Baltimore Ravens defensive tackles C.J. The Baltimore Ravens promoted defensive tackles C.J.
Nnamdi (neck) Madubuike and Broderick (ankle), were both placed on injured reserves on Saturday. Travis Jones’s (knee), however, is questionable. Brent Urban, who was previously on the practice squad, has been signed to the active roster as a result of this move. He will play an important role for as long as Madubuike or Washington remain sidelined.
Jones’ availability is negatively affected by the elevation of two players capable of lining up as nose tackles. Ravens are rarely, if at all, seen with six defensive linemen on the field. Jones, the only player with a designation of injury, is most likely to not play. Jones may go through a warmup before the game to determine if he is able to play. The Ravens could always deactivate Okoye and Tupou instead.
Both Okoye, and Tupou are likely to see a lot of action against the Chiefs if Jones doesn’t play. The former is making his NFL debut while the latter played three games in 2024 for the Ravens.
Sunday will be a sort of audition for Okoye. He showed flashes in the preseason and, if he is able to hold his own against the Chiefs’ interior offensive line, then he may earn a place in the rotation, until Washington and/or Madubuike return. Okoye, who is 6-foot-6, 370 pounds and has a lot of potential, could also be a liability.
Tupou has a more established reputation. He can fill up the trenches with his 350 pounds but lacks the finesse and athleticism to make an impact. He’s not a starter, but he could be a backup.
The Ravens promoted Zaire Mitchell Paden, a tight end from their practice squad, to fill in the other IR vacancy. He was promoted for the first three matches of the season and could only be added to the 53 man roster on Sunday. Mitchell-Paden fills some of Patrick Ricard’s role but he doesn’t have the same power as his veteran teammate.
Todd Monken, a defensive coordinator, has maintained a tight rein on Mitchell-Paden’s snap counts (15, 14 and 15 respectively in Weeks 1, 2 and 3), while relying on his wide receivers and tight ends with personnel groups 11 and 12. Mitchell-Paden’s role in the offense will remain as long as Ricard remains out.