By Joe Schiller
The Ravens kick off the first of two joint practice sessions this offseason as they welcome the Jacksonville Jaguars to town. The teams will practice during the week before facing off in a preseason matchup on Thursday night at M&T Bank Stadium.
After OTA's, mandatory minicamp and two weeks of training camp, it will be the first time we'll see the Ravens matched up against another opponent since the wild-card loss to the Chargers in January.
Here are some things I'll be watching
Ravens' O-Line vs. Jaguars' Front Seven
Despite finishing at 5-11 last season, the Jaguars boast one of the NFL's elite front sevens with the likes of Yannick Ngakoue, Calais Campbell, Marcell Dareus, and Myles Jack. It will be the first true test for a Ravens' offensive line that's been shuffled around on the first team.
I'll especially be looking to see how the left guard position fares with James Hurst, Jermaine Eluemunor, Bradley Bozeman, and rookie fourth-round pick Ben Powers battling for the starting spot. The Ravens are expected to be a run-heavy team this season, and what better way to test that offensive formula than against this defensive unit?
Who Will Step Up in the Pass Rush?
The Ravens have a mix of young and veteran talent at outside linebacker and I'm interested to see a first-look at the group against an opponent. It remains one of the team's biggest question marks following the departures of Terrell Suggs and Za'Darius Smith in free agency.
ESPN's Jamison Hensley reported that Tim Williams was getting reps with the first-team defense on Sunday. He and Tyus Bowser have a lot to prove entering their third seasons. But what I'll be most interested to see is how Defensive Coordinator Don 'Wink' Martindale schemes the pass rush. Whether that's through the use of defensive backs, players like Anthony Levine in nickel and dime packages, or on the interior, the Ravens believe they can do it in more ways than just at outside linebacker.
Anything Jalen Ramsey Says or Does
Jalen Ramsey is going to attract attention anywhere he goes. After all, the Pro Bowl cornerback showed up to training camp in an armored truck ahead of the penultimate year of his rookie contract. Ramsey is a known trash talker and instigator, and I wouldn't be surprised to see some scuffles emerge this week.
While Ramsey has had choice words for quarterbacks, he publicly praised Lamar Jackson in February. "I think last year around draft time, I tweeted that he should have been the No. 1 pick," he told BaltimoreRavens.com's, Garrett Downing. "That's nothing to nobody else. I just thought he was that good."
Lamar Jackson's Development
The development of Lamar Jackson has earned attention at a national level this offseason. It's Jackson's first full season as the unquestioned starter and questions surround his arm and development as a passer. And although the Ravens won't be putting their new offensive gameplan on full display, we'll get to see Jackson up against an opposing defense for the first time this season.
Reporters in attendance for training camp have said Jackson has improved as a passer. With Ramsey, A.J. Bouye, and Ronnie Harrison patrolling the secondary, Jackson will be tested. I'm intrigued to see how he'll fare throughout the week.
How Involved Will Marquise 'Hollywood' Brown Be?
Lamar Jackson's big-ticket offensive weapon practiced for the first time last week but has been eased in recovering from a Lisfranc foot injury. First-round wide receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown hasn't participated in full-contact drills, but that could change this week.
Cornerback Marlon Humphrey told reporters Brown clocked 21 mph on a rehab run. I'm intrigued to see how that speed translates against a proven secondary if Brown sees the field during 11-on-11 drills.
Bonus: Speaking of rookie wideouts, I want to see Miles Boykin, who has been raved about as one of the standouts through the first two weeks of training camp.
