The Baltimore Ravens certainly made a strong statement in their 24-7 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in their preseason opener.
Baltimore’s offense dominated the game with 440 yards and racked up 31 first downs. A 14-point fourth quarter helped seal the win for them.
It was the defense, though, that stole the show with 159 yards allowed and only six first downs surrendered. One defensive player, though, stood out as having a great performance to the point that head coach Jesse Minter had to acknowledge him.
Jesse Minter Admitted to No Longer Overlooking Ravens Defensive Back
GettyOWINGS MILLS, MARYLAND – JUNE 09: Head coach Jesse Minter of the Baltimore Ravens talks to the media after Baltimore Ravens Mandatory Minicamp at Under Armour Performance Center on June 09, 2026 in Owings Mills, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
After the game, Minter was asked about whether cornerback Keyon Martin made it impossible for him to be overlooked. The head coach had to confess that assessment was correct.
“Yes, that’s what you want guys to do. This is a guy that plays the game a certain way — plays with a chip on his shoulder, and he’s got a knack for making plays. That’s all he does, is he keeps doing it. He makes plays [in] practice [and in] games [when] his number’s called, and you love to see that from guys.”
Martin put up a good performance in the preseason game and showed that he should be on the 53-man roster. He finished with a team-high four tackles, two tackles for loss, one quarterback hit, and one sack.
Last year, Martin played in 13 regular season games, starting in one of them at cornerback. He finished the season with 23 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 quarterback hit, and 1 pass deflection.
Keyon Martin Might Have Locked a 53-Man Roster Spot on the Ravens
GettyLANDOVER, MARYLAND – AUGUST 23: Keyon Martin #38 of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates after intercepting a ball during the first half of the NFL Preseason 2025 game against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium on August 23, 2025 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images)
Martin is currently listed as the backup to Kyle Hamilton at nickel corner. That means Martin needs to help in run support as well as in coverage.
What Martin demonstrated to the NFL against the Eagles is that he can do a little bit of everything. His sack showed he can be used on blitzes where he has enough speed and strength to take down the quarterback.
Now entering the final two weeks of training camp, Martin has certainly made a name for himself on the defense. It might even be safe to say that he could have locked in a spot on the 53-man roster.
He still has two more preseason games to prove himself and really solidify that spot. The first three weeks of training have already shown how good he can be.
That’s a good sign for a player when the head coach admits he needs to stop overlooking him. Martin made a name for himself against the Eagles and can only go up from here.
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