HEADLINES

Devin Leary

Ravens Notes: Rosengarten, Leary, Wiggins

May 7th, 2024 at 12:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

Offensive line was seen as an area of need for the Ravens entering the draft. Baltimore lost starting guards Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson in free agency, and the team traded away right tackle Morgan Moses.

The team elected against adding an O-lineman in the first round, selecting cornerback Nate Wiggins instead. In the second round, however, the Ravens added Washington tackle Roger Rosengarten. He was one of several highly-regarded blockers in the 2024 class, though it did not come as a surprise he was still on the board following Day 1. Rosengarten could nevertheless see immediate playing time as a rookie.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said after the draft Rosengarten – who did not allow a sack over the past two seasons – will be “in the mix” for the starting right tackle spot this offseason. The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec writes he could be the favorite for the position (subscription required). Baltimore has incumbents Patrick Mekari and Daniel Faalele as well as free agent signing Josh Jones in place as competition. After protecting southpaw Michael Penix Jr.‘s blindside in college, Rosengarten could also be a candidate to succeed Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley down the road.

Here are some other notes out of Baltimore:

  • The Ravens were among the teams which drafted a depth quarterback on Day 3, selecting Devin Leary in the sixth round. The NC State transfer did not help his stock during his single season at Kentucky, and nine other passers were drafted ahead of him. Leary will compete for the third-string spot in Baltimore; after losing Tyler Huntley in free agency, Harbaugh said (via Zrebiec) that journeyman Josh Johnson is the team’s Lamar Jackson backup. Leary’s primary competitor will be Malik Cunningham, who faces the possibility of transitioning to receiver with the Ravens. Baltimore signed Emory Jones as a UDFA yesterday, giving the team five QBs at the moment.
  • Offensive lineman (and starting guard candidate) Andrew Vorhees missed his rookie season as he recovered from an ACL tear. The 2023 seventh-rounder returned to the practice field this weekend, though, with Harbaugh noting he is in a good spot regarding his recovery (h/t ESPN’s Jamison Hensley). Fifth-round rookie running back Rasheen Ali, meanwhile, will participate in the team’s rookie minicamp on a limited basis. Harbaugh said (via Zrebiec) Ali is expected to be healthy by training camp as he rehabs a torn bicep suffered at the Senior Bowl.
  • Wiggins is among the Ravens rookies who have already signed their initial NFL contracts. That $12.82MM deal includes a signing bonus of $6.14MM, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 notes. Baltimore turned down eight trade offers for the No. 30 pick, electing to retain it and select Wiggins. The Clemson product will no doubt be counted on heavily in his rookie season and beyond.

Ravens Draft Kentucky QB Devin Leary At No. 218

April 27th, 2024 at 4:53pm CST by Ely Allen

The Ravens are bringing in an extra arm at the back end of the sixth round, drafted Kentucky quarterback Devin Leary, marking the tenth passer taken in the 2024 NFL Draft. Leary adds a big arm to a quarterbacks room in Baltimore that contains reigning MVP Lamar Jackson.

Leary spent six years at the collegiate level, playing the first five years at NC State. He took over as the Wolfpack’s starter halfway through his redshirt freshman season in Raleigh and, after missing the final seven games of the next year, finally got his first full season as a redshirt junior in 2021. He threw for 3,433 yards and 35 touchdowns with only five interceptions, breaking Philip Rivers‘ school-record for most touchdown passes in a season.

After once again missing over half the season with an injury as a redshirt senior, Leary opted to hit the transfer portal for his final year of college eligibility, making his way to Kentucky. In his lone season with the Wildcats, Leary completed only 56.3 percent of his pass attempts, throwing for 2,746 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He can make throws at every level of the field but will need to learn some touch at the NFL level. His strong arm can cost him accuracy and catchable balls at times.

In Baltimore, Leary faces an uphill battle to dress on gamedays. Obviously, he stands no chance at unseating Jackson as the starter, but even current backup quarterbacks Josh Johnson and Malik Cunningham sit pretty comfortably at their spots on the depth chart. At 38 years old, Johnson is one of the league’s most experienced backup passers and already has experience starting a game for the Ravens in place of Jackson.

Cunningham, on the other hand, only has a one-year head start on Leary, but benefits from the fact that his style of play matches Jackson’s much better. Cunningham came to Louisville in Jackson’s last collegiate season, taking over as the starter two years later. His nearly 10,000 passing yards and over 3,000 rushing yards at the collegiate level show just how similar his game is to Jackson’s.

Entering his rookie year at 25 years old, though, Leary will want to try an unseat Cunningham as QB3 for the Ravens. If he can secure that role, Leary will likely end up as a practice squad passer who will often get called up as a standard gameday practice squad elevation.