Ravens Rookie Camp practice notes: Day 2

Rookie camp for the Baltimore Ravens is underway and I had the pleasure of attending the second day to observe the indoor practice on account of constant rain here in Owings Mills, Maryland. Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh spoke prior to practice on how the rookies are handling camp and learning how to practice as professionals. I found it interesting how Harbaugh called it a challenge for the players to learn how to practice and asked him if there’s a “steep learning curve” going from the college setting to professional standards.

“That’s a great question,” Harbaugh said. “It’s a steep learning curve in many ways. In other ways, you just tell them, ‘It’s still football. Let’s not overthink it a little bit.’ It’s still 100 yards by 53-and-a-third. There are still 11 on each side. . . But it’s a pretty steep learning curve in terms of volume. There are very few teams out there in college football, offense, defense or special teams, they all do all the things you see in pro football, but very few do all the things that a team will do in pro football. So, there’s … We say they’re drinking from the firehose, a little bit, but we want them to drink from the firehose.”

Harbaugh also informed the media that former third-overall selection Marcell Dareus is practicing with the Ravens on a professional tryout. Dareus was last played in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019, where he played in six games and totaled 13 tackles and was credited with half a sack.

Dareus joins free agent wide receiver Geronimo Allison as veterans trying out for the Ravens.

Regarding safety Chuck Clark’s, who recently tweeted a cryptic message that has called for speculation on his status with the team, Harbaugh stated that he’s “planning on Chuck being here.”

“So, to me, Chuck [Clark] is a big part of this team, and I’m planning on Chuck being here,” Harbaugh said. “I’m not going to worry about all the other stuff. The other stuff is the other stuff. It’s part of pro football, I understand it. But I love Chuck Clark, I love the way he plays, and I’m very happy that he’s a Raven.”

Practice Notes

Reminder: This is rookies only. They are not in pads and this is Day 2 of rookie camp.

• First-round safety Kyle Hamilton looks smooth on the field. He looked fast and to the point when they were in offense vs. defense drills. Really liked what I saw from him, though it wasn’t much and it’s only against the other rookies.
• Defensive tackle Travis Jones, the Ravens’ third-round pick, is another player that stands out for his size. A lot of talk is made—and rightfully so—about tackle Daniel Faalele, but Jones is a big man, too. He also at one point put one of the tryout tackles on their butt.
• Quarterbacks Tre Ford and Anthony Brown had decent practices. A bit inconsistent from what I could tell, as the balls thrown would go from in-stride for the pass-catchers to a bit behind. Think part of this is due to, as Harbaugh said, trying to operate with speed and “drink from the firehose.”
• Oregon wide receiver Devon Williams was, from what I saw, the most targeted wide receiver on the day. Thought he stood out among the others. It helps that he stands 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds.
• Tight End Isaiah Likely had an up-and-down practice. Caught some good passes but had a pair of drops, too.
• Mississippi State wide receiver Makai Polk had a rough outing. Dropped a pass in the endzone during offensive work in the redzone and then another one later on against some defenders.
• Jalyn Armour-Davis was absent at practices end. I didn’t see him exit the practice field.