The whole point of having a practice squad is stashing players there until you need them in an emergency and, if they prove they deserve it, when the time comes they get a full-time job.
The time has come for defensive tackle and former first round pick Taven Bryan, who the Baltimore Ravens announced was joining their 53-man roster on Saturday, November 15, after they signed him to the practice squad on September 24.
Bryan has been something of a good luck charm for the Ravens. He’s been on the active roster for the last 3 regular season gams — all Baltimore wins. The Ravens have bounced back from a 1-5 start and are now 4-5 headed into a Week 11 AFC North Division road game against the Cleveland Browns.
“We have placed LB Jay Higgins IV on Injured Reserve and signed DT Taven Bryan from the practice squad to the 53-man roster,” the Ravens wrote on their official X account. “Additionally, we have activated LB Chandler Martin and DB Amani Oruwariye from the practice squad (standard elevations) for tomorrow’s game.”
Bryan First Round Bust in AFC South
Bryan, 6-foot-5 and 291 pounds, was a first round pick (No. 29 overall) by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2018 NFL draft out of the University of Florida.
Bryan signed a 4-year, $10.15 million rookie contract and became a free agent after the 2021 season. He played for the Browns on 1 -year, $4 million contract, then played 2 seasons for the Indianapolis Colts in 2023 and 2024. He was cut by the Cincinnati Bengals in August before landing with the Ravens.
There’s some irony with Bryan ending up with the Ravens. He’s perhaps best known for being one of the last few picks to go off the board before Baltimore selected 2-time NFL MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson with the final pick of the first round — just 3 picks after Bryan was selected.
“Former general manager Dave Caldwell’s stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars was marred with baffling decisions,” Black & Teal’s Carlos Sanchez wrote in July. “One of the worst ones probably was picking Taven Bryan over Lamar Jackson in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft … But instead of the best passer available at that moment, Caldwell chose to fortify the defensive trenches. Fast forward to 2025, and Jackson is one of the top quarterbacks in the league, while Bryan’s career is hanging by a thread.”
Ravens Suffered Massive Blow on Interior DL
The Ravens lost one of the NFL’s elite defensive linemen when NFL All-Pro defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike suffered a season ending — hopefully not career ending — neck injury in Week 2.
Baltimore also let the NFL trade deadline pass without making a move to shore up the position, which is perhaps a testament to how well veteran Travis Jones has played as well as the depth a player like Bryan has supplied.
That doesn’t mean it might not still come back to bite the Ravens later.
From Bleacher Report: “The Ravens took a significant loss when they placed two-time Pro Bowler Nnamdi Madubuike on injured reserve. Baltimore fields the 21st-ranked run defense, giving up 4.5 yards per carry, which ranks 22nd across the league. Without Madubuike, the Ravens don’t have enough beef up front to slow down physical ground attacks, which may become a problem as temperatures drop in cold-weather November and December games. They needed an addition on the interior of the defensive line.”
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