The Ravens have 11 days to decide on their 53-man roster, but some decisions have been made for them. No team makes it through training camp unscathed, and the harder the injury luck gets, the easier the roster math becomes.

With the Ravens placing sixth-round picks Bilhal Kone and Robert Longerbeam on injured reserve last weekend, ending the rookie cornerbacks’ seasons before Week 1, the bubble is a little less crowded. But there wasn’t much space to begin with.

The Ravens head into Saturday’s preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas, with perhaps 48 players, if not more, comfortably projected to have a spot on the season-opening roster — 22 on offense, 23 on defense and three specialists:

• Quarterback (2): Lamar Jackson, Cooper Rush
• Running back (3): Derrick Henry, Justice Hill, Keaton Mitchell
• Wide receiver (6): Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, DeAndre Hopkins, Tylan Wallace, Devontez Walker, LaJohntay Wester
• Tight end/fullback (3): Mark Andrews, Charlie Kolar, Patrick Ricard
• Offensive line (8): Ronnie Stanley, Andrew Vorhees, Tyler Linderbaum, Daniel Faalele, Roger Rosengarten, Ben Cleveland, Joe Noteboom, Carson Vinson
• Defensive line (5): Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones, Broderick Washington, John Jenkins, Aeneas Peebles
• Outside linebacker (5): Odafe Oweh, Kyle Van Noy, Tavius Robinson, Mike Green, Adisa Isaac
• Inside linebacker (4): Roquan Smith, Trenton Simpson, Teddye Buchanan, Jake Hummel
• Cornerback (6): Marlon Humphrey, Nate Wiggins, Jaire Alexander, Chidobe Awuzie, T.J. Tampa, Jalyn Armour-Davis
• Safety (3): Kyle Hamilton, Malaki Starks, Sanoussi Kane
• Specialists (3): Tyler Loop, Jordan Stout, Nick Moore

Open spots are sparse. If the Ravens are optimistic that tight end Isaiah Likely can recover from foot surgery in time to contribute early in the regular season, he’ll take up another space. That would leave just four jobs up for grabs, likely two apiece on offense and defense.

Here’s what to watch Saturday and next week in Owings Mills as the NFL’s Aug. 26 cut-down deadline approaches.

When will Emery Jones Jr. return?

Entering camp, Ravens officials hoped the third-round pick would be cleared to practice by early August. But Jones’ recovery from offseason shoulder surgery has kept the offensive lineman off the field and out of consideration for a starting job.

“He’s working hard,” coach John Harbaugh said last week. “He’s in the meetings. He’s very determined. He’s probably a little frustrated because I think he wants to get out there, but the doctors have to do what they think is right, and when they clear him, he’ll be out there.”

Jones is running out of time to be ready for Week 1, if it hasn’t run out already. The Ravens will have another week of practice ahead of their Aug. 23 preseason finale against the Washington Commanders, but Jones likely needs a longer run-up before he returns to full-speed, game-like settings.

For now, Jones remains on the non-football-injury/illness list. Unless he’s activated before the end of the preseason, he can be placed on the reserve/NFI list. With that designation, Jones would miss at least the Ravens’ first four regular-season games but would not count against their 53-man roster.

Even if he is cleared for preseason practice, Jones could still land on injured reserve before Week 1. Under a rule implemented last year, teams on cut-down day can place up to two players on IR with a designation to return. In that case, Jones would miss at least the Ravens’ first four regular-season games and would not count against their initial 53-man roster.

Who’s rounding out the offensive line room?

In recent seasons, the Ravens have entered Week 1 with at least 10 available offensive linemen, including veterans called up from the practice squad. This year, given Jones’ injury uncertainty, they may need that power in numbers. Vinson, a fifth-round pick with impressive physical tools but imprecise technique, figures to be inactive on game days early in his rookie season. He should not be counted on to help protect Jackson out wide.

If there’s a roster spot available up front, second-year lineman Corey Bullock appears to be the favorite. The Prince George’s County native, who played tackle at North Carolina Central and Maryland before going undrafted, spent his rookie season in Baltimore on the practice squad. After playing mostly at guard in his first preseason, the 6-foot-3, 320-pound Bullock has transitioned smoothly to center this offseason.

With Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum sitting out the Ravens’ preseason opener, Bullock started against the Indianapolis Colts. He impressed as a run blocker, climbing to the second level on a couple of solid gains, and didn’t allow a pressure in his seven pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

“He worked every day and got better every day” as a rookie, offensive coordinator Todd Monken said Tuesday. Offensive line coach George Warhop “has done a great job with him. He’s a very conscientious young man, and he’s playing at a really high level right now. I’m excited for him and for us.”

A roster spot for Bullock could come at the expense of 2024 seventh-round pick Nick Samac, a center who didn’t appear in a game last season. If the Ravens make room for another lineman, general manager Eric DeCosta could favor a guard candidate such as second-year lineman Darrian Dalcourt, another former undrafted-rookie signing, or 2025 seventh-round pick Garrett Dellinger, who has experience at guard and center.

How safe is David Ojabo’s roster spot?

Ojabo’s job security is maybe the Ravens’ most compelling roster question. DeCosta typically keeps five outside linebackers on the team’s initial 53-man roster, but second-round picks at premium positions don’t typically find themselves on the roster bubble in Baltimore, either.

Ojabo, in the final year of his rookie contract, had an encouraging preseason opener. He sacked Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. on an unblocked rep and recorded two other pressures, according to PFF. But he has his limitations.

The high-end athleticism that made Ojabo a first-round talent in 2022 was not always apparent, even when matched up with reserve Indianapolis linemen. On one pass-rushing rep, he timed the snap well, blew by the right tackle with his first three steps and still was unable to turn the corner quickly enough to land a quarterback hit.

Ojabo also logged just four special teams snaps against the Colts, far fewer than fellow outside linebackers Isaac (10) and Green (eight). That could hurt his roster case with Harbaugh, who depends on special teams contributions from Ravens reserves.

Speculation about Ojabo’s future in Baltimore hasn’t bothered him, he said Tuesday. After years of injury problems that limited him to 18 games over his first three seasons, Ojabo said he feels “like myself” again. Harbaugh called him an “upside guy,” a hint that the Ravens believe his best is yet to come.

“Football is kind of one of these games where the more you play it, the better feel you have for it,” Harbaugh said Tuesday. “It’s like any sport, probably, but I think his upside is really there, and I believe that we’ll see it. I think we’ve seen it already in camp. I’m looking forward to the games so everybody can see it, really.”

What are the Ravens’ plans at safety?

Beau Brade is behind Kane in the defense’s pecking order, but his special teams contributions can’t be overlooked. The former River Hill and Maryland standout appeared in just 11 games as a rookie and still finished with 207 special teams snaps, fifth most among the Ravens’ returning veterans. In the preseason opener against Indianapolis, Brade played a team-high 18 special teams snaps, including first-half reps with the kickoff coverage, kick return, punt coverage and punt return units.

Brade’s biggest challenger for the fourth safety spot is undrafted rookie defensive back Reuben Lowery, whom the Ravens could keep along with Brade. The 5-9, 204-pound Lowery was active and productive during organized team activities and has continued to impress in camp.

His versatility is an asset for a Ravens defense that values schematic flexibility. At Football Championship Subdivision school Tennessee-Chattanooga, Lowery lined up primarily in the slot and as a box safety. In his preseason debut with the Ravens, he aligned mostly as a deep safety. Lowery had two pass breakups in Wednesday’s practice, both coming after he drove on throws over the middle of the field.

Lowery had an unremarkable four-tackle performance against the Colts, missing an open-field tackle and appearing to lose containment on an outside run, but Harbaugh said Saturday he’s been “pleasantly surprised” by the rookie’s play.

“I hate to say it, because he was a heck of a player in college, too, but to come out here and play at the level he has … has been really impressive,” Harbaugh said. “He’s played every position. He played all three corner spots, he’s played both safety positions, so can’t wait to see him in Dallas and see how he plays down there.”

If Lowery struggles to stand out against the Cowboys and Commanders, the Ravens could likely sneak him on to their practice squad without much worry. But, if his splash plays carry over into the preseason, DeCosta could have a tougher call to make.