As ailing quarterback Lamar Jackson sat out one practice after another, the central storyline of the Ravens’ opening week of training camp shifted. The intrigue over what was happening at camp became less interesting than the question of who was missing at camp, because the NFL’s reigning Most Valuable Player was the one missing.

With Jackson’s return, some normalcy should return to Owings Mills. So should some perspective. Even with Jackson sidelined by illness, coach John Harbaugh got a good look at his roster over six practices last week. Here’s a rundown of who performed well — and who left room for improvement.

Risers

CB Marlon Humphrey: The four interceptions speak for themselves, don’t they? Humphrey opened camp looking like one of the Ravens’ best players and ended the first week looking the same way, picking off two passes from Jackson on Saturday. Some of Humphrey’s takeaways came from being in the right place at the right time — good luck has a lot to do with a lot of takeaways — but the alternative isn’t any better. He had just one interception and didn’t force a fumble last year. After coming into camp at about 190 pounds, 10 pounds lighter than normal, Humphrey has been impressive against downfield routes. He ran step for step with speedy rookie Devontez Walker on a deep shot Saturday.

WR Rashod Bateman: Bateman was the Ravens’ top receiver, regardless of position, over the first week. He had highlight-reel grabs in the heat and in the rain, in double coverage and in the red zone. He won contested catches against cornerbacks down the sideline and sped past linebackers in the open field. About the only thing the 2021 first-round pick hadn’t done until Saturday was connect regularly with Jackson, whose first pass to him in camp ended with an overthrow and an interception. But, after that initial shakiness Wednesday, they were more in sync in their second day together. Their chemistry should only grow over the next month.

OLB Odafe Oweh: With the transition to fully padded practices Friday and Saturday, Oweh wasn’t the full-time menace he’d been over the opening days of camp. But the fourth-year edge rusher has been the defense’s most consistent pass rushing threat. Oweh’s speed rush gave left tackle Ronnie Stanley trouble throughout the opening week, and he showed the strength and mentality to set the edge as a run defender. He even dropped into coverage and helped deny a first down in one 11-on-11 period. Harbaugh said Monday that Oweh “wants to take it to the next level and go ahead and get the quarterback on the ground,” and his intensity has needed reining in at times. But the 2021 first-round pick looks poised for a breakout year.

DL Travis Jones: Fellow defensive lineman Michael Pierce said Saturday that Andrew Vorhees is “going to be really good,” so it’s a good sign that Jones has already knocked back the hulking left guard a few times with his bull rush. Jones is one of the Ravens’ strongest players, and his play strength becomes more and more harnessed with every passing offseason. Jones’ growth from Year 1 to Year 2 in Baltimore was impressive — he had 36 tackles (four for a loss) and 1.5 sacks in 17 games last season — and his leap from Year 2 to Year 3 could be just as significant. “He’s been making a lot of plays,” Pierce said. “I don’t mind splitting reps with him. … I believe he will have an amazing year this year, for sure.”

CB Jalyn Armour-Davis: When the Ravens drafted Armour-Davis in the fourth round two years ago, they knew he had impressive athletic gifts. They also knew his tools needed refining. Injuries and a deep cornerback room, however, slowed Armour-Davis’ development over his first two seasons, limiting him to 78 defensive snaps total. But, after a strong showing in organized team activities and mandatory minicamp this offseason, Armour-Davis has carried over his good form into camp. He made at least one pass defense or interception in each of the Ravens’ first four practices, and even the completions he’s allowed have been closely contested. The road to playing time in the secondary remains bottlenecked, but Armour-Davis has at least put his career on a better trajectory.

CB Arthur Maulet: Besides Humphrey, no Ravens defensive back has gotten his hands on more balls in camp than Maulet. The slot corner allowed a few catches in Jackson’s hurry-up scoring drive Saturday, including a touchdown to wide receiver Nelson Agholor, but he’s otherwise fared well against all the targets he’s seen inside, big and small, fast and strong. With safety Kyle Hamilton’s slot skills and Humphrey’s inside-out versatility, Maulet could be limited to a niche role on the Ravens’ defense, as he was last season, when he played just 35.3% of the unit’s snaps. But, if he keeps stacking interceptions, Maulet will force his way onto the field one way or another.

G Andrew Vorhees and G Sala Aumavae-Laulu: It’s hard for guards to stand out in camp. Most of the attention they get is unwanted, earned with a penalty here or a whiffed block there. Good thing, then, that Vorhees and Aumavae-Laulu had largely anonymous opening weeks in camp. The 2023 draft picks have yet to play a snap for the Ravens — Vorhees’ rehabilitation from a torn ACL sidelined him for his rookie season, while Aumavae-Laulu was a healthy scratch — but they returned for their second camp in Baltimore with more NFL-ready bodies. Vorhees has the inside track to win the starting left guard job. Aumavae-Laulu, who struggled mightily in the preseason last year, is in the mix at right guard.

Fallers

QB Josh Johnson: For all the limitations Tyler Huntley had as the backup quarterback, he typically took care of the ball in camp and the preseason. Johnson, forced into a first-string role during Jackon’s absence, hasn’t had the same results. Interceptions marred his first few days of team drills. Not every pick was his fault — running back Derrick Henry all but handed safety Marcus Williams a turnover Wednesday with one bobbled pass — but several have resulted from questionable throws, including an end-zone jump ball to tight end Mark Andrews that Armour-Davis plucked away. Johnson’s efficiency should improve as the offense catches up to the defense and Jackson earns more first-team reps, but questions hang over the team’s QB2 spot. The preseason will be an important test for the 38-year-old Johnson.

WR Zay Flowers: Maybe outsize expectations after a record-setting rookie year are to blame. Maybe the illness that sidelined Jackson for much of last week is to blame, too. (Flowers missed Jackson’s return to practice Saturday to attend a wedding, according to Harbaugh.) Whatever the context, Flowers has had a relatively slow start to camp. He’s struggled to earn targets against the Ravens’ first-string defense, especially downfield, an area he’s targeted for improvement. A quiet opening week shouldn’t be concerning, though, especially with Jackson back. At his first camp with the Ravens, Flowers wowed in one-on-ones but had unproductive stretches in team drills. He still ended up being by far the team’s most productive receiver.

WR Malik Cunningham: After an encouraging performance in OTAs and minicamp, Cunningham entered camp as a dark horse to earn a 53-man-roster spot. But the converted quarterback’s positional polish — or lack thereof — has been obvious at times. Most notable are Cunningham’s struggles with ball security; his misplay of a catchable pass from rookie quarterback Devin Leary in Friday’s practice led to an interception by undrafted rookie cornerback Bump Cooper Jr. Without a strong preseason, Cunningham’s roster chances could be slim. Sean Ryan, a practice squad wide receiver for the Ravens last year, has outperformed him in camp so far.

TE Charlie Kolar: Kolar’s transition from slot tight end, where he largely starred at Iowa State, to in-line tight end, where the Ravens have needed him, was always going to have ups and downs. At OTAs and minicamp, Kolar flashed his potential, showing that even with a heavier frame — he now weighs over 275 pounds — he could be a reliable target over the middle. In camp, however, Kolar hasn’t featured as prominently in the passing game, and it’s clear he’s still finding his way as a blocker. Defensive lineman Brent Urban has manhandled him a few times on the edge. But tight ends coach George Godsey remains optimistic. “I think you’re going to see a big jump … both in the run game and the pass game,” he said Saturday. “He’s going to make his mark physically at the line of scrimmage controlling the defender.”