The Ravens’ 5 most intriguing undrafted free agent signings

The Ravens’ work didn’t end once they made their final pick of the NFL draft. They quickly turned their attention to the pool of undrafted players and put their scouting ability to the test.

All last season, the Ravens shouted out their scouting department, attributing their success to the front office’s ability to find hidden gems.

Previous undrafted free agents signed by the Ravens, such as nose tackle Michael Pierce, running backs Keaton Mitchell and Gus Edwards, kicker Justin Tucker, Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard and plug-and-play lineman Patrick Mekari, were contributors last season.

The Ravens have added 22 undrafted free agents, through contracts or camp invites, to the roster for rookie minicamp Friday through Sunday. Here are five who sound the most intriguing.

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Defensive back Beau Brade (2)
Maryland Football vs. Nebraska at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, NE on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023.
Brieanna Andrews/Maryland Terrapins — Beau Brade plays at a position of need for the Ravens. (Brieanna Andrews/Maryland Terrapins)

1. Beau Brade, S, Maryland

From Howard County’s River Hill to the University of Maryland to the Ravens, Brade is as local as it gets. And, despite being undrafted, he has a pedigree. In fact, Brade was ranked well above the Ravens’ final pick, Purdue safety Sanoussi Kane. On Arif Hasan’s Consensus Big Board, Brade was ranked No. 143 out of the top 300. Kane was not ranked.

Considering his proximity, Brade was likely well scouted by the Ravens — there were several members of the coaching staff and scouting department at Maryland’s pro day — so maybe they saw something that pushed them toward Kane over Brade in the draft.

But Brade is coming in at a position of need. The Ravens have Pro Bowler Kyle Hamilton and Marcus Williams, a strong duo, but Kane and Ar’Darius Washington are the only two below them on the depth chart right now. Washington made it onto the team as an undrafted free agent but has dealt with injuries throughout his career.

Brade was a Terps team captain last year and earned All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2022 and 2023. Last season, he had 75 tackles, seven passes defensed, an interception and a forced fumble. NFL.com projected him to be an average or above-average backup in the NFL.

Darrian Dalcourt was one of the top-ranked high school players in Maryland in 2019 before he left for Alabama. (Icon Sportswire/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

2. Darrian Dalcourt, C/G, Alabama

Another local out of Havre de Grace, Dalcourt left the state for college ball — when Nick Saban comes calling, you listen. As a high schooler at St. Frances, Dalcourt was a four-star recruit and rated the fifth-best player from Maryland in 2019.

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Dalcourt earned the starting job at center in 2021 as a junior and kept the role through 2022, despite battling injuries. In his fifth season, he switched to guard. As he continued to deal with injuries, Dalcourt was a part-time starter at guard. Last season, he played 332 snaps across eight games and made seven knockdown blocks.

The Ravens picked up another center who can play guard when they drafted Michigan State’s Nick Samac in the seventh round. Although they are both centers/guards, they aren’t necessarily competing for the same spot. There are two open starting guard positions, and the Ravens also need backups. However, both will also be competing with the players the Ravens already have on the roster, including Ben Cleveland and Andrew Vorhees.

Ole Miss wide receiver Dayton Wade made 55 catches for 830 yards and four touchdowns last season. (Icon Sportswire/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

3. Dayton Wade, WR, Ole Miss

At 5-foot-9, 175 pounds, Wade would add another undersize wide receiver to the Ravens’ room, joining Deonte Harty and Zay Flowers.

Playing some of the nation’s top opponents in the Southeastern Conference, Wade made 55 catches for 830 yards and four touchdowns. He recorded an explosive play (12 yards or longer) in all but one game. He was seventh in the SEC in receiving yards.

Wade is no stranger to fighting for his place. He started his career at Western Kentucky, but his time there was marred by injury. He walked on at Ole Miss and immediately contributed, eventually earning a scholarship. Despite his size, Wade played mostly outside the hashes, although he has experience in the slot, according to the Clarion Ledger.

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Prior to the draft, Wade visited with the Ravens, who need wide receiver depth after the departures of Odell Beckham Jr. and Devin Duvernay.

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4. Jordan Toles, DB, Morgan State

You’ve got to love a good homecoming story — especially when paired with a high school reunion. Jordan Toles, who played with Dalcourt at St. Frances, was a four-star recruit out of Baltimore. He started his career at LSU before transferring to Morgan State.

Toles earned All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference first-team honors. His senior year, he was the team’s second-leading tackler with 66, along with five passes defensed, three interceptions and a forced fumble. His best game was against Howard, when he recorded 14 tackles. Toles was a finalist for the Aeneas Williams Award, which is given to the best defensive back in historically Black college and university Division I football.

Like Brade, Toles will compete for a role in a secondary that recently bulked up its cornerback depth but is searching for safety depth. He will be in competition with Brade, Kane and Washington at safety. If he leans toward being a cornerback, he will compete with T.J. Tampa, Arthur Maulet, Ka’Dar Hollman, Damarion “Pepe” Williams and Trayvon Mullen for a backup role.

Defensive end Joe Evans of Iowa was a third-team All-Big Ten selection. (Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)

5. Joe Evans, DE, Iowa

With 28 career sacks, Evans ranks fourth in Hawkeyes history. He made 9.5 sacks his senior year. A former high school quarterback, Evans walked on at Iowa as a linebacker. By 2022, he was a full-time starter.

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Last season, he recorded 46 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, four passes defensed and one forced fumble. He had five tackles and four sacks in the bowl game against Tennessee.

Evans was named third-team All-Big Ten by the media and was given All-Big Ten honorable mention by the coaches. He had an impressive pro day. According to The Athletic, his 41.5-inch vertical jump would have finished seventh among edge rushers at the NFL combine, and his shuttle and three-cone drill times would have placed first.

The Ravens have depth along the defensive line, although some of those players are veterans with only a year or two left in the league. They added outside linebacker Adisa Isaac in the draft. However, Evans could earn a spot as a backup or he could position himself on the practice squad to earn a chance if there are injuries.