The Baltimore Ravens officially begin organized team activities this week as Baltimore enters the next phase of preparation for the 2026 season. The Ravens again carry legitimate Super Bowl expectations, but OTAs will provide the first meaningful look at several major roster questions, new additions, and evolving position battles before training camp arrives in July.
Here are six things to watch as Baltimore begins OTA practices.
1. Lamar Jackson’s participation level
Everything begins with Lamar Jackson.
Baltimore restructured Jackson’s contract this offseason, creating significant salary-cap flexibility, but the biggest OTA storyline remains whether the franchise quarterback participates fully in voluntary workouts after an injury-plagued 2025 campaign. Jackson missed several OTA sessions last spring, but was a full participant in the mandatory minicamp. That was also under John Harbaugh. With first-year head coach Jesse Minter and first-year OC Declan Doyle, Jackson has made off-season participation a priority.
Jackson has reportedly looked sharp while training in Florida, and even limited appearances would still allow Jackson to continue building chemistry with Baltimore’s reshaped receiving corps.
2. The revamped wide receiver hierarchy
Few position groups changed more dramatically than wide receiver.
Zay Flowers remains the unquestioned No. 1 option after earning consecutive Pro Bowl selections, while Rashod Bateman enters another pivotal season after battling injuries. The biggest question surrounds who’ll jump up and snatch the third wide receiver spot.
The intrigue begins behind them. Rookies Ja’Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt immediately raise the competition level, while Devontez Walker attempts to finally secure a larger offensive role entering Year 3.
OTAs should provide the first clues about how Baltimore plans to structure its receiver rotation.
3. The evolution of Baltimore’s rushing attack
The Ravens still possess one of football’s most feared rushing offenses thanks to Derrick Henry, but schematic questions remain, and Adam Randall could push Justice Hill and Rasheen Ali out of their spots.
4. The offensive line shuffle
Baltimore again invested heavily in the trenches by drafting Vega Ioane in Round 1, and the rookie appears positioned to contribute immediately. Still, the offensive line remains one of the roster’s most fluid groups entering OTAs. Andrew Vorhees, Emery Jones Jr., and John Simpson all factor into the interior picture, while Baltimore declined to draft a true replacement for departed Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum.
The Ravens have enough talent, but OTAs should begin clarifying how the coaching staff envisions the starting combinations.
5. Baltimore’s new-look pass rush
The Ravens aggressively upgraded their pass rush this offseason, headlined by the arrival of Trey Hendrickson. Now the focus shifts toward building depth and rotation consistency around him. Mike Green, Tavius Robinson, Adisa Isaac, Zion Young, and Kaimon Rucker all enter the summer battling for snaps. Baltimore suddenly has far more athleticism and explosiveness off the edge than it possessed a year ago.
OTAs will provide the first look at how defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver deploys the group.
6. Tyler Loop’s mental rebound
Few players enter OTAs carrying more emotional baggage than Tyler Loop.
The young kicker quietly produced an excellent rookie season overall, converting 30 of 34 field-goal attempts while posting one of the strongest rookie kicking percentages of the past five years. Unfortunately, the lasting image remains his missed 44-yard game-winner against Pittsburgh that ended Baltimore’s playoff hopes in Week 18.
The talent clearly exists. The bigger question entering Year 2 becomes mental recovery, consistency, and confidence.
Championship contenders often separate themselves through small details during the offseason, and for Baltimore, OTAs represent the first opportunity to begin shaping another potential Super Bowl run.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Six key storylines entering Ravens OTA practices