The second week of the preseason kicks off on Thursday, beginning with the Baltimore Ravens visiting the Miami Dolphins. Teams will be looking to see which players improve on their Week 1 performances and which players really grab hold of important roles. The PFF analysis team has all of the important battles and players to watch in this game:
Coverage by: Daniel Cohen
Position Battle: Lorenzo Taliaferro/Ricky Ortiz, FB
- Recently converted FB Lorenzo Taliaferro is listed as the starting fullback on the Ravens’ initial depth chart, but undrafted rookie FB Ricky Ortiz may put pressure on Taliaferro for the starting job. Ortiz, who played tight end and fullback at Oregon State, ranked 41st out of 198 FBS tight ends in run-blocking grade last season (74.2). The duo will battle to fill former Ravens FB Kyle Juszczyk’s role.
- Neither Taliaferro nor Ortiz stood out in last week's game against Washington. While Taliaferro played just 8 snaps at fullback and Ortiz played 22, both players earned grades of 40.4. While the opportunity is there, Ortiz will have to do more with his playing time this week if he plans to make the roster.
Players to Watch:
- Quincy Adeboyejo, WR – With fellow undrafted rookie WR Tim White out for the season with a thumb injury, look for Adeboyejo to make a push for a roster spot. After a solid 2015 season with Ole Miss where he averaged 2.03 yards per route run, Adeboyejo averaged just 1.14 yards per route run in 2016. The most targeted Ravens receiver last week, he had a WR rating (passer rating when targeted) of just 68.8 on four targets.
- Jaylen Hill, CB – Hill will see if he can build off a very productive week where he earned a 78.4 overall grade. Hill did a little bit of everything last week, recording one interception, one quarterback pressure, and one defensive stop with three tackles. He’ll work to move up the cornerback depth chart this week against the Dolphins.
- Willie Henry, DI – Drafted in the fourth round of the 2016 draft, Henry didn’t play a single snap last season through nine games and was placed on IR thereafter. The former Michigan defensive tackle saw 30 snaps last week, and earned a pass-rush grade of 88.4, highest among all defensive interior linemen. Look for Henry to continue to make a case for playing time in 2017.
Coverage by: Cyrus Geller
Position Battle: Leonte Carroo/Jakeem Grant, WR
- After being drafted in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Leonte Carroo struggled last season. His overall grade of 51.3 would have ranked 94th out of 115 receivers had he qualified. However, Carroo had a solid first preseason game against the Falcons, producing a solid grade of 78.0.
- Jakeem Grant also struggled in his rookie season, posting an overall grade of 51.3. Grant wasn’t as high of a draft pick as Carroo was, as he was taken in the sixth round, but both he and Carroo will look to bounce back and win that fourth receiver spot.
Players to Watch:
- Charles Harris, DE – Harris had a run-stop percentage of 7.1 in his final season at Missouri, which ranked t-25th out of 105 qualified 3-4 DEs. He will be battling with Andre Branch to win the starting edge spot opposite Cameron Wake.
- Mike Hull, LB – In the 2016 preseason, Hull was third among 35 qualified inside linebackers in run stop percentage at 12.2.
- Jordan Phillips, DT – Phillips struggled in his rookie season, posting an overall grade of 43.3. But he bounced back last year, as his grade of 74.8 ranked 50th out of 125 qualified interior defenders.
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