger Rosengarten – saw significant action this season, and both became key parts of their respective units.
Wiggins was very solid in coverage while many of his teammates struggled, whereas Rosengarten held down the right side of the offensive line for most of the season and shut down some of the league’s best edge rushers.
Solely based on those two’s contributions, the Ravens’ rookie class is good enough to be among the league’s best. At least it is according to NFL.com’s Gennaro Filice, who ranked Baltimore’s class at No. 9 with a B+ grade.
Wiggins is the main attraction from this class, and rightfully so. The Clemson product allowed just a 66.7 passer rating when targeted this season, and at only 21-years-old, this is just the start for him.
“Many accurately pointed to Kyle Hamilton’s transition to more of a deep-safety role and Marlon Humphrey’s move to nickel as two big reasons for this striking turnaround [on defense], but Nate Wiggins’ increased playing time and growth over the course of the season played a major part,” Filice wrote. “The cornerback’s slight frame led to pre-draft concerns about his physicality, but he played with an edge in Zach Orr’s defense. And his 4.28 speed kept him right in the hip pocket of receivers, as the sticky cover man finished the season allowing a completion rate of just 47.8 percent — the third-lowest figure among all cornerbacks who faced at least 30 targets, per Next Gen Stats.”
Rosengarten may not be as flashy, but he was arguably even more impressive. The Washington product started 14 games at right tackle, and even managed to shut down some of the game’s top pass rushers during that time.
“Despite being the 11th offensive tackle off the board, Rosengarten proved to be a godsend for Baltimore,” Filice wrote. “The rookie entered the starting lineup at right tackle in Week 4 — allowing the uber-versatile Patrick Mekari to shift to left guard — and the line wound up being a strength for an offense that finished first in total yards and rushing yards while tying for the third-fewest sacks allowed.”
The Ravens have a strong drafting record throughout their history, and it’s clear that this class was no exception. As they look ahead to the 2025 NFL Draft in April, they’ll plan on not only replicating last year’s success, but improve upon it.
