Ravens Week 15 Rookie Report: Nate Wiggins, Devontez Walker shine vs. Giants

The Baltimore Ravens returned from their bye refreshed and notched a dominant bounce-back over the New York Giants 35-14 on Sunday and received important contributions from a number of members of their 2024 rookie class. Their first two choices continued to face out whereas two of their Day 3 picks recorded profession milestones impressively.

Of the crew’s rookies, solely three—exterior linebacker Adisa Isaac, heart Nick Samac and security Sanoussi Kane—had been inactive. Right here is how the remainder of Baltimore’s first-year gamers fared of their newest style of regular-season NFL motion.

CB Nate Wiggins

Photograph by Luke Hales/Getty Photographs

For the fifth sport in a row, Wiggins performed over 60% of the crew’s whole defensive snaps with a career-high 90 % in his first official begin since Week 6. Wiggins logged 60-plus snaps for the third time this season and on a few of these events, he lined up throughout from fellow standout first-round rookie and Giants main receiver, Malik Nabers. In what was billed as considered one of his hardest assessments coming into the sport, Wiggins handed with flying colours, holding Nabers with no catch on two targets, each of which got here on back-to-back performs within the crimson zone close to the purpose line. On the primary didn’t even give him an opportunity to catch the ball going out of bounds and on the second, he dislodged the ball on a back-shoulder fade earlier than Nabers might set up management and get each toes down inbounds.

In a matchup of first-round rookies, the Giants tried to hit Malik Nabers for touchdowns thrice when matched up 1-on-1 with Nate Wiggins close to the purpose line. Wiggins places the clamps on all three. pic.twitter.com/jQFO2OIQeT

— Ryan Mink (@ryanmink) December 16, 2024

Based on Subsequent Gen Stats, Wiggins’ catch fee allowed of simply 43.6% is the bottom within the league amongst cornerbacks who’ve been focused a minimal of fifty instances this season, an unimaginable mark for a participant nonetheless studying the tips of the commerce on the skilled stage and is simply scratching the floor of his expertise. Whereas he put the clamps on Nabers, his outing on Sunday wasn’t with out blemish. Wiggins was known as for a 24-yard defensive move interference within the fourth quarter that aided the Giants’ second penalty-fueled scoring drive of the sport.

“There’s a lot of detail to the position,” head coach John Harbaugh mentioned Monday. “He’s making progress across the board with that, and yet he knows he has a whole career’s worth of improvement in front of him still, but he’s doing a good job. He’s made a lot of progress, [and] he’s doing well.”

OT Roger Rosengarten

Photograph by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photographs

The second-rounder continued his upward trajectory coming off the bye with one other very spectacular outing wherein he was considered one of simply 5 rookie offensive linemen who didn’t permit a single stress in Week 15. Rosengarten was wonderful in move safety, displaying variation in his move units and taking part in with extra confidence and energy within the run sport because the Ravens racked 445 yards of whole offense which included 170 yards on the bottom with him serving to pave the best way.

Roger Rosengarten’s growth over his rookie season has been enjoyable to look at.

Love how he varies his move blocking units. He seems actually assured on the market. pic.twitter.com/5Q31BS9LEF

— Ryan Mink (@ryanmink) December 17, 2024

Rosengarten was considered one of simply two offensive linemen on the crew to play 100% of the snaps on offense and in accordance with Professional Soccer Focus, his pass-blocking grade of 79.4 and running-blocking grade of 70.3 had been his third-highest marks in each metrics of the season. His linear development as a starter earned him some excessive reward from his head coach.

“I think Roger is doing a great job,” Harbaugh mentioned. “He’s definitely playing winning football at right tackle, so that’s what you look for. That’s another guy – kind of talking about those rookies, about the question about the rookies – he’s really established himself out there and done a nice job. I like the way he looks out there.”

WR Devontez Walker

Photograph by Sarah Stier/Getty Photographs

Walker was energetic for the sixth time this season and noticed his expansive position on offense of the 12 months to this point with Professional Bowl veteran Diontae Johnson out with a suspension. He performed a career-high 11 offensive snaps which was solely 19% of the crew whole and made essentially the most of his restricted alternatives by recording his first profession catch and landing on the identical play. Walker was the recipient of considered one of Jackson’s 5 touchdowns after hauling in a 21-yard strike behind the top zone and he confirmed some good toe-drag swag within the course of, incomes the nickname ‘Tez Toe Tap’ from his quarterback.

Whereas his scoring reception was Walker’s most impactful play, it wasn’t the one one he made. He performed 15 snaps on particular groups—second-most on the crew—and recorded his second solo sort out of the season on the Ravens first kickoff of the sport and prevented what might’ve been an enormous return from Giants’ returner Ihmir Smith-Marsette late within the first quarter. Based on PFF, his general grade of 92 was highest of any participant on the crew on both facet of the ball.

RB Rasheen Ali

Photograph by Sarah Stier/Getty Photographs

The fifth-rounder was energetic in consecutive video games for the primary time this season and he did extra than simply flash within the kick return sport as he performed simply seven snaps on particular groups. Ali recorded 54 all-purpose yards with 22 approaching a 34-yard kickoff return within the fourth quarter that was lowered by a holding penalty and the opposite 32 got here on the primary eight carries of his profession.

With the Ravens up by a number of scores late within the sport, Ali received his first offensive snaps of the common season in his profession with 10 and have become the primary working again on the crew not named Derrick Henry or Justice Hill to document a speeding try in a sport this season. Ali was spectacular as a ball provider in his first style of prolonged motion with how he displayed good imaginative and prescient, made sharp cuts and completed runs with energy as he picked up a pair of first downs that helped chew up practically 5 minutes off the clock.

Appreciated what I noticed from the Ravens’ reserves yesterday.

Rookie RB Rasheen Ali made some good cuts, ran with energy, made tacklers miss.

Ben Cleveland and Andrew Vorhees had been stout at heart and left guard. pic.twitter.com/Inyx4xFgDs

— Ryan Mink (@ryanmink) December 16, 2024

DB Beau Brade

Photograph by Jordon Kelly/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photographs

For the eighth time within the final 9 weeks, the undrafted rookie security out of Maryland was energetic on sport day for particular groups duties. He performed 16 snaps on particular groups, which tied him with veteran linebackers Malik Harrison, Chris Board and Kristian Welch for essentially the most on the crew on Sunday.