It only took a few plays to stir excitement about this young group of players the Ravens brought in with their 2025 draft picks.

Safety Malaki Starks and linebacker Teddye Buchanan were reading plays quickly. Outside linebacker Mike Green almost had a sack on his first rep.

And wide receiver LaJohntay Wester popped off an 87-yard punt return for a touchdown, hinting that the Ravens’ special teams might once again be special.

“I see it, and from what I’ve heard from a lot of people that have been around us, this class is really deep, and there’s a lot of really talented guys,” Buchanan said. “To be a part of that is really cool.”

However, the excitement was shadowed by a severe injury to sixth-round pick cornerback Bilhal Kone, who joins the list of injured rookies.

Here’s a look at how each rookie fared in the Ravens’ 24-16 win over the Indianapolis Colts.

Round 1 (No. 27): S Malaki Starks, Georgia

A projected starter, Starks played only the first few series. After Ar’Darius Washington’s Achilles injury in the offseason, Starks has had to step in as the starting safety next to Kyle Hamilton.

Starks made one tackle, but the Colts did not target him often. And his only tackle was impressive. He stopped first-round pick tight end Tyler Warren for 0 yards after the catch.

“I’m actually mad,” Starks said with a laugh. “I think I probably could have stopped it from happening, probably could have picked it off if I had just followed my instincts. ... Just getting back into it. I’ve been away from it, so honestly it’s just like, if I see something and know it’s coming, just go.”

Starks appeared to be reading the offense well, and the defense didn’t have as many communication issues as it did in Tuesday’s joint practices.

“We [Buchanan and I] are the quarterbacks of the defense,” Starks said. “We got to work with each other to get everybody on the same page ... It felt natural to be out there with Teddye and Trent [Simpson] and Jake [Hummel] and everybody.”

Round 2 (No. 59): OLB Mike Green, Marshall

On his first snap Green and second-year outside linebacker Adisa Isaac beat the tackles and almost sacked Anthony Richardson, but the Colts quarterback got it out just in time.

Although Green did not record any pressures or quarterback hits, he looked fast and powerful. He finished with three tackles and was rotating with outside linebacker David Ojabo and Isaac, helping in the pass rush and the run defense. Isaac said Green made his job easier because he was taking pressure off him.

“Of course, there’s things that I’ve got to clean up on my own when it comes down to mental errors,” Green said. “I think overall, once I spend more time here, I’ll be able to grow here.”

Round 3 (No. 91): OT Emery Jones Jr., LSU

Jones remains sidelined with a shoulder injury. He would have competed to be a second-string lineman, but he has not been cleared by the doctors.

Round 4 (No. 129): LB Teddye Buchanan, Cal

Buchanan played alongside Simpson at linebacker and was wearing the green dot as the player conveying calls from the sideline to the defense. Simpson said he communicated at a high level.

“Compared to OTAs, I feel great,” Buchanan said about leading onfield. “I think it takes time to earn trust and respect from your teammates and also be able to trust yourself. ... I think I did a good job getting the calls in.”

The Colts took advantage of his aggressiveness on a run fake, turning a short pass into a long catch-and-run over the middle.

Buchanan made one tackle, and the defense was solid with him in. It gave up only field goals. Simpson said he played very physically, and Buchanan said they complemented each other well.

Buchanan is also a big special teams contributor, and he said it was cool to see special teams take the main stage against the Colts.

“That’s something I’m looking forward to doing all season,” Buchanan said.

Round 5 (No. 141): OT Carson Vinson, Alabama A&M

Vinson remains raw, but he seemed to be concentrating on his fundamentals. He was clearly trying to stay low and move his feet. But at times he cheated a bit and could have been called for holding.

Vinson has a large, powerful frame, and that was on display when he flipped a defensive lineman to the ground. He can’t always keep up, and he was partially responsible for one of the times Devin Leary was sacked while he was playing left tackle.

Starting right guard Roger Rosengarten said Vinson has been working his “tail off” since he got here.

“Coach’s been working with him day in and day out, and he’s looking really good,” Rosengarten said. “What he’s doing, switching left to right, I told him that’s not easy to do, especially at the highest level. I’m excited for Carson.”

Round 6 (No. 178): CB Bilhal Kone, Western Michigan

Kone almost made an interception before giving up a long completion in the same series. He did not get a chance to redeem himself after he injured his knee on a third-down stop.

Kone was carted off the field in an air cast and declared out for the season.

Round 6 (No. 186): K Tyler Loop, Arizona

Loop displayed his leg strength with his kickoffs, and he also displayed his speed when he tackled a returner.

But his main problem is consistency when kicking field goals, and that was evident Thursday. After he went 6-for-6 in the joint practice against the Colts, Loop missed a 46-yard field goal. The kick was wide left, like all his misses so far. Coach John Harbaugh said he stubbed his toe on the play, causing the ball to fade.

The Ravens gave him another chance, sending him out for a 52-yard field goal. Loop demonstrated resiliency and nailed it. After earning an A++ from Harbaugh after Sunday’s stadium practice, he earned more of a B++.

Round 6 (No. 203): WR LaJohntay Wester, Colorado

Wester had looked good as a returner through camp, but he’s been quiet on offense.

No one could have missed Wester against the Colts. His first punt return went for 17 yards. The second went 87 yards for a touchdown. The Ravens have not had a consistently dynamic returner for years, and Wester’s performance indicates they may have found the answer. However, he has to continue to consistently catch the ball — he has whiffed during practice.

The job has not been won yet, Harbaugh said, but it was a good start.

On offense, Wester had two quarterbacks who struggled with delivering the ball, combining for five completions in the entire game. Even so, he had an 11-yard and a 30-yard catch.

“I was overlooked all my life,” Wester said. “... So for me to be able to overcome all of that and get here and be able to get my first NFL touchdown in a game like this, it was amazing.”

Round 6 (No. 210): DL Aeneas Peebles, Virginia Tech

Peebles got to do a rare interior defensive lineman celebration when he deflected a pass. He finished with three tackles.

Although he is small for his position, he showed his power, handling the Colts’ offensive linemen well at times and pressuring the pocket. However, he needs to show consistency because, at other times, he was locked in a standstill with the line.

“He’s been doing great,” Isaac said. “Ever since he got here, he’s been getting better, learning the system, getting comfortable, playing faster ... As you see, he made a couple plays tonight. He’s going to go up from here.”

Round 6 (No. 212): CB Robert Longerbeam, Rutgers

Longerbeam was injured during camp and unable to participate.

Round 7 (No. 243): OL Garrett Dellinger, LSU

Dellinger spent the night playing left guard next to Vinson. He was also responsible for giving up a sack. He was penalized for a false start the play after undrafted rookie free agent Gerad Lichtenhan. However, he also helped the Ravens have a solid day on the ground.

Rosengarten said Dellinger had a good week of practice and has been building on it. He liked what he saw from Vinson and Dellinger.

This article has been updated.