The Baltimore Ravens will be taking the field for the first time this preseason in a Saturday night showdown against the visiting Philadelphia Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium.There will be plenty on the line for their young fledglings and some more experienced players fighting for jobs and roster spots in the first live action of the Jesse Minter era as head coach.Here are five of the top storylines heading into the Ravens' first of three exhibition games as they look to see who can continue stacking or make up some ground in several of their notable competitions.Will Ja'Kabi Lane's hype train keep building steam or come to a halt?It's not often that the debut of a team's third-round pick is more highly anticipated than its first, but that's exactly the case with the Ravens, as Lane has been the undisputed star of training camp thus far. His seemingly daily highlight reel from practices has garnered excessive amounts of buzz from fans and even national media attention, so a lot of eyes will be on him in this game, as he'll likely play most of the first half and possibly into the third quarter. If the former USC Trojan comes out hot right out of the gate and records several snags and even scores a touchdown on the Ravens' first few series, that might be all we see of him, but if he doesn't, it'll be interesting to see if all the loud hype surrounding him reduces a bit to a dull roar moving forward.Can another rookie pass catcher start to emerge?Jul 30, 2026; Owings Mills, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens tight end Matt Hibner (88) during practice drills at Under Armour Peformance Center. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectWhile Lane is the most popular of the Ravens' first-year skill position players as it currently stands, he is far from the only one looking to carve out a role on offense. There's fellow wide receiver Elijah Sarratt, who was a little hampered by a minor leg injury at the start of camp but has been coming on as of late, according to reports. A big performance from the former Indiana Hoosier, who led the FBS with 15 touchdown catches last year, could vault him back into the competition for the No. 3 spot on the depth chart behind starters Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman.After losing both Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar in free agency, the Ravens double-dipped at tight end on Day 3 of this year's draft with the selection of Matthew Hibner in the fourth round and Josh Cuevas in the fifth. With three-time Pro Bowler Mark Andrews and veteran blocking specialist Durham Smythe locked into the top two spots on the depth chart for most of the team's 12-personnel packages, the two rooks are likely vying for just one rotational role on offense but will also need to stand out on special teams if they want to be regularly active on game days in the regular season.Will Adisa Isaac make a case for himself?The 2024 third-round pick has struggled to stay on the field during his first two years in the league, with a hamstring injury limiting him to just four regular-season appearances as a rookie and a dislocated elbow with ligament damage costing him all of 2025. He now heads into a pivotal preseason where he'll need to not only show that he can stay on the field but also make an impact on it.There's no guarantee that the Ravens will carry a fifth full-time outside linebacker, since they have players at other positions who can moonlight on the edge, such as All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton, Pro Bowl defensive linemen Nnamdi Madubuike and Calais Campbell, and inside linebacker Trenton Simpson. If they do decide to carry a fifth for depth and special teams purposes, Isaac could still get beat out by undrafted rookie Ethan Burke, who has impressed coaches and players alike with his strong start to camp."[You] talk about a determined, smart [player who] picks things up really easy" Ravens outside linebacker's coach Harland Bower said of Burke. "You watch him play, and you talk about how we play, he plays the game hard. He plays long. [He's a] great leverage player. [He] can rush and [is] really violent at the point of attack. So, he gives you everything you want in terms of an edge."Center competition might take center stageJul 30, 2026; Owings Mills, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens center Ethan Pocic (77) during drills at Under Armour Peformance Center. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectThis was the most anticipated position battle heading into training camp because it was for the only starting job up for grabs. While many thought it'd be a foregone conclusion that 10th-year veteran Ethan Pocic would end up being the successor to three-time Pro Bowler Tyler Linderbaum when he signed at the onset of camp, former career backup Danny Pinter has taken all the first-team reps at camp thus far, according to reports.Both Minter and offensive coordinator Declan Doyle have gone on record saying that the competition is far from over and that Pocic is still working his way back into football shape. It will be telling to see how many snaps each player gets and when in the opener, and whether fourth-year pro Jovaughn Gwyn actually has a chance to compete or just mostly plays in the second half with undrafted rookie Nick Dawkins.Will Adam Randall continue to stand out?The first-ever handpicked draft selection by owner Steve Bisciotti has looked good all camp, both as a rusher and pass catcher out of the backfield. With veterans Derrick Henry and Justice Hill unlikely to play much, if at all, this entire preseason, the fifth-rounder out of Clemson will likely get the starting nod against the Eagles and see the field early and often. Another aspect of the game where he'll really have to prove himself to beat out third-year pro Rasheen Ali for the No. 3 spot on the depth chart, which comes with consistent game-day activations, is on special teams as a kick returner, so expect to see him lined up back deep in the landing zone in this exhibition bout.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow