Josh ReedAug 18, 2026
After the Ravens' preseason opener win over Philadelphia, Reed argues rookie Ja'Kobi Lane has locked up the No. 3 receiver job, Jovaughn Gwyn is now the frontrunner at starting center, Durham Smythe remains the No. 2 tight end ahead of rookie Matt Hibner, Keyon Martin has all but secured a roster spot as the primary backup slot corner, and Carson Vinson is the favorite to be the swing tackle.
Published in writing · Sports IllustratedRead the original
What Josh Reed said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromLane all but cemented himself as the winner of the Ravens' No. 3 receiver competition
- Where it was published
- Sports Illustrated
- The piece
- 6 Ravens With Soaring Stock Who Flipped Depth Charts in Preseason Game 1
- The original
- Read the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- SaidAug 18
- GradedSep 25
- 1Keyon Martin to make the roster“At this rate, he's making it nearly impossible for the Ravens to consider exposing him to waivers at final cutdown time.”
- 2Jovaughn Gwyn to be 1st on the depth chart“he is now firmly a legitimate contender, if not the outright frontrunner, to win the starting center job following his outstanding performance”
- 3Durham Smythe to be 2nd on the depth chart“While veteran blocking specialist Durham Smythe will still likely be the first man up to join Andrews on the field in the Ravens' 12-personnel packages, expect Hibner to see the field early and often”
- 4Keyon Martin to be 2nd on the depth chart“Martin is in a competition with fifth-round rookie Chandler Rivers for the primary backup slot corner role and held off the first-year pro until the fourth quarter.”
- 5Carson Vinson to be 2nd on the depth chart“Even after the team's recent signing of veteran David Sharpe to provide some experienced depth at the position, Vinson remains the favorite to serve as the Ravens' swing tackle for this upcoming season.”
- 6Ja'Kobi Lane to be 3rd on the depth chart“Lane all but cemented himself as the winner of the Ravens' No. 3 receiver competition despite being outproduced on paper by fourth-rounder Elijah Sarratt by the end of the game.”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keyon Martin to make the roster1 | Roster Spot Calls | 3 weeks on a 53 | 100 | 100 | 0 | |
| Jovaughn Gwyn to be 1st on the depth chart2 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Durham Smythe to be 2nd on the depth chart3 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Keyon Martin to be 2nd on the depth chart4 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Carson Vinson to be 2nd on the depth chart5 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Ja'Kobi Lane to be 3rd on the depth chart6 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| 6 calls · 1 hit · 5 waiting | 100 | 100 | ||||
How each call scored
a naive guessbetter than naive6 checkable claims — 5 depth chart calls and 1 roster spot call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 6 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
1 of 6 have settled so far, averaging 100 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess at the same calls.
Of the 3 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the room on 1 and below it on 2.
Each call is scored 0 to 100 against what happened, on its own, by the published methodology. The naive guess is what knowing nothing would have scored on the same calls; the gap, weighted by how hard the call was, is the skill.
Where this call stands in the room
Ja'Kobi Lane · 2026 season17 calls from 11 pundits between 1 and 3. Josh Reed said 3. the room's median is 3. not settled yet
Every dot is a call somebody published on the same question. Where the dots land says where this take sits, not whether it is right — nothing here is settled yet. Hover a dot for the name and number; click it to read that take.
1Roster Spot CallsKeyon MartinBaltimore Ravens
Keyon Martin to make the roster
What happened3 weeks on a 53100Hit · naive 100100this call−100a naive guess=0better than naive×2difficulty=0skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- club:
- BAL
- skill:
- 0
- player:
- Keyon Martin
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he makes the 53
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 100
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- he was on somebody's 53 last season, so he makes one again
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks on the53:
- 3
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- first week on the53:
- 1
- weeks on the practice squad:
- 0
2Depth Chart CallsJovaughn GwynBaltimore Ravens
Jovaughn Gwyn to be 1st on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
3Depth Chart CallsDurham SmytheBaltimore Ravens
Durham Smythe to be 2nd on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
4Depth Chart CallsKeyon MartinBaltimore Ravens
Keyon Martin to be 2nd on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
5Depth Chart CallsCarson VinsonBaltimore Ravens
Carson Vinson to be 2nd on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
6Depth Chart CallsJa'Kobi LaneBaltimore Ravens
Ja'Kobi Lane to be 3rd on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Nathan Jahnke · Trade and Signing Calls · Jacoby Brissett · Hit 100
In a Week 9 recap, Jahnke expects Mark Andrews to remain Baltimore's lead tight end but says rookie Matt Hibner is more likely than Josh Cuevas to eventually overtake them, and they anticipate the Ravens acquiring Jacoby Brissett to start at quarterback. They also suggest Brian Thomas Jr. may have played their final game for Jacksonville ahead of the trade deadline.Nic Bodiford · Depth Chart Calls · Joe Fagnano · Hit 100
Previewing Week 9 running game matchups, Bodiford expects Jacksonville to win lopsidedly over a depleted Baltimore team, with Bhayshul Tuten sitting out and Chris Rodriguez taking over as lead back, while Joe Fagnano starts at quarterback for the Ravens. They also view Broncos rookie Jonah Coleman as an RB2 going forward.Mike Florio · Roster Spot Calls · Jake Moody · Miss 0
Florio expects Jake Moody to be promoted from Baltimore's practice squad to the 53-man roster if Tyler Loop lands on injured reserve.John Breech · Trade and Signing Calls · Jacoby Brissett · Hit 100
Breech picks the Jaguars to blow out the quarterback-depleted Ravens on Thursday night, and in Week 9 takes the Bengals to outlast the Falcons in a Madrid shootout. They also expect Jacoby Brissett to be a Raven within 48 hours and to make their first Baltimore start in Week 11.
More depth chart calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Michael Moore · Depth Chart Calls · Shedeur Sanders · Hit 100
In a Week 9 injury roundup, Moore forecast which banged-up fantasy contributors would play or sit: Deshaun Watson, Garrett Wilson, David Montgomery, Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, TreVeyon Henderson and Terrance Ferguson are expected out, while Travis Kelce, Saquon Barkley, Michael Wilson, Christian Watson and Emeka Egbuka should play. They also expect Shedeur Sanders and Drew Lock to start at quarterback.Jacob Herlin · Depth Chart Calls · J.J. McCarthy · Hit 100
Herlin published Week 7 fantasy D/ST rankings with projections for 28 team defenses, led by Houston, Minnesota and Cleveland. They also expect Cleveland to post a fourth straight top-10 fantasy defense result, and predicts Jalon Daniels starts another week for Tampa Bay while J.J. McCarthy takes over as the Giants' starter.