Baltimore Ravens 53-man roster projection ahead of Week 1

• UDFA RB Keaton Mitchell makes the cut: The East Carolina product forced three missed tackles on seven carries and earned a 91.5 PFF rushing grade this preseason.

• Tylan Wallace claims sixth WR spot: He hauled in all five catchable passes thrown his way this preseason — and secured a pair of touchdowns.

• Ben Cleveland the odd man out in OL unit: While sixth-round pick Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu struggled this preseason, it's Cleveland who misses out on a roster spot.

Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes

It’s almost time for all 32 NFL teams to trim their rosters down to 53 players, with the 4 p.m. ET Tuesday deadline nearing.

For the Baltimore Ravens, the biggest remaining questions center on Lamar Jackson‘s backup quarterback and any surprise cuts or trades.

Here’s how their 53-man roster might shake out by Tuesday afternoon.

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Quarterback (2)

Lamar Jackson
Tyler Huntley

The Ravens' reported interest in Trey Lance makes this interesting, but Huntley seems to be the clear best option at the position after Jackson. In his only action of the preseason, he went 8-of-11 for 88 yards and a touchdown, with an 80.8 PFF passing grade. This would leave Josh Johnson and Anthony Brown as practice squad candidates.

Running Back (4)

If the Ravens like Mitchell enough to keep him around, it feels unlikely that they’ll be able to sneak him onto the practice squad. Playing in the first two preseason games this year, the undrafted free agent out of East Carolina forced three missed tackles on seven carries and earned a 91.5 PFF rushing grade.

Tight End/Fullback (4)

With how the Ravens have used Patrick Ricard and Ben Mason this season, it seems fitting to group these positions together now. Andrews, Likely and Ricard are locks here, but Charlie Kolar is a potential bubble player or trade candidate. A fourth-round pick a year ago, he notched eight receptions for 120 yards this preseason, but his path to regular-season snaps is very narrow following the shift in offensive philosophy in Baltimore.

Wide Receiver (6)

The top five here were essentially set heading into the preseason. The sixth spot is up for grabs, and Wallace did enough to earn it, hauling in all five catchable passes thrown his way and securing a pair of touchdowns.

Offensive Line (8)

The interesting question here is whether sixth-round pick Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu has done enough to make the final roster. The former Oregon Duck produced just a 27.9 PFF grade on 112 snaps this preseason. He’s a prospect who needs time to develop, but keeping him potentially means letting Ben Cleveland go — and it almost definitely means the Ravens need to risk Tashawn Manning signing with another team.

Defensive Interior (4)

Brent Urban had a solid preseason, earning a 79.9 PFF run-defense grade on 20 snaps against the run. He played 90 snaps for the Ravens on special teams last year, too. He is likely on the roster when the season opens, but his status as a vested veteran allows the Ravens to cut him here and bring him back after making another move.

Edge Defender (5)

Tyus Bowser potentially starting the season on the non-football injury list would open up a spot here, but it's an unknown at this point, so we're playing it safe by keeping him on the roster. That’s the only glaring question mark with this group.

Linebacker (5)

Simpson had his best game of the preseason in the Ravens' loss to the Buccaneers in Week 3, earning an 84.8 PFF grade. Harrison likely makes the roster as a complement to Simpson’s inexperience, while Phillips was one of the team's best players this preseason, producing a 75.9 PFF grade on 118 snaps.

Cornerback (9)

The injury that will keep Marlon Humphrey sidelined for at least the opening week of the regular season forces the Ravens' hand a little. Washington produced a 76.4 PFF coverage grade as their primary slot cornerback this preseason and looks to have won that job.

Safety (3)

The Ravens probably need to roster only three safeties thanks to their versatility at cornerback. Both Stephens and Washington have some experience at safety, too. Stone makes sense as the third safety, coming off a season in which he set a career high with a 73.7 PFF coverage grade. He provides the defense with more options should Hamilton need to kick into the slot.

Special Teams (3)

Kicker Justin Tucker
Punter Jordan Stout
Long Snapper Tyler Ott